Bernard Fisher, President              Rob Monroe, Editor       
7300 Ann Cabell Lane                   2416 Edenbrook Dr.       
Mechanicsville, VA 23111               Richmond, VA 23228-3040  
bernard.fisher@comcast.net             RMonroe500@comcast.net   
 March 2007 PROGRAM

Richard W. Hatcher, III

"Charleston Is To Be Defended To the Last Extremity"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 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.

On December 20, 1860, delegates meeting in  Charleston,  SC,
signed  an ordinance of secession, taking their state out of
the Union.  Less than four months later, on April 12,  1861,
the  Civil  War  began  when Confederate batteries bombarded
Fort Sumter.  The combination  of  these  two  events,  plus
Charleston's  importance  as  a  major shipping port for the
Confederacy, made the city a major military objective during
the  war.  The Confederate defense of harbor was critical to
the new nation's survival.  The capture of port was critical
to   Union   victory.    These  two  factors  culminated  in
the1863-1865 Siege of Charleston.   Beginning  on  July  10,
1863  and  ending on February 18, 1865, the 587-day campaign
was the longest military operation of the war.              

Rick Hatcher, a Richmond native who has  been  historian  at
Fort  Sumter National Monument since 1992, will recount this
vital, but often-overlooked, aspect of  Civil  War  history,
with  special  attention  to  Virginia  connections  to  the
Charleston story.  Mr.  Hatcher has been a  student  of  the
Civil  War  since  the  1961-1965 Centennial.  He earned his
B.A.  in history from VCU in 1973 and began his career  with
the  National  Park  Service  as  a  volunteer  and seasonal
employee at Richmond  National  Battlefield  Park  in  1970.
After   gaining   permanent   status  at  Colonial  National
Historical Park in 1976, he has  worked  at  Kings  Mountain
National  Military  Park,  South  Carolina,  Wilson's  Creek
National Battlefield, Missouri, and at Fort Sumter.  He  has
written  and published widely about Wilson's Creek and about
Forts Sumter and Moultrie, and has been  involved  with  the
unfolding  drama  of  the submarine, H.  L.  Hunley, and her
crew.                                                       

Copies of Mr.  Hatcher's co-authored book,  Wilson's  Creek,
The  Second  Major  Battle  of the Civil War and the Men Who
Fought It, will be on sale at the meeting.                  


The End is Near

There are only a few days left to renew your  membership  in
the  Richmond  Civil  War Round Table for 2007.  The Ides of
March (March 15) is the deadline for payment of dues.       

$30 - Resident member                              
$40 - Resident couple                              
$15 - Non-resident member                          
(75 miles outside of Richmond)         
$20 - Non-resident couple                          
$15 - Senior member                                
            (65 and older with at least 10 years of membership)
$20 - Senior couple                                
$15 - Student member (age 13-17)                   
$30 - International member                         
$40 - International couple                         

You can make payment at the March 13 meeting or mail your check to:

Sandy Parker, RCWRT Secretary
P.O. Box 37052               
Richmond, VA 23234           

With your support, 2007 will be another banner year for  the
Richmond Civil War Round Table!                             


Plenty of Events Scheduled for March and April

On Saturday, March 10, RCWRT members are  cordially  invited
to  an  inside  tour  of  "In the Cause of Liberty," the new
exhibit  at  the  American  Civil  War  Center  at  Historic
Tredegar.   It  is  the first to weave together Confederate,
Union, and African American stories and to  show  how  their
interaction  shaped  the  course  of  American history.  The
group will meet in the  entry  pavilion  of  the  Center  at
10:30am.   The  following  morning,  Sunday,  March  11, the
RCWRT's own Robert E.L.   Krick  will  be  speaking  at  the
Second  Presbyterian  Church  Chapel  on Sunday, March 11 at
9:30am  on  "The  Confederacy's  Most  Famous  Presbyterian:
Stonewall  Jackson,  Richmond,  and  Fifth Street During the
Civil War." Second Presbyterian (located at  5  North  Fifth
Street  near  Main  Street)  was  built  in  1846 and barely
survived the burning of Richmond.  Its then minister,  Moses
Hoge,  was  probably the best-known Presbyterian minister in
the Confederacy.                                            

American women faced enormous challenges in  the  tumultuous
years  of  the Civil War.  Many refused to stand by as their
brothers, husbands, and sons fought in the bloodiest war  of
America's history.  Dr.  Michelle Krowl, author of Women Who
Dare: Women of the Civil War, will give  a  presentation  at
the  American  Civil  War  Center  at  Historic  Tredegar on
Saturday, March 17 at 2pm.  Through archival photographs and
engaging  discussion,  Dr.   Krowl will recall both renowned
historical figures such as Clara Barton and Harriet  Tubman,
along with lesser-known historians such as Dr.  Mary Walker.

