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April 2011 - rcwrt.org

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David Whitehead, Pres.                 Gary Cowardin, Editor    
4305 Cary Street Rd.                   1404 Lorraine Ave.       
Richmond, VA 23221                     Richmond, VA 23227-3735  
davidwhitehead1@comcast.net            cowardin@juno.com        
April 12, 2011 Program
Scott H. Harris
"Legacy of Valor: New Market Battlefield State Historical Park"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at the
First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA., 4602 Cary Street Road, 23226
A parking lot is available behind the church with an entrance off the
parking lot to the left and down a few stairs. (map in August's newsleter)



"Put the boys in, and may God forgive me for  the  order.''  With  these
words,  Confederate  General John C.  Breckinridge ordered 257 cadets of
the Virginia Military Institute into combat during  the  Battle  of  New
Market  on  May  15, 1864.  Breckinridge's 4,000-man army, including the
cadets, went on to defeat a Union force  of  over  6,000  under  General
Franz  Sigel  in  one  of  the south's last significant victories of the
Civil War.  Overall, the Confederates suffered 531 casualties,  compared
to  841  for  the  Union  force.  Ten VMI cadets were killed or mortally
wounded.                                                                

Legacy of Valor examines the continuing influence of the Battle  of  New
Market  on VMI, both as an historical event and as an example of courage
and  character  for  successive  generations  of   cadets.    Particular
attention  is  paid  to the stewardship of this legacy at the New Market
Battlefield  State  Historical  Park.   Administered  by  the   Virginia
Military  Institute,  the Park includes the Bushong Farm and the Hall of
Valor Museum, which interprets both the battle and the military  history
of the Civil War in Virginia.                                           

Scott  H.   Harris has been Director of the New Market Battlefield State
Historical Park since March,  2001.   In  addition  to  overseeing  Park
operations,  he  assists  with  administration  of the Virginia Military
Institute Museum Operations.  He was Curator of The Manassas Museum from
1988  to  1995,  and  Director  of  Historic  Resources  for the City of
Manassas from 1995 until February,  2001.   Appointed  to  the  Advisory
Council  of  the  Virginia  Sesquicentennial  of  the American Civil War
Commission in 2006, Scott is also a member of  the  Virginia  Civil  War
Trails  board  of  directors,  and  is  a past president of the Virginia
Association of Museums.                                                 

Scott received his BA with honors in History and  Historic  Preservation
from  Mary  Washington  College  in 1983 and an MA in History and Museum
Administration from the College of William and Mary in 1988.            


Be sure to come early to get a good seat.
Meeting Attendance: March 2011 = 98

NOTE: Please put on your NEW NAME BADGE on when you arrive for the meeting.
(They will be near the back or side of the room.)

 A Note from Our President 

Welcome all RCWRT members to spring 2011.  We have  a  terrific  subject
this  month.  Please bring a relative, friend, or neighbor [especially a
VMI grad].                                                              

Don't forget our annual day tour Saturday June 18 and also  remember  to
bring and look over news items on the bulletin board.                   

Remember  to  pay  your  dues.   We  have 139 out of 190 paid up and are
allowing you to pay by April 17th without a late fee.  See  you  Tuesday
April 12-8pm.                                                           

November Meeting.  Elizabeth Pryor, author of  the  very  well  received
book,  Reading the Man: A Portrait Of Robert E.  Lee Through His Letters
will be our November speaker.  The Round Table's officers wish to  thank
all members who participated in the voting conducted during the past two
meetings regarding the concept of holding a dinner meeting in  November.
Members  voted at a 3-to-1 ratio in favor of holding a dinner meeting in
November.  The 1st Vice President is currently  seeking  cost  proposals
from several venues that would be suitable sites for our dinner meeting.


Fund-Raising in Support of the Dinner Meeting.  At  our  April  meeting,
1st  VP Jack Mountcastle will introduce a program aimed at raising funds
to defray the cost of the  November  dinner  meeting.   He  will  invite
members  to bring in Civil War books (both hardbound and paperback) that
can be sold for a fixed price of $10.00  for  hardbacks  and  $5.00  for
paperbacks.  All funds that are raised through the sale of these donated
books during the May, June, and  July  meetings  will  be  used  by  the
Treasurer to defray a portion of the November dinner meeting costs.     

					David Whitehead, Pres. RCWRT

Come with us on this year's RCWRT FIELD TRIP!

The Richmond Civil War Round Table will have its annual  field  trip  on
Saturday,  June  18,  2011,  visiting  the  USS  Monitor  Center  at the
Mariners' Museum in Newport News.                                       

While enroute we will be viewing a DVD presentation entitled  Battle  of
the  Ironclads  narrated  by  John Quarstein, Craig Symonds, and our May
speaker, Anna Holloway  of the USS Monitor Center.  During our visit  we
will  concentrate  on the marvelous artifacts and reconstructions of the
USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia.                                       

Lunch will be on the Mariners' Museum premises.                         

A stop is scheduled at the Monitor-Merrimac Overlook  Park  on  the  way
back and also at Drewry's Bluff, time permitting.                       

The 150th Sesquicentennial of the Civil War is now underway so  we  hope
to  have a record turn out from our RCWRT membership.  Please write your
checks and mark your calendars now.                                     

In order to cover the charter bus, we need to charge $23 per person  for
transportation,  similar  to  past  field trips.  The cost at the museum
will be $9.00 admission and lunch will be $8.00 plus tax.  So the  total
comes to $40 per person.                                                

You can bring your check (made out to RCWRT) to the April or May meeting
or mail it to:                                                          

Brent Morgan                 
9091 Pantego Ln              
Mechanicsville, VA 23116-5837

Brentster1@comcast.net       
804-550-3039                 

Civil War Trust
For the latest CWT news visit: www.civilwar.org

Upcoming Events


Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial Announces:
Rare Robert E.  Lee U.S.  Army artifacts will be on exhibit, April 16  -
30,  2011.   Significant  new  information  about Robert E.  Lee will be
revealed at the April 16th Evening Program.                             
All programs are free, but reservations are required. Call 703-235-1530.
www.nps.gov/arho/index.htm



www.virginiacivilwar.org
Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission

Saturday, April 16, 2011
More than 15 museums and historical sites in partnership with The Future
of  Richmond's Past offered a full day of free activities for the public
at Civil War & Emancipation Day: the 150th Anniversaries.               
Civil War & Emancipation Day

Free shuttle transportation will be available.

Visit The Museum of the Confederacy Online
www.moc.org

Visit The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar
www.tredegar.org
and their
Events Calendar

Pamplin Historical Park and
The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
www.pamplinpark.org
and their
Special Events Calendar

RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2011


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