Brag Bowling, President         Art Bergeron, Editor       
3019 Kensington Ave             3901 Paces Ferry Road   
Richmond, VA 23221              Chester, VA 23831-1239

February 2003 PROGRAM

Dr. Mark A. Snell
"General William Buel Franklin"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 11, 2003, at the
Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard,
Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.) Enter
the basement door on the right side under the front steps.

Dr.  Mark A.  Snell is the  director  of  the  George  Tyler
Moore  Center  for  the  Study  of the Civil War at Shepherd
College in Shepherdstown,  West  Virginia.   He  earned  his
Ph.D.   from  the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Snell
is a  retired  army  officer  and  served  as  an  assistant
professor at the United States Military Academy, West Point,
New York.  At Shepherd College, he chairs the Civil War  and
19th  Century  America  program  and  teaches  two Civil War
courses, an American history survey course, and a course  on
World  War  I.   His most recent book is From First to Last:
The Life of Major General  William  B.   Franklin  (Fordham,
2002).                                                      

The  number  one  graduate  of the West Point class of 1843,
William Buel Franklin served in the U.S.   Army's  Corps  of
Topographical  Engineers  and  contributed  greatly  to  the
building of the nation's internal improvements, including  a
stint  as  chief  engineer  in charge of construction of the
U.S.  Capitol's dome and extension.  During the  Civil  War,
Franklin  ascended  rapidly  in  rank and command authority,
from command of a Union brigade at Bull Run,  to  leadership
of  the  Sixth  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the Potomac on the
Peninsula and during the Maryland Campaign,  to  command  of
the Left Grand Division at the Battle of Fredericksburg.  In
the wake of Fredericksburg,  Franklin  was  blamed  for  the
Union  army's  defeat.   Censured by the Joint Congressional
Committee on the Conduct of the War, Franklin  was  banished
to  the Department of the Gulf, where he participated in the
ill-fated Sabine Pass Expedition  and  Red  River  Campaign.
After  these  disasters, Franklin could not escape the wrath
of the Lincoln administration, which refused  to  place  him
back  in command even though his old West Point classmate-U.
S.  Grant-personally requested his services.                


Review of the January Program


Dr.  Nelson D.  Lankford gave a  presentation  on  "Richmond
Burning," based upon his recent book of that name.  His talk
was highlighted by dozens  of  photographs  and  drawing  of
wartime  Richmond  and  the  important personages mentioned.
Lankford began with a brief  account  of  Robert  E.   Lee's
return to the city on April 15, 1865, nearly two weeks after
the great fire.  Some of the ruins still smouldered on  that
rainy  day.   The  former  commander of the Army of Northern
Virginia probably wondered what had happened and why.       

The story began in late March of that year.  Trenches formed
a  40-mile  arc  from Richmond to Petersburg.  Colonel Isaac
Carrington, Provost Marshal  of  Richmond,  received  orders
from  Lieutenant General Richard S.  Ewell to prepare for an
evacuation.  Word reached Carrington on the morning of April
2  that  he  would have to act upon those orders.  President
Jefferson Davis left Richmond  around  midnight.   Engineers
were piling up material on the bridges so that they could be
burned.  The City Council ordered  the  destruction  of  all
liquor  supplies.   Those commissary items that could not be
removed due to lack of transportation fell prey to  looters,
who took what they could.  The torch was then applied by the
Confederates  to  the  military  warehouses   and   arsenal.
Lieutenant  Colonel  Clement  Sulivane  set  the Mayo Bridge
afire about 8 a.m.  on April 3 when he  was  told  that  the
last military units had left Richmond.                      

Union  units  of the Army of the James raced to be the first
to enter the city.  There have been controversies ever since
over  who got there first and who raised the first flag over
the capitol.  As these Federals entered Richmond, fire raged
through  parts  of the city.  Capitol Square became a refuge
for  the  citizens.   Many  people  tried  to  bring   their
possessions  with  them.   Flames  from  the warehouses were
blown into the business district by high winds.   Richmond's
small fire department was helpless.  By mid-morning the fire
was out of control.  Union  Major  General  Godfrey  Weitzel
went  to  the  capitol  and organized an effort to fight the
blazes.  Ammunition in the arsenal began to explode.  Stores
near the waterfront and the bridges were beyond rescue. Some
800-1,000   buildings   were   destroyed.    Although   this
represented  only about ten percent of the city, it was also
nine-tenths  of   the   business   district   of   Richmond.
Eventually,  Weitzel's  efforts paid off, and the fires were
put out.                                                    

President Abraham Lincoln arrived in  the  city  during  the
afternoon  of April 4.  He was dressed in black and wore his
trademark stovepipe hat.  Crowds of freedmen gathered around
"The  Great  Emancipator"  and  tried to touch him.  Lincoln
toured the city in a carriage with Weitzel and gave a speech
at the base of the Washington statue when he returned to the
capitol.   Under  Weitzel's  orders,  Union   troops   began
bringing  supplies  into  Richmond  to feed the people.  For
most Northerners, the fall of Richmond  was  more  important
than Lee's surrender at Appomattox.                         

