First Vice President:                   Rob Monroe, Editor       
Richard Forrester                     2416 Edenbrook Dr.     
Second Vice President:                  Richmond, VA 23228-3040  
Shep Parsons                          rmonroe@richmond.com   
August 2004 PROGRAM

Jeffry D. Wert,

"John Singleton Mosby" 

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 10, 2004, 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.

In 1968 Jeffry D.  Wert graduated cum laude with a  Bachelor
of  Arts  degree in History from Lock Haven State University
in Pennsylvania.  From 1969 to 2002, he  taught  history  at
Penns  Valley High School in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.  He
has written more than 100 articles, essays and  columns  for
various magazines, including Blue & Gray Magazine, Civil War
Times Illustrated, America's  Civil  War,  American  History
Illustrated, Virginia Cavalcade and Pennsylvania History. He
works frequently for various publications as a  reviewer  of
new Civil War books.  He has appeared on numerous television
programs for the History Channel,  A&E,  C-Span  2  and  the
Pennsylvania Cable Network.                                 

Wert  is  the  author of six books: From Winchester to Cedar
Creek: The Shenandoah Campaign  of  1864;  Mosby's  Rangers;
General    James    Longstreet:   The   Confederacy's   Most
Controversial Soldier; Custer:  The  Controversial  Life  of
George  Armstrong Custer; A Brotherhood of Valor: The Common
Soldiers of the Stonewall  Brigade,  C.S.A.   and  the  Iron
Brigade,  U.S.A.;  Gettysburg: Day Three and the forthcoming
The Sword of Lincoln.  Each of Wert's  published  books  has
been  either  a  main  or alternate selection of the History
Book Club and the Book-of-the-Month Club.   His  books  have
won  a  number  of  awards  for  Civil  War scholarship, and
Gettysburg: Day Three was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and
a National Book Award.                                      

Wert's  talk  to  the RCWRT will focus on John Mosby and the
reasons why he was the Civil War's most  effective  partisan
ranger commander.  Regarding Mosby, Wert writes, "Of all the
individuals I have studied he was probably the most  deadly.
A  sprig  of  a  man,  Mosby  was  absolutely  fearless  and
exceptionally intelligent.  His  personality  dominated  the
command of young, rambunctious fighters."                   


Review of the July Program


Ken Grandstaff descendant of Capt. Frank Smith Roberson
Robert Jay Trout, and J. E. B. Stuart, IV (L-R)

Robert Jay Trout was the guest speaker for the July  meeting
of   the  Richmond  Civil  War  Round  Table.   After  being
recognized for  winning  a  recent  award  from  the  United
Daughters of the Confederacy, Trout spoke to the Round Table
on the famed Stuart Horse Artillery.                        

Trout acknowledged that for many people, John Pelham is  the
Stuart Horse Artillery.  The legendary feats of "the gallant
Pelham" have somewhat overshadowed the  rest  of  the  horse
artillery, its accomplishments and its enormous contribution
to the Confederate Army.                                    

Trout gave a brief outline of the horse artillery's  purpose
and  how  it  differed  from regular batteries.  As its name
suggests, the horse artillery was designed to  operate  with
the  cavalry.   But  unlike  the regular artillery, everyone
rode in the horse artillery.  Extra men were needed to  hold
horses  and  the  horse  artillery was generally larger than
most artillery  batteries.   Ideally,  the  horse  artillery
would  be  positioned  at  a rallying point that the cavalry
could fall back upon if needed.                             

Some Civil War buffs are surprised to learn that  the  horse
artillery  often  served  picket  duty.  Likewise, they were
frequently used in raids for  their  "intimidation"  factor.
This  use was generally not successful, however, because the
horse artillery found it difficult to  "keep  up"  with  the
cavalry.                                                    

The  Ashby  Battery  was the first horse artillery unit.  In
the fall of 1861, two of Stonewall Jackson's former students
at  VMI  convinced  the  general  to  allow  them  to have a
battery.  The unit was not engaged until May of  1862.   The
months  before  this  first  action  afforded the men of the
Stuart Horse Artillery plenty of time to train under Pelham.
Eventually  the  horse  artillery  would  fight  in over 130
engagements before the end of the war.                      

The eight guns of the Stuart Horse Artillery were  split  in
September 1862.  Later, the unit was joined by the Lynchburg
Artillery and eventually included ten batteries.  At no time
during the war, however, did all ten batteries come together
at the same time.  Four batteries  fought  at  James  Church
during  the  Battle  of  Brandy  Station.  This would be the
greatest number of Stuart Horse Artillery batteries fighting
together at any one time during the war.                    

The  horse  artillery,  Trout  stated,  was a novelty to the
Confederate Artillery.  Part of  John  Pelham's  legacy  was
what happened to the battery after his death at Kelly's Ford
in 1863.  Originally, the horse artillery was to carry light
guns.  It was soon discovered, however, that these could not
compete  with  the  Union  guns.   Eventually,   the   horse
artillery  would  carry  3-inch  ordnance  and Napoleon guns
(weighing about 1,700  lbs.   each),  same  as  the  regular
artillery.                                                  

Trout's  research  revealed that the battery carried between
109  to  123  horses.   Crews  were  given  the   power   to
requisition  horses  and often mules were used.  Crews could
fire about two rounds every three minutes.   During  battle,
horse  artillery  officers  would  remain  mounted, shouting
orders from horseback behind the guns.  This  practice  made
them  tempting targets for enemy fire.  The soldiers manning
the guns had perilous duties  as  well.   Trout  found  many
official  reports  of  horse  artillery  soldiers  listed as
having been "killed at mouth of gun."                       

