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Rob Monroe, President Gary Cowardin, Editor 9733 Fireside Drive 1404 Lorraine Ave. Glen Allen, VA 23060 Richmond, VA 23227-3735 rmonroe500@comcast.net cowardin@juno.com
"Last Days of Stonewall Jackson" by Chris Mackowski, Ph.D. 7:30pm, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, 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 right and up a few steps into the DINING HALL on the left.
Chris is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War. He
is the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series,
published by Savas Beatie, and the "Engaging the Civil War" Series,
published in partnership with Southern Illinois University Press. Chris
is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St.
Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, where he also serves as
associate dean for undergraduate programs. Chris is also
historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the
Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has also worked as a
historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania
National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War
battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and
Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died.
Chris has authored or co-authored a dozen books on the Civil War, and
his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines. Chris
serves on the board of directors for the Central Virginia Battlefields
Trust and the national advisory board for the Civil War Chaplains Museum
in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Meeting Attendance for March: 70
NOTE: Please put on your NAME BADGE on when you arrive for the meeting.
(They will be on a table near the back or side of the room.)
Message from Our President With our May meeting falling just two days after Mother's Day, I thought it might be interesting to focus on letters written between mothers and sons during the Civil War. Though Mother's Day wouldn't become an official holiday for another half century, correspondence between soldiers and their moms showed the conflict only made their relationships stronger. On July 19, 1861, Martha Roadcap of Rockbridge County wrote to her son John McGuffin in Winchester serving in the 5th Virginia Infantry. Her letter makes clear the great excitement--and confusion--felt on the homefront at the beginning of the war. "I was very anxious to hear from you from the fact that it was reported hear that an engagement was begun on Tuesday last," she explained, "and that it was still going on, at Winchester which I see by your letter is not the case. But it is no use believing any reports now." Just two days after his mother wrote this letter, John and the "Fighting Fifth" were engaged at First Manassas where their regiment's commander, Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, would earn his nickname "Stonewall." It wasn't just mothers concerned for their sons in harm's way. Just after receiving his pay in November 1861, Tilton Reynolds wrote home to his mother in Pennsylvania and enclosed some of his meager wages. "I want to get Some thing to make myself comfortable this winter," he explained. "I can sent you ten Dollars as easy as not. I Should Send you more But I do not want to run out and have to Depend on my friends for funds. It will help you to Buy little things that you need. You need not let any one know that you have got it." In December 1863, Martha Tinney of Kentucky wrote to her son Henry relaying the fears thousands of other mothers had for their young men facing and the inevitable temptations of camp life. "I wante you to bee a good boy and serve your lord the best you can," she implored. "I wante you not to play cards I herde some say you had took to plain cards." On May 10, 1864, John O'Neil, an immigrant serving in the 30th New York, wrote to his mother back in Ireland. "Now as I write to you we are.in the rifle pits about two miles from Spotyslvania Court House," he reported. "The shots are beginning to be fired at the advancing rebels by our men. I do not know what way it will end yet, both parties are equal at present." These would be the last words Mrs. O'Neil would receive from her son. He was taken prison with over 100 of his fellow soldiers in the regiment. Sent to the prison at Andersonville, over half of them died, including John. This began years of correspondence across the Atlantic between Mrs. O'Neil and officials in Washington. Finally, in 1889, 25 years after the death of her son, she received a pension for his service. But, as we all know, the love between a mother and her son is priceless. Rob
From Our Second V.P 2019 ANNUAL FIELD TRIP - SATURDAY, JUNE 29 I am very pleased to announce that the one and only Bobby Krick has agreed to lead this year's field trip which will occur on Saturday, June 29, 2019. We will be visiting a series of sites affiliated with the 1864 Overland Campaign north of Richmond - that week-long period that bridged the end of Spotsylvania and the start of Cold Harbor. Specifically we will see the well preserved North Anna battlefield (May 23-26) from a variety of locations, including one short stop at the Jericho Mill portion of the battlefield. In the afternoon we will ride east in the footsteps of the Union army toward the Pamunkey River. Our trip will conclude with stops at the Haw's Shop cavalry battlefield (May 28, 1864) and the Totopotomoy Creek battlefield (May 29 - June 1, 1864). The North Anna portion of the trip will include a fair amount of walking - close to three miles, in two separate segments - all of which will occur on dirt roads or on maintained trails. There will be no cross-country hiking on this particular tour. The second half of the tour will feature almost no walking at all. We will leave from the Lowes parking lot on Brook Road (at Parham) at 9:00 a.m. and will be back around 4:30 p.m. We plan on having lunch at the picnic area at Ox Ford so please bring a bag lunch, water will be provided. The cost is just $35 per person. Make your check payable to RCWRT, bring it to a meeting, or mail it to: Ulli Baumann 9347 Berry Farm Court Mechanicsville, VA 23116
A Message from our Secretary Andy Keller Join with me to welcome our two newest members: Eric Sebastian and Phil Baysden I am now making the name badges and will have all the new ones I am aware of at the meeting. If anyone has an issue with theirs, let me know. They are printed eight at a time which may cause a delay if new members are not joining at a good pace. You may make a temporary name badge or wear any other badge you may have. Andy Secretary.rcwrt@gmail.com
Upcoming Events/Links
National Park Service Richmond
Richmond Battlefields Association News & Events www.saverichmondbattlefields.org/events.htm
Visit the American Civil War Museum at Tredegar and the White House of the Confederacy www.acwm.org
Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier www.pamplinpark.org
Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours civilwarseminars.org
RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2019
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