R.Danny Witt, President         Art & Carol Bergeron, Editors
5500 Ashton Park Way             3901 Paces Ferry Road     
Glen Allen, VA 23059                Chester, VA 23831-1239    

October 2000 PROGRAM

Richard R. Duncan

"Lee's Endangered Left"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2000
Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard,
Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.)
Enter basement door from Boulevard side.

Dr.  Richard  R.   Duncan  is  a  Professor  of  History  at
Georgetown  University,  where  he has taught since 1967.  A
native of Winchester, Virginia, he holds degrees  from  Ohio
University  and a Ph.D.  from Ohio State University.  He has
taught at  Kent  State  University  and  the  University  of
Richmond.   Dr.   Duncan  has  published  Dissertations  and
Theses on Virginia History (1988) and Alexander Neil and the
Last  Valley Campaign (1996).  His most recent book is Lee's
Endangered Left: The Civil War in Western Virginia Spring of
1864, published by LSU Press in 1999.                       

Ulysses  S.   Grant,  in  devising  a  strategy of concerted
movements against the  Confederacy  in  1864,  made  western
Virginia an integral part of his plan.  High on his priority
list was the region's transportation system, salt  and  lead
mines,   and   Robert   E.   Lee's  important  granary,  the
Shenandoah Valley.  If  Grant  could  deprive  the  Army  of
Northern Virginia from receiving provisions, then Lee's army
would be forced to retreat into North Carolina.             

Initially  using  pincer  movements,  General  George  Crook
succeeded  in  severely  damaging the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad in southwestern Virginia, but the defeat of General
Franz  Sigel's second column at New Market temporarily ended
the Federal threat  in  the  area.   The  need  for  a  more
competent general as head of the Department of West Virginia
brought about the appointment of a new commander and a shift
of  focus  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley.   A changed military
equation there allowed General David  Hunter  to  seize  the
initiative.    After  shattering  General  "Grumble"  Jones'
makeshift army at Piedmont, Federal  forces  for  the  first
time captured Staunton.  Consolidating his army with Crook's
men, Hunter now struck at Lynchburg.                        

The Army of West  Virginia,  cutting  itself  off  from  its
supply  base, proceeded to live off the countryside and as a
consequence brought a new destructive dimension  of  warfare
to  the  civilian  population  in  western  Virginia.  Badly
flawed, Hunter's drive faltered at Lynchburg.  General Jubal
Early  now  seized the initiative, and "Stonewall" Jackson's
old  Second  Corps  moved  down  the  Valley   to   threaten
Washington.                                                 


Review of the September Program

William J.  Miller presented a different look  at  Stonewall
Jackson's  famous  Shenandoah  Valley Campaign in 1862.  His
talk  was  an  analysis  of  the  campaign  from  a  Federal
perspective,  discussing  John  C.   Fremont,  Nathaniel  P.
Banks,  Abraham  Lincoln,  Edwin  Stanton,  and  George   B.
McClellan  and  what  they  were attempting to do in western
Virginia in the spring of that year.  Traditionally, Jackson
has  been  seen  as  a  brilliant strategist who defeated in
detail several Union armies.  An argument that he  succeeded
due  only  to  the bumbling incompetence of his opponents is
illogical, Miller said.  Such a view also tends to denigrate
Jackson's  achievements.  Miller argued that historians have
largely looked at the campaign primarily from  the  Southern
perspective, which limits our understanding of the fighting.

In  his  talk,  Miller  presented answers to four questions.
First, what were the  Federal  goals  in  western  Virginia?
Second,  were  the  Union  generals really that incompetent?
Third, who was the architect of Federal defeat?  Fourth, did
Jackson  win  the  campaign,  or  did  the Federals lose it?
Miller emphasized that to the Union high command  (President
Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton) operations in the area
were always secondary to McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.    