Lee's  reception  was  quiet  until  he reached his house on
Franklin Street.  Crowds gathered and begged him to speak to
them,  but he declined.  His return was quickly overshadowed
by the news of Lincoln's assassination  at  Ford's  Theater.
Soon  photographs and lithographs of Richmond's ruins spread
over the country.  According to Lankford, "These views  were
stamped  into  national  memory, and for a long time to come
Richmond in ashes signified irretrievable loss to the  South
and the fruits of failed rebellion to the North."           


 Announcements 

Newsletter Editor Needed

The Round Table is looking for a person(s) to take over  the
monthly  newsletter  from  Carol  and  Art  Bergeron.   This
transition needs to take place no later  than  mid-March  so
that  the  new editor(s) can put out the April issue.  Carol
and Art will try to make the transition as easy as  possible
by  explaining how they have handled the newsletter over the
past two years and passing along to the  new  editor(s)  all
appropriate  computer files (old newsletters and the current
mailing list).  A  quality  publication  remains  the  Round
Table's  goal.  If you are willing to take on this important
task, please call Art at 861-2408 during the day or 717-2281
during the evening.                                         


"Gods and Generals" Premiere

The Round Table is one of the sponsors of a premiere of  the
movie  "Gods  and  Generals,"  which  will  be  held  at the
Carpenter  Center  at  7:30  p.m.,  Tuesday,  February   18.
Proceeds from the event will benefit our club as well as the
other  sponsoring  organizations.   Tickets  are   available
starting  at  $100 per person.  For information and tickets,
call (804) 344-8081.                                        


Brandy Station Tour

Clark  B.   Hall  will  lead   a   special   tour   of   the
little-visited  sites  at  the Brandy Station battlefield on
March 15.  The tour will cover the back reaches of the  site
as well as "hidden" and difficult fords.  There will be lots
of walking, and participants will often  have  to  negotiate
muddy  areas.  The cost is $15 per person, and checks should
be made out to the Brandy  Station  Foundation.   Send  your
checks  to  Sam Craghead, 4361F Lakefield Mews, Richmond, VA
23231.  Participants will be traveling by car from Richmond,
so  if  you  are willing to be a driver please let Sam know.
The group will leave Richmond early enough to arrive in  the
Brandy Station area about 8 a.m.                            


University of Richmond Class

The University of  Richmond  School  of  Continuing  Studies
announces  a  course  titled  "Civil  War  in  Virginia: Lee
Triumphant."  After  turning  back  a  Union  assault   upon
Richmond  in  July 1862, General Robert E.  Lee led his Army
of Northern Virginia through a series of battles during  the
next  year  without suffering defeat.  The non-credit course
explores Lee's generalship and the impact of the  Civil  War
upon  Virginians,  their  allies  and  their adversaries.  A
variety of materials will be  supplied  by  the  instructor,
Jack  Mountcastle.   The  class  will  run for four weeks in
March, meeting on Monday nights  from  7:00-9:00  p.m.   and
will  take  a  Saturday  field  trip  to  Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville in early April.  The fee is $109.  For more
info, call the School of Continuing Studies at 804-289-8133,
or   visit   the   University   of   Richmond   website   at
www.richmond.edu.   Choose "Continuing Studies" then look at
"Non-credit Courses" for info contained in the "Think Again"
catalog for Winter 2003.                                    


Lincoln Symposium

The Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is
pleased  to announce that on March 22, there will be a major
educational seminar to be held in Richmond,  Virginia.   The
Foundation  for  American  Education  and  Rockwell.com will
jointly sponsor an educational symposium on Abraham  Lincoln
which  will  critically  analyze  the 16th President and his
place in American history.  The Symposium will  be  held  at
the  John Marshall Hotel in downtown Richmond beginning at 9
a.m.  on  March  22  and  lasting  until  4:30  p.m.   Hotel
information will be forthcoming.  The following scholars are
scheduled to participate:                                   

	Professor Thomas  DiLorenzo,  Loyola  University  of
	Maryland   -   "The   Politics   and   Economics  of
	Reconstruction"                                     

	Dr.  Thomas Fleming, Chronicles  Editor  -  "Lincoln
	and Racism"                                         

	Dr.   Scott Trask, Research Fellow, Mises Institute,
	Auburn University - "Northern Opposition to Lincoln"

	Dr.  Donald Livingstone, Emory University - "Lincoln
	and Slavery"                                        

	Dr.   Joe Stromberg, Rothland Research Fellow, Mises
	Institute, Auburn University -  "Lincoln  and  Total
	War"                                                

	John  Chodes,  New  York  City Playwright - Northern
	Opposition to Lincoln"                              



RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2003


Newsletter Deadlines

To facilitate the printing and timely  distribution  of  the
monthly  newsletter,  information for it should be submitted
to the editors no later than the following dates:           

For the March newsletter, no later than February 21  
For the April newsletter, nolater than March 21      
For the May newsletter, nolater than April 25        
For the June newsletter, nolater than May 23         
For the July newsletter, nolater than June 20        
For the August newsletter, nolater than July 25      
For the September newsletter, nolater than August 22 
For the October newsletter, nolater than September 26
For the November newsletter, nolater than October 24 
For the December newsletter, nolater than November 21


Richmond Civil War Round Table Newsletter
Art & Carol Bergeron, Editors
3901 Paces Ferry Road
Chester, VA 23831-1239