The  Museum  of the Confederacy is hosting its second annual
Membership Appreciation  Weekend  on  Friday  and  Saturday,
March  23  & 24.  This year's events will commence on Friday
night, when the Museum will host a  member's  reception  for
the  opening  of  the  special  exhibit  "Virginia  and  The
Confederacy: A Quadricentennial Perspective." There will  be
special  tours  throughout  the  weekend  culminating in the
Dabney Award Dinner.  This year's recipient is H.E.  Howard,
publisher  of  the Virginia Regimental Series of books.  For
details or reservations call (804) 649-1861, ext.  42       

Also on Friday and Saturday, March 23  &  24,  the  American
Civil  War  Center  at  Historic  Tredegar will host "In the
Cause of Liberty:  How  the  Civil  War  Redefined  American
Ideals."  Held  at  the  Virginia  Historical  Society, this
conference will  feature  speakers  Gary  Gallagher,  George
Rable  and  Peter Onuf among others.  Pulitzer prize-winning
author James McPherson will deliver the keynote address. For
more  information  or  to register go to www.tredegar.org or
call Ginger LaPrade at (804) 780-1865 ext 14                

At noon on Wednesday, March 2, at the  Virginia  Historical
Society,  William  Marvel  will  discuss  his  new book, Mr.
Lincoln Goes to War.  Marvel  disputes  conventional  wisdom
about  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil War and ascribes a good
measure of blame to Abraham Lincoln  as  well  as  Jefferson
Davis  for  pushing  the secession crisis into open military
conflict.  He takes Lincoln to  task  for  an  unimaginative
approach  to  solving the impasse and also for infringing on
the constitutional rights of civilians in the North once the
fighting began.                                             

On  Saturday,  March  31,  Pamplin  Historical  Park  &  The
National Museum of the Civil War Soldier will hold its third
annual  pre-dawn walking tour of the historic "Breakthrough"
battlefield of April 2, 1865.  Space is  limited.   To  make
your  reservation  contact Member Services at (804) 861-2408
or MemberServices@pamplinpark.org.  There will be a  lecture
on "The Final Battles of the Petersburg Campaign" at 2pm and
driving tours of the White Oak Road and Dinwiddie Courthouse
battlefields.   These  tours  are  limited to six people and
will be on a first  come,  first  served  basis.   For  more
information, go to:   www.pamplinpark.org                   

Also  on Saturday, March 31, Petersburg National Battlefield
will commemorate the 142nd anniversary  of  the  battles  at
Five Forks and Fort Gregg.  There will be living history and
ranger programs throughout the day at the Five  Forks  site.
For  more  information  on  these  free  events  call  (804)
265-8244.                                                   

The Chesterfield Confederate Heritage Foundation is  hosting
an  educational  program  featuring  renowned  historian  Ed
Bearss.  This free event will take place on Saturday,  April
7,  from  noon  to  3pm, rain or shine, at the historic 1917
courthouse on  10020  Ironbridge  Road.   The  program  will
include exhibits, living history and fiddle and banjo music.
For more information email  CConfederateHF@aol.com  or  call
(804) 377-0438.                                             

Was  Robert  E.   Lee a hero whose valor and leadership were
surpassed only by his honor and humanity or a traitor  whose
military  skill prolonged an immoral rebellion?  The Sons of
Confederate Veterans will host a Robert E.  Lee Bicentennial
Symposium  on Saturday, April 2, at the Key Bridge Marriott
in Arlington.   Speakers  include  Robert  K.   Krick,  Kent
Masterson Brown and Thomas DiLorenzo among others.  Space is
limited.   For  more  information  or  to  register  go   to
www.scv.org/sdli or call 1-800-MY SOUTH                     


RCWRT Field Trip Announced for June

On the morning of Dec.13, 1862, Union Gen.  Meade, supported
by  Gen.   Gibbon,  advanced  on Stonewall Jackson's line on
Prospect Hill,  initiating  the  attack  at  Fredericksburg.
Meade's  troops  broke Jackson's line, exploiting a 600-yard
gap in  Jackson's  position.   In  sharp  fighting,  Meade's
advance  was  choked off and Jackson was able to restore the
line, forcing Meade's retreat.   Some  historians  see  this
fighting  as the most significant and decisive of the Battle
of Fredericksburg.                                          

Our field trip this year, scheduled for June 2,  will  visit
the Southern section of the Fredericksburg battlefield where
this fighting took place.  Included in this tour will be the
Slaughter Pen Farm, which has recently been preserved by the
Civil War Preservation Trust.  RCWRT members will  be  among
the  first  visitors to tour this site.  We are fortunate to
have as our tour leader noted historian Frank O'Reilly,  who
is  with  the  National Park Service in Fredericksburg.  You
should be prepared for plenty of walking.  In  the  morning,
we will follow Meade's attack, and in the afternoon, we will
walk Jackson's lines at Prospect Hill.   You  will  need  to
bring  your own lunch.  We will travel to Fredericksburg via
bus, leaving the James River Bus Lines parking lot at 915 N.
Allen  St.   (between  Leigh  St.   and  Broad),  at 8am and
returning to that location at 5pm.  The trip costs  $25  per
person  and  is  limited  to 52 members and guests.  Reserve
your seat today by completing the following form and sending
it along with your check (payable to RCWRT) to:             

Ed Wooldridge       
13700 Lintel Lane   
Midlothian, VA 23113

Name _______________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

City _________________________________ State ______ Zip ____________

Phone number and/or email address __________________________________

Number of seats requested ___  X $25 each = $ ________ Total payment

If you have any questions, please contact Ed Wooldridge via phone at
804-897-9840, or e-mail: edwool@comcast.net



RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2007


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Richmond Civil War Round Table Newsletter
Rob Monroe, Editor     
2416 Edenbrook Dr.     
Richmond, VA 23228-3040