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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.
"The Civil War Defenses of Washington" by Steve Phan 7:30pm, Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA.,
Steve T. Phan is a historian and park ranger at the Civil War Defenses
of Washington. Prior to his arrival at CWDW, he worked at Gettysburg
National Military Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Hopewell
Culture National Historical Park, Stones River National Battlefield, and
Rock Creek Park. A military history scholar of the Civil War era,
Phan's research focuses on military occupation, operational command,
fortifications, and the Western Theater during the Civil War. He holds
a Master's degree in American History, with a concentration in Public
History.
Meeting Attendance for June: 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 I want to say a special "thank you" to all 43 people who attended our annual bus tour on Saturday, June 29. While our trips often visit places of historical importance that are not open to the public, they have not always been moneymaking ventures for the Round Table. Given the cost of hiring a bus and driver for the day, we generally consider it a victory if we break even.
In front of Carmel Church (1773)
Kudos to Ulli Baumann who arranged this year's tour. Her thoughtful
planning and good judgement did much to ensure the trip's success. The
high turnout this year was also due in no small part to our tour guide,
Bobby Krick. I would venture to guess most of our attendees had been on
a previous tour with Bobby and were anxious to tap his vast knowledge of
the war in general and the events of late May 1864 in particular.
In addition to learning about a key week in the Overland Campaign,
another common theme for the day was preservation. One of our first
stops was the Jericho Mills battlefield. It was farmland at the time of
the battle and has been for the 155 years since. Jericho Mills is an
increasingly rare example of a Central Virginia battlefield in pristine
condition. Now under control of the National Park Service, Jericho
Mills appears to be safe from development.
Jericho Mills Battlefield
Our stop at the Haw's Shop battlefield was memorable for a number of
reasons. First, Bobby took us to the position the dismounted
Confederate cavalry occupied as they looked to stop the advance of their
Union counterparts. Looking across the open field to the east of Enon
Church, it was easy to envision the flow of battle. This may not be the
case much longer. We learned the current owner of the large tract of
land over which much of the battle was fought has declined multiple
attempts by preservationists to protect the land. A mere 25-minute
drive from downtown Richmond, this tract might fetch a hefty price from
developers.
Dismounted Confederate Cavalry were here with Enon Church to the right
Looking across the open field to the east of Enon Church
Though it was the site of the second or third largest cavalry battle on
American soil, it may well be a casualty of development in the near
future. It was a stark reminder that while the Civil War ended a
century and a half ago, the preservation battles never end.
Our tour bus got some strange looks as it meandered through a
residential neighborhood in Mechanicsville. Roscoe, our driver, deftly
maneuvered the bus between the parked cars making his way to a
cul-de-sac by a stretch of woods. We disembarked from the bus and made
our way along a path on a slope above Totopotomoy Creek. Tucked away in
the woods was an impressive line of earthworks that were constructed by
Confederates in 1864. It was an almost surreal scene-well preserved
earthworks a mere 50 feet from modern houses. This was the result of an
odd compromise between developers and Hanover County. Permission was
given to build on the land if the earthworks were preserved.
Enterance to the path to the Shelton house from the "modern houses"
Second photo we are on the path.
Rob
From Our Second V.P 2019 ANNUAL FIELD TRIP - SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Fork Church in Doswell
Sanctuary and fellowship hall of the beautiful and historic Fork Church
Forty-two members and friends of the round table braved the heat and
persevered exploring parts of the Overland Campaign of 1864. Carmel
Church, Jericho Mill, and Ox Ford, parts of the North Anna Battle, were
toured in the morning. Lunch was enjoyed in the fellowship hall of the
beautiful and historic Fork Church in Doswell, built in 1735. The
afternoon tour followed the Federal Army to the Pamunkey River while we
drove by several sites associated with that march. We ended our full
day with stops at the cavalry battle site at Haw's Shop and finally
Totopotomoy Creek.
My sincerest thanks to our guide, the incomparable Bobby Krick! He gave
up his Saturday to provide us with his expert knowledge. There is no
one better and we are so lucky to have him in Richmond - and in our
round table.
Ulli
Carmel Church (1773) We were allowed into the church for a little tour. In a back room they have set up a small museum. As usual I walked around taking photos. To my suprise I found my last name "Cowardin" in a showcase. The lower right photo is of a glasses case with W. H. Cowardin Sons Opticians Richmond, Va. stamped in gold. (My great, great grandfather's store on E. Main St. after the war.) Gary Cowardin, Editor
A Message from our Secretary Andy Keller The Round Table welcomes back Carl Ashlock to its membership. Carl had been out to the country for two years and is now back home. 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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