Brag Bowling, President         Rob Monroe, Editor     
3019 Kensington Ave             2416 Edenbrook Dr.     
Richmond, VA 23221              Richmond, VA 23228-3040

July 2003 PROGRAM

Dave Smith
"They Didn't Like Each Other Much: 
Joseph E. Johnston and John C. Pemberton at Vicksburg"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 8, 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.

Dave Smith is a two-time past president  of  the  Cincinnati
Civil  War  Round  Table  and currently serves as newsletter
editor, program chairman, and webmaster for the Round  Table
Web site.                                                   

Ask  a  Civil  War  buff  about  the Vicksburg Campaign, and
invariably, the story that comes forth starts and ends  with
Union General Ulysses S.  Grant.  And rightly so, for it was
Grant who maneuvered seemingly at will through the  interior
of  the  state  of Mississippi, defeated Confederate General
John C.  Pemberton at the battles of Champion Hill  and  Big
Black  Bridge,  forced  Pemberton into a siege, held off the
army of relief of General Joseph E.   Johnston,  and  forced
Pemberton's surrender on July 4, 1863.                      

But   what   of   the   Confederate   command  effort?   The
relationship between Pemberton  and  Johnston,  while  civil
during the campaign, turned bitter and acrimonious after the
surrender of Vicksburg,  and  carried  into  their  post-war
writings.    Johnston   fueled   the  controversy  with  the
publication of his memoirs in 1874, in which he  placed  all
blame for the loss of Vicksburg on Pemberton and Confederate
President Jefferson F.  Davis.                              

Pemberton, the native  Northerner  who  married  a  Virginia
native  and cast his lot with the Confederacy, was trying to
live out his post-war years as a quiet farmer  in  Virginia.
Johnston's  memoirs, however, spurred Pemberton to attempt a
response to Johnston - an effort that  historians  knew  was
started, but never pushed forward to any great extent. Since
1874, the  primary  story  of  the  Confederate  command  at
Vicksburg has been the story told by Joe Johnston.          

Pemberton's  response,  however,  was  written,  and  nearly
finished before his death in 1881.  His manuscript turned up
several  years  ago at a dealer in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It was
subsequently edited and published by Smith.  His  talk  will
look  at  the  controversy  between  these  two men and will
discuss  Johnston's  arguments  as   well   as   Pemberton's
subsequent response.                                        

In  the  end,  no  matter  what  the reasons were, Pemberton
surrendered to Grant on  July  4,  1863.   Perhaps,  in  the
detailing  of  the  reasons  for  Southern defeat as told by
Pemberton,  our  basic  understanding  of  the   Confederate
command situation may be brought into balance.              



Review of the June Program


Chris Calkins of the Petersburg National Battlefield gave  a
talk  on  "Saving  Petersburg's  Battlefields." This was the
first time that this portion of the park's proposed  General
Management  Plan  has been presented in a public forum.  The
initial General Management Plan contained no land protection
element,  but  the  National  Park  Service recognized that,
without preservation, the plan would not be as strong as  it
should  be.   Petersburg National Battlefield employees were
charged  with  putting  together  a  proposal   to   protect
significant    portions   of   the   Petersburg   Campaign's
battlefields.  That campaign lasted nine and a  half  months
and  covered  approximately  176  square miles.  It included
around  108  engagements,  26  of  which   were   of   major
importance.  Petersburg National Battlefield includes Poplar
Grove National Cemetery, the City Point Unit, and  the  Five
Forks Unit.                                                 

The  General  Management  Plan process began in 1994, lapsed
for a time, and was restarted in  2000.   If  approved,  the
preservation  portion  of  the  plan may take 15-20 years to
accomplish.  Calkins pointed out that 6,997 acres,  with  50
miles of earthworks, have no protection at this time.  These
lands  are  important  to  tell  the  entire  story  of  the
Petersburg   Campaign.    When   the   American  Battlefield
Protection  Program  studied  Civil  War  battlefields,   it
identified twelve Priority A and B sites associated with the
Petersburg  Campaign  that  need   protection.    Petersburg
National Battlefield personnel came up with maps showing the
epicenters of those twelve  battlefields.   Epicenters  were
defined as areas of either heavy fighting or where a turning
point occurred.  Of concern are the  facts  that  there  has
been  industrial  and  commercial  development  as  well  as
inappropriate  recreational  use  in  the   Petersburg   and
Dinwiddie  County  area.   In  drawing  up  the  epicenters,
personnel looked for property that  retains  its  historical
integrity  and  would  be feasible to manage.  The epicenter
maps were compared with tax maps  to  determine  landowners.
Land   acquisitions   would  depend  upon  willing  sellers.
Partners in the whole preservation process include the Civil
War Preservation Trust, Pamplin Historical Park, the City of
Petersburg, and Dinwiddie County.                           