Instructions issued to Banks in February 1862 called for him
to  secure  the  lower Shenandoah Valley and detach half his
force (Shields' Division) to cooperate  with  the  drive  on
Richmond.  Banks' forces were simply to defend and observe-a
corps of observation.  After Jackson attacked at  Kernstown,
McClellan  revised the orders to Banks.  Now he was to drive
Jackson past Mt.  Jackson and resume the movement of  troops
to  Manassas.   Once Little Mac began his march on Richmond,
Banks was to advance to his support.  Though Banks did  move
up  the  Valley,  he  faced  severe  supply problems and was
forced to stop and spread out  his  command.   This  allowed
Jackson  to  receive  reinforcements,  attack  the scattered
Union troops, and drive them across the Potomac River.      

Fremont received command of the Mountain Department in March
1862.   He  came  up  with a scheme to move his army against
Knoxville, Tennessee.  His  men  began  an  advance  up  the
Potomac  River  valley,  but  they  ground  to  a  halt near
Franklin.  Fremont, like Banks, faced an  almost  impossible
logistical  situation.   Jackson  attacked  Robert  Milroy's
detachment at McDowell but failed to crush it.  Despite this
move, Fremont did not become concerned about Jackson and his
Confederates.  His focus remained on supplying his  army  so
that  he  could  continue  toward Knoxville.  Lincoln shared
Fremont's unconcern about Jackson at this point.  He ordered
Fremont  to  march  to  Newbern  and  cut  the  Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad.                                         

Once Jackson had routed  Banks'  army  at  Front  Royal  and
Winchester,  Lincoln ordered the return of Shields' Division
to the Valley to hit Jackson's flank.   He  also  instructed
Fremont  to  march  against  Harrisonburg  and cut Jackson's
supply line there.  Fremont did not think his animals  could
sustain  such  a  march  and  fell back to Moorefield.  From
there,  he  would  send  troops  against   Strasburg.    The
Confederates,  under Jackson's brilliant leadership, escaped
this trap.  They had  the  advantage  of  using  the  Valley
Turnpike,  while the Union soldiers had to struggle over bad
roads and terrain.  Jackson defeated them at Cross Keys  and
Port Republic.                                              

According   the   Miller,   the   Union   defeat   was   the
responsibility of  Lincoln  and  Stanton.   They  had  their
generals  operating  at cross-purposes and with virtually no
coordination.  Those generals had several unconnected  goals
and  had no integrated command.  Lincoln needed a general to
do much with little, but only Stonewall Jackson was able  to
accomplish that goal.                                       


50th Anniversary Project


To celebrate the Richmond Civil War Roundtable's anniversary
(early  in 2001), we are reprinting the memoirs of prominent
Richmond preservationist and Roundtable  member  J.   Ambler
Johnston.   Late in his life, Mr.  Johnston reminisced about
the  early  history  of  the  area  battlefields   and   the
personalities  associated  with  Civil  War  Richmond in the
early 20th century.  The book includes a  short  account  by
longtime  Roundtable member Bill Mallory about the formation
of our group in 1951.   Our  reprint  of  this  volume  will
include  an  index, a listing of the past presidents, and an
expanded section chronicling all of  our  previous  speakers
and  their  subjects.  Mr.  Johnston's original driving tour
of the area battlefields has been updated by Sam Craghead to
reflect modern alterations to the route, and that will be in
an appendix as well.  Although the exact price of the volume
is  not  yet  certain,  it  will  be  less  than $20 for the
hardcover reprint and should  be  available  to  members  by
mid-November.                                               


