Edward J. Wooldridge, Pres.            Gary Cowardin, Editor    
13700 Lintel Lane                      1404 Lorraine Ave.       
Midlothian, VA 23113                   Richmond, VA 23227-3735  
edwool@verizon.net                     cowardin@juno.com        
 September 2009 Program

Gary W. Gallagher
"Grant and Lee in the Overland Campaign:
Views from the Battle, Home and Historical Fronts"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 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.

The dominant images of Grant and Lee based  on  the  1864-1865  Overland
campaign are strikingly different.  The most common perception of U.  S.
Grant is that of an inexorable attacker, often labeled a butcher,  while
Lee  is  perceived as the nimble counterpuncher, coaxing the most out of
his outnumbered soldiers.  At our September meeting our speaker Gary  W.
Gallagher  will examine key themes that emerge from contemporary sources
about the two generals' performances during the Overland campaign.      

He will look at both Grant and Lee, using  1)  testimony  from  soldiers
from  both  armies,  2)  from  civilians  behind  the lines, and 3) from
newspapers.  Documented casualty rates in Grant's and  Lee's  Civil  War
operations  will  be  referenced  for  context.  Concluding remarks will
present why the two men received very different treatment.              

Gary W. Gallagher is the  John L. Nau III  Professor in the  History  of
the  American  Civil War at the University of Virginia.  A native of Los
Angeles, he received his B.A.  from Adams State College of Colorado  and
his  M.A.   and Ph.D.  from the University of Texas.  Prior to coming to
Virginia (1998), he taught for twelve years at Penn State University.   

His research and teaching  focus  on  the  era  of  the  Civil  War  and
Reconstruction.   He  is  the  author  or  editor of more than 30 books,
including Stephen Dodson Ramseur:  Lee's  Gallant  General  (1985),  The
Confederate  War  (1997), Lee and His Generals in War and Memory (1998),
and Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape
What We Know About the Civil War (2008).                                

He  serves  as  editor  of  two  book  series at the University of North
Carolina Press ("Civil War America" and "Military Campaigns of the Civil
War"),  and  has  appeared  regularly  on  the  Arts  and  Entertainment
Network's series "Civil War Journal" and has participated  in  over  two
dozen other television projects.                                        


Save the Date-Nov. 19, 2009

The RCWRT's 2009 annual dinner is scheduled for the evening of Thursday,
Nov.   19.   It  will  be  held  again  this  year  at the University of
Richmond's Jepson Alumni Center.  Our speaker  for  the  event  will  be
renowned historian James I.  "Bud" Robertson.  Please mark your calendar
and watch for more details in a future newsletter.                      

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E-mail receiving your newsletter notification please let me know ASAP.  

My E-mail address is:  cowardin@juno.com
(Just click my E-mail address above)

Some Upcoming Events


September 15-October 4, 2009, Virginia Stage Company, Norfolk, VA
"ALIVE AND WELL"
In this funny new play by  VSC  favorite  Kenny  Finkle,  our  country's
continuing  struggle between the North and South is on full display as a
heartbroken Civil War re-enactor and an emotionally desperate  New  York
journalist  search  for  the  oldest living Civil War veteran.  Trekking
through the heart of Virginia, they find more than they bargained for in
this  irreverent  take  on  modern  America.  This is the second play in
VSC's American Soil series, a new play project  exploring  the  cultural
and historical foundations of Hampton Roads. Box Office: (757) 627-1234 
www.vastage.com/plays

UPDATE: I was sent new dates for last month's newsletter's article
"The North East Ohio Civil War Round Table
Will Return to Richmond Again This Year"
The correct dates are October 2-3, 2009 instead of October 3-4, 2009.
(Sunday October 4 is a travel day for the out of town folks.)

Visit the The Museum of the Confederacy Online Events Calendar
for MOC Events Calendar:

http://www.moc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=visit_cal


Pamplin Historical Park
and
The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
Special Events Calendar:

http://www.pamplinpark.org/events.html


RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2009


Richmond Civil War Round Table Newsletter
Gary Cowardin, Editor  
1404 Lorraine Ave.     
Richmond, VA 23227-3735

cowardin@juno.com