Being a soldier in the Stuart  Horse  Artillery,  "you  were
expected  to do things and go places you weren't supposed to
go," Trout said.  Though its accomplishments are  legendary,
the  horse artillery was not without its misfortunes.  Trout
said the unit was "clobbered" at Upperville and  lost  three
guns  in  action  at Brandy Station in September 1863.  Only
the heroics of J.E.B.  Stuart  saved  the  fourth  gun  from
being captured.                                             

During  the Battle of Toms Brook in October 1864, the Stuart
Horse Artillery was overrun, horses gave  out  and  11  guns
were  taken  by  Union forces under Sheridan.  The Lynchburg
Artillery covered the retreat for five miles up  the  Valley
Pike.  By firing and "leapfrogging" guns, the battery spared
the Confederate Army  countless  casualties.   Trout  called
this  action  "the  greatest display of what horse artillery
can do."                                                    

In all, 69 officers and 2,200 men served in the Stuart Horse
Artillery.   Some were hand picked by Stuart himself.  Trout
explained, they "were always, it seemed, in action." Even at
the  close  of  the war, Hart's Battery was the last unit to
surrender.                                                  


AUGUST EVENTS

August 14                                                   
140th Anniversary Commemorative Siege Tour of Western  Front
of  Petersburg  National  Battlefield.   Starting  from  the
Eastern Front visitor center, this all-day bus tour  of  the
Western  Front,  includes the 1864 battlefields of Jerusalem
Plank Road, Weldon Railroad, Reams  Station,  Peebles'  Farm
and  Boydton  Plank  Road.   9:30am  - 4:00pm.  Reservations
required.   Fee  to  be  announced.   Some  walking  to   be
expected.  Info: www.nps.gov/pete or (804) 265-8244.        

Digging Butler's Ditch.  In 1864, Union  troops  under  Gen.
Ben  Butler began the arduous task of changing the course of
the James River in order  to  avoid  Confederate  batteries.
Living  history  demonstrations  and activities conducted by
reenactors bring this massive engineering project  to  life.
Noon - 5:00pm.  Info: www.henricus.org or (804) 706-1340.   

August 20                                                   
A Photographic Tour of Fort Harrison.  A park historian will
present  an  illustrated  evening  program using a series of
fascinating  historical  photographs  taken  of   the   Fort
Harrison  area  in  1864 and 1865.  Many of these have never
been published and  historians  have  misidentified  others.
Part   of   a  series  of  events  commemorating  the  140th
anniversary of the 1864 Overland Campaign.   7:00pm.   Info:
www.nps.gov/rich or (804) 226-1981.                         
                                                   
August 21                                                   
The Siege of Petersburg - Diversity of  Perspectives.   This
two-hour  program  will  feature  guest  speakers and living
historians as they bring to light points of view that  don't
always  fit  the stereotypes people may be used to seeing in
regards to the war.  Program takes place at  the  Petersburg
courthouse  area, 2:00pm- 4:00pm.  Info: www.nps.gov/pete or
(804) 732-3531 ext.  203.                                   

Victorian Symbolism in  Cemetery  Art.   This  walking  tour
around Petersburg's historic Blandford Cemetery will use the
cemetery's monuments to explore the  symbolism  of  mourning
which was so popular in Victorian society.  The program will
start at the Blandford Church Reception Center.  7:00pm.   -
8:00pm.  Info: www.nps.gov/pete or (804) 265-8244.          

August 20 - 21
Civil War Show.  Annual show  with  hundreds  of  tables  of
Civil  War  items  for  sale  and  show  at the Showplace on
Mechanicsville Turnpike  in  Richmond.   Saturday  9:00am  -
5:00pm, Sunday 9:00am - 3:00pm.  Fee charged.  540-672-4845.


Conference Focuses on 1864 Valley Campaigns

The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaigns will be  the  focus  of
the  Seventh  Annual Conference on the Art of Command in the
Civil  War.   Presented   by   the   Mosby   Heritage   Area
Association, the conference will take place Friday - Sunday,
October 8 - 10 at the Middleburg Community Center in  Loudon
County.                                                     

The conference will feature an impressive roster of speakers
including the RCWRT's Robert E.L.  Krick  and  recent  Round
Table  speaker  Gary  Ecelbarger.   A reception will be held
Friday followed by Scott Patchan  speaking  on  Gen.   Jubal
Early's  Valley  Campaign  in  the  summer  of  1864 and Joe
Whitehorne on the leadership of Gen.  Phil Sheridan.        

Saturday's events will feature a panel discussion  and  book
signing.   Speakers include Ecelbarger ("Abraham Lincoln and
the  1864  Valley  Campaign"),  William  Miller  ("Maps  and
Mappers  in  the  1864  Valley  Campaign"), Eric Whittenberg
("The Battle  of  Toms  Brook:  Rosser  Fails  to  Save  the
Valley"),  Keith  Bohannon  (The Early-Gordon Controversy at
Cedar Creek"), John Heatwole (Campaign Within a Campign,  13
Days  of Destruction"), Robert K.  Krick ("The Undisciplined
Valley Cavalry in the 1864 Campaign") and Robert E.L.  Krick
("Confederate Collapse at Fisher's Hill").                  

Buses  will  depart Sunday morning for a full day of touring
the  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek  battlefields.    The
conference  is  limited to the first 100 people to register.
The cost is $300 per person and  full  payment  is  required
upon registration.  You may also register to attend only the
Saturday lectures for  $120.   Registration  forms  will  be
available at the RCWRT's meeting on August 10.              

For  more  information  go  to  www.mosbyheritagearea.org or
contact Program Director Childs Burden at cburden338@aol.com
or by calling 540-687-4195 or 540-687-6681.                 


RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2004

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:           

September newsletter			September 3
October newsletter			October 1  
November newsletter			October 29 
December newsletter			December 3 

Information may be emailed to rmonroe@richmond.com

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