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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.com4602 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.
"Battle of Williamsburg" by Drew Gruber 7:30pm, Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA.,
Drew lives in Williamsburg Virginia with his wife and two cats. He is
the Executive Director of Civil War Trails and the interim Director of
the Williamsburg Battlefield Association. He enjoys bourbon, cold
weather, and peace and quiet.
Meeting Attendance for April: 67
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 At the Richmond Civil War Round Table's May meeting, Chris Mackowski engaged members with a memorable presentation. He used no notes, no handouts, no Powerpoint presentation. Instead he walked around the room holding the rapt attention of all attendees with a passionate presentation on Stonewall Jackson. After his talk, Dr. Mackowski took a number of questions from members, as is our custom. John Coski posed the final question. Paraphrasing John, he asked how does one engage the public on a subject such as Jackson, a figure deemed to be on the wrong side of history by a large segment of the population? Dr. Mackowski took a second to consider the question. He responded--again I'm paraphrasing--in a world where many prefer to view things as black or white, it is up to historians to introduce the public to the different shades of gray. Seeing things in black and white is commonplace in our society. You can blame it on the press or social media but it's hardly a recent phenomenon. Americans have always loved stories of good versus evil, heroes versus villains. The Civil War, with its inevitable link to the uncomfortable topic of slavery, seems particularly susceptible to oversimplifications. Since 1865 large segments of society have villainized one side, romanticized another. Seeing the black and white is easy. It's convenient. It requires minimal effort on our part. Seeing the gray proves more difficult, more time consuming. Thought is involved. Sometimes lots of it. But it is indeed up to us as historians and history enthusiasts to challenge others to see the spectrum of gray between the black and white. Because if there is any time in our country's history that defies oversimplification, it is the Civil War. Rob
From Our Second V.P 2019 ANNUAL FIELD TRIP - SATURDAY, JUNE 29 There is still time at this month's meeting to sign up for the field trip which will take us to a series of sites associated with the 1864 Overland Campaign. We will visit various locations on the North Anna Battlefield, including the Jericho Mill portion. In the afternoon we will follow the Union Army to the Pamunkey River, concluding with stops at Haw's Shop cavalry battlefield and the Totopotomoy Creek battlefield. We are so very fortunate that the one and only Bobby Krick will be our expert tour guide. There is one (positive) change from the original plan: instead of breaking for lunch at the picnic area at Ox Ford, thanks to Bobby we will now have the use of the facilities at the beautiful and historic Fork Church in Doswell, which will be much more comfortable. Please bring a bag lunch, water will be provided. 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. The cost is $35 per person. Make your check payable to RCWRT, bring it to the meeting, or mail it to: Ulli Baumann 9347 Berry Farm Court Mechanicsville, VA 23116 New Book on Civil War Richmond The University of North Carolina Press has a new book out in October that will be of interest to members of the round table: "Rebel Richmond: Life and Death in the Confederate Capital." The author is Stephen V. Ash. The price is $35 and it is available to round table members to pre-order. Use the promo code 01DAH40 and receive a 40% discount. The website is: www.uncpress.org/book/9781469650982/rebel-richmond/ In Memoriam It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report the passing of a dear friend and recent fellow member of the round table. Phil Baysden very unexpectedly passed away in his sleep on May 19. Phil had just joined the round table in April and was looking forward to the field trip and so many more meetings. Phil was our neighbor and dear friend for the four years that we've lived in Virginia. He was a kind and gentle man. And he was a Marine, a Citadel graduate, something he was so proud of. And he was my "War Between the States" buddy (he insisted on calling it that, not "Civil War"). Our hearts go out to his wife, Lynn, and his family. He will be missed terribly.
A Message from our Secretary Andy Keller Join with me to welcome our two newest members: Robert and Mary Grace Boyle 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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©R.C.W.R.T. 2019