One of Virginia's
"Hidden" Civil War Gems


The  White  Oak  Museum  in  Stafford  County  contains   an
outstanding  and  unique collection of Union and Confederate
artifacts  gathered  from  nearby  camps  and  battlefields.
Located  on  Route  218,  approximately  six  miles  east of
Fredericksburg, the museum was established to  remember  and
honor the men on both sides who fought, marched, and died in
the area.  Owned by D.   P.   Newton,  the  facility  allows
visitors to take a step back to the winter of 1862-1863 when
the men of the Union Army of the Potomac  established  their
huts   and   tents   in  the  county  after  the  Battle  of
Fredericksburg.  Most of the artifacts  came  from  the  hut
sites  and  were  either  lost or discarded during that long
winter encampment.  The  items  displayed  include  tens  of
thousands  of  Minie balls and other small arms projectiles,
dozens  of  belt  and  cartridge   box   plates,   artillery
projectiles,   bayonets,   buttons,  shoulder  scales,  heel
plates, bottles, canteens, cooking  utensils,  cutlery,  and
even original hardtack.  Some of the rarest artifacts in the
exhibits are soldiers' identification  tags,  including  one
from   a  Virginia  Confederate.   Newton  has  meticulously
documented on  hand-drawn  maps  where  the  artifacts  were
found.  Thus, he was able to pinpoint the locations not only
of the camps but of latrines and ranges where  the  soldiers
took target practice.  Plans call for other recreated cabins
on the museum grounds.  The museum is open Wednesday through
Sunday  from 9:00 a.  m.  to 5:00 p.  m.  Admission is $3.00
for adults, $1.50 for children  13-17,  $1.00  for  children
7-12, $1.50 for senior citizens, and free for children 6 and
under.  Groups are  welcome.   For  more  information,  call
(540) 371-4234.                                             


Announcements


J.  E.  B.  Stuart SCV Camp Fall Field Trip.  This trip will
be held on November 11, 2000.  The group will depart at 6:30
a.  m.  from the Lowe's  parking  lot  at  Parham  Road  and
Brooke  Road  and  will  return by 6:00 p.  m.  The cost per
person is $20.00.  Please bring a  lunch  and  drink.   This
tour will visit sites of Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah
Valley Campaign, including First Winchester, Port  Republic,
Cross  Keys,  Turner Ashby's wounding site, and Banks' Fort.
Guides will be Rich Kleese and John Heatwole.   To  register
or   for   more   information,   contact  Bragg  Bowling  at
804-359-0382 or email him at bragdonb@erols.com             


Upcoming Symposium.  Pamplin Historical Park & The  National
Museum  of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, will hold
its Fourth Annual Civil War Symposium on October 21-22.  The
theme   this  year  is  "Cavalry  Raiders  and  Guerrillas."
Speakers and their topics are:                              

    Stephen Davis, "Civil War Cavalry Raids:                  
                   Just What Did They Achieve?"               
    Edwin C. Bearss, "Wilson's Alabama Raid"                  
    Jeffry D. Wert, "Mosby's Rangers"                         
    James A. Ramage, "John Hunt Morgan"                       
    Brian Steel Wills, "Nathan Bedford Forrest"               

In addition to these fine talks, the symposium will  include
a tour of Jeb Stuart's famous "Ride Around McClellan" in the
Spring  of  1862.   For  a   registration   form   or   more
information, call Pamplin Historical Park at 861-2408.      


Richmond Civil War Round Table  in  Cyberspace.   The  Round
Table's  Web site has been available for several months.  It
includes  the   monthly   newsletter,   CW   book   reports,
photographs   of  previous  meetings,  and  a  list  of  all
forthcoming speakers.  The URL or Web address is:

https://members.tripod.com/~g-cowardin/rcwrt

(The - between g-co is an  underscore )


*Important Notice* December Meeting

The December meeting will  be  December  12,  2000,  at  the
Holiday Inn-Crossroads, 2000 Staples Mill Road.  Social hour
will begin at 6 p.m., with dinner following at 7  p.m.   The
speaker  is  Ed Bearss who will speak on "The Raising of the
Cairo," which will include information about the history  of
the Union ironclad.  The cost for this program is $25.50 per
person.  Seating is limited, so please get your reservations
in early.                                                   

Send  your  name,  address, and phone number, along with the
number of persons for whom you are  making  reservations  to
Sam Craghead.  Make your check out to the Richmond Civil War
Round Table.                                                

       Sam Craghead                                           
       4361F Lakefield Mews                                   
       Richmond, VA 23231                                     

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new address for Sam.

If you have any questions, call Sam at 222-0503.


Richmond Civil War Round Table Newsletter
Art & Carol Bergeron, Editors
3901 Paces Ferry Road
Chester, VA 23831-1239