Petersburg National Battlefield's preservation plan consists
of   four   alternatives   that  have  differing  objectives
concerning acreage protected and the extent of  interpreting
the    battlefields.    The   public   will   have   several
opportunities in the near future to review and make comments
on  the  General Management Plan.  It is hoped that the plan
will be approved by February 2004.                          


New Civil War Books

June  saw  the  release  of  Staff  Officers  in   Gray:   A
Biographical  Register  of the Staff Officers in the Army of
Northern Virginia by the RCWRT's  own  Robert  E.L.   Krick.

Among   the   titles  scheduled  for  release  in  July  are
Gettysburg  by  Stephen  W.   Sears  and  The   Trial:   The
Assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  the  Trial  of the
Conspirators edited by Edward Steers.   Also  due  for  July
release is a pair of books by Edward G.  Longacre, Gentleman
and Soldier: A Biography of Wade Hampton III and The Cavalry
at Appomattox: A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations during
the Civil War's Climactic Campaign, March 27-April 9, 1865. 

 July Announcements & Events

July 11-13

"Living Liberty - Bedford Life in  the  1860s"  in  downtown
Bedford  (or  "Liberty"  as it was known during the War).  A
period wedding and reception  will  be  held  Friday  night.
Saturday's  events  include  a military parade, spy capture,
period music and a ladies tea and fashion show with  special
guest Robert E.  Lee.  A period church service will be among
the Sunday events.  Military encampments and  book  signings
will  be  held  each day with lantern tours each night.  For
more  information   call   540-586-2148   or   log   on   to
www.centertownbedford.com                                   


July 12

"Battle of  the  Crater"  at  11  am,  1  pm  and  3  pm  in
Petersburg.   Experience the horrors of one of the bloodiest
events of the Civil War through  the  eyes  of  "witnesses".
Reenactors    of   Confederate   soldiers   and   the   48th
Pennsylvania, U.S.  Colored Troops will discuss their  roles
in  the  June  1864  battle.  For details on this free event
call 804-733-2396 or 804-732-3531.                          


July 12-13

July Living History at Malvern Hill Battlefield, 10 am to  5
pm  Saturday  and  10  am to 4 pm Sunday.  Walking tours and
demonstrations of Confederate infantry and  Union  artillery
highlight the events commemorating the final conflict of the
Seven  Days  battles.    Contact   the   Richmond   National
Battlefield Park for more information, 226-1981.            


July 12-13

Pamplin Park will bring to life the  traditions  of  a  19th
century  county  fair.  This family event will feature food,
games, a midway, a medicine show, period baseball games  and
children's  activities.   For more information call the park
toll- free at 1-877-PAMPLIN.                                


July 19

"Caring for the Wounded" at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm in Old Town
Petersburg.  This program will explore the ways in which men
and women, black and white, aided the thousands of sick  and
wounded  soldiers  in and around Petersburg.  For details on
this free event call 804-733-2396 or 804-732-3531.          


July 20

"Mourning is Woman's Work", 3  pm  at  Blandford  Church  in
Petersburg.   This  program  will  take a look at the unique
rules and customs of expressing grief in the Civil War  era.
For more information on this free event call 804-733-2396 or
804- 732-3531.                                              


July 28-31

The Museum of the  Confederacy  will  conduct  a  Civil  War
Explorers Camp for rising 5th, 6th and 7th graders.  Children
will travel with museum educators to monuments, battlefields
and  other historical sites.  The camp will include hands-on
activities and crafts.  Registration is  required.   For  an
application call 649-1861 ext.  22.                         


A  group  of  preservationists  is   attempting   to   raise
$1,000,000  to  restore  the  boyhood  home  of  Confederate
General Jubal Early in the Red Valley  section  of  Franklin
County,  south of Roanoke.  The homeplace and eight acres of
land have already  been  donated  to  the  Jubal  A.   Early
Preservation  Trust.  The group is seeking funds to preserve
and  interpret  the  tobacco  plantation  where  the  future
general  spent his formative years.  A foundation has agreed
to  match  donations  up  to  $250,000  toward   the   goal.
Contributions are tax deductible and may be mailed to:      

Jubal A. Early Preservation Trust, Inc.                     
P.O. Box 638                                                
Rocky Mount, VA 24151                                       

More information may be found at the group's website,       
www.jubalearly.org



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:           

August newsletter, July 25      
September newsletter, August 22 
October newsletter, September 26
November newsletter, October 24 
December newsletter, November 21

Information may be emailed to rmonroe@richmond.com

RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2003


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