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

November 2000 PROGRAM

Craig L. Symonds

"Franklin Buchanan at the Battle of Hampton Roads"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard,
Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.)
Enter basement door from Boulevard side.

Craig L.  Symonds is professor  of  history  at  the  United
States  Naval Academy, where he has taught naval history and
Civil War history since 1976.  He earned his B.  A.   degree
from  U.C.L.A.   and  his  M.A.  and Ph.D.  degrees from the
University of Florida.  Symonds taught Strategy  and  Policy
at  the  U.  S.  Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island,
both as an officer  (1972-1974)  and  a  civilian  professor
(1974-1975).  In 1994-1995, he was visiting professor at the
Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. Symonds
is  the author of eight books including Joseph E.  Johnston,
A Civil War Biography (1992); Stonewall of the West: Patrick
Cleburne  and the Civil War (1997); and Confederate Admiral:
The Life and Wars  of  Franklin  Buchanan  (1999).   He  has
authored four historical atlases and edited seven books. His
articles and book  reviews  have  appeared  in  a  score  of
journals.   He  is  a two-time winner of the John Lyman Book
Award (1995 and 1999), was a finalist for the Lincoln  Prize
in  1993,  and  was  twice  nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
(1993 and 1997).                                            

Franklin Buchanan was a native of Baltimore,  Maryland,  and
had  a  distinguished career in the United States navy prior
to the Civil War.  He was the first superintendent of the U.
S.   Naval  Academy  and  received  promotion to the rank of
captain  in  1855.   When  the  Civil  War  began,  Buchanan
attempted  to maintain a neutral stance, but in August 1861,
he  went  to  Richmond  to  offer  his   services   to   the
Confederacy.   Secretary  of  the  Navy  Stephen R.  Mallory
commissioned Buchanan as a captain.  He served as  chief  of
the Office of Orders and Details in the Navy Department.  On
February 24, 1862, Buchanan  received  appointment  as  flag
officer in command of the naval defenses on the James River.
In this capacity, he assumed command  of  the  new  ironclad
Virginia   at  Gosport  Navy  Yard.   Symonds  will  discuss
Buchanan's role in the  famous  March  8,  1862,  battle  at
Hampton  Roads.  There the Virginia sank two Union frigates,
and Buchanan was wounded late in the fight.                 



Review of the October Program

In  "Lee's  Endangered  Left,"  Dr.   Richard   R.    Duncan
presented  a  summary  of  the  first  two parts of the 1864
Shenandoah Valley Campaign in May and June.  He pointed  out
that   most   people   are  aware  of  only  the  final  two
phases-Jubal  Early's   march   down   the   Valley   toward
Washington,  D.   C.,  and  Philip  Sheridan's campaign that
resulted in the destruction of Early's  forces.   Had  Union
forces  succeeded  in  the  two initial parts, the war might
have been shortened by several months.                      

President Abraham Lincoln was interested in  the  Shenandoah
Valley  because  he  wanted  to  see  the  backbone  of  the
Confederacy broken.  The railroad  that  ran  into  Virginia
from  eastern Tennessee brought supplies to Robert E.  Lee's
army, salt and lead mines in southwestern Virginia  provided
needed war items, and the Valley itself was the bread basket
for the Army of  Northern  Virginia.   In  conjunction  with
other  operations by Ulysses S.  Grant, William T.  Sherman,
Benjamin F.  Butler, and Nathaniel P.  Banks, Federal troops
would  strike  at  the vital Shenandoah Valley.  This effort
would come under the command of Major General Franz Sigel.  

Union strategy called for  a  pincher  movement.   Brigadier
General  George  Crook's  infantry  force  would  attempt to
destroy  the  Virginia  &Tennessee  Railroad  at  New  River
Bridge.   At  the  same  time,  Brigadier General William W.
Averell would lead some 2,000  cavalrymen  toward  Saltville
and  Wytheville  to strike at the lead and salt mines.  Then
the two forces would  combine  and  march  toward  Staunton,
where  the Federals would cut the Virginia Central Railroad.
Sigel  would  march  southward  into  the  Shenandoah   from
Martinsburg with another army of some 9,000 men.            

This  first  phase  of  the 1864 Valley Campaign experienced
only partial success.  Crook defeated  the  Confederates  at
Cloyd's   Mountain  and  destroyed  the  New  River  Bridge.
Confederate Brigadier General Alfred  Jenkins  was  mortally
wounded  at  Cloyd's Mountain, and John McCausland took over
his  command.    Averell   found   himself   confronted   by
Confederates  under  John Hunt Morgan and was defeated in an
engagement at Wytheville.  Sigel's army  marched  slowly  up
the  Valley, and he allowed his command to become spread out
and separated.  In the Battle of New Market,  Major  General
John C.  Breckinridge defeated Sigel and drove his army back
down the Valley.                                            

Major General David Hunter replaced Sigel,  reorganized  the
Army  of the Shenandoah, and advanced again in late May.  He
moved cautiously, trying to protect his supply lines.  Then,
when  he  reached  New Market, he cut himself off from those
lines and decided to  have  his  army  live  off  the  land.
Breckinridge  had  left the Valley to rejoin Lee's army, and
Hunter found  himself  confronted  only  by  cavalry  forces
commanded  by  William  E.   "Grumble"  Jones  and  John  D.
Imboden.  Hunter defeated them on June 5 in  the  Battle  of
Piedmont.  Jones was killed while trying to rally his men.  

Rather  than  following  up  on this victory by crossing the
mountains and moving against Charlottesville, Hunter decided
to  let  his men go on an orgy of destruction, including the
burning of the Virginia Military  Institute.   The  Federals
finally  began  marching  toward Lynchburg, but McCausland's
Confederate cavalrymen delayed their advance.  By  the  time
they reached the town, they found it defended by Jubal Early
and the Second Corps of Lee's army.  Hunter retreated,  with
Early  in  pursuit.   Old Jube's next move would be to cross
the Potomac River and pay a visit on Washington, D. C.      


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.  The cost to  members  will  be  $17.00
plus shipping.  No shipping charges will be added if members
pick up the book themselves.  It is anticipated that  Echoes
of  1861-1961  will  be available shortly after the first of
the year.                                                   


Announcements


Former Member Dies.  The Round Table has lost  another  past
president, Mr.  Otto Holcombe.  Our sympathies go out to his
family and friends.


Christmas Program.  Pamplin Historical Park &  The  National
Museum  of the Civil War Soldier, near Petersburg, will hold
a special Christmas program on Sunday, December 3, 2000.   A
highlight  of the program will be a talk on "The Generalship
of Grant and Lee at Petersburg" by Dr.  Richard J.   Sommers
at  1  p.m.  Sommers is chief historian and archivist at the
United States Army Military History  Institute  at  Carlisle
Barracks,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  author  of  Richmond
Redeemed:  The  Siege  at  Petersburg  (1981).    For   more
information, call Pamplin Historical Park at 861-2408.


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


NEW URL!

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 NEW URL or Web address is:

www.rcwrt.org


*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