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

Dr. Taylor Saunders,

"Lee as President of Washington College"


8:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at the
Willow Oaks Country Club
6228 Forest Hill Avenue
6:00 Social 
7:00 Dinner 
7:45 Featured Speaker

Dr.  Taylor Saunders was reared  in  Richmond  and  did  his
undergraduate  and  graduate  work at Centre College and the
University of Virginia.  He  joined  the  Washington  &  Lee
faculty  in 1969 and was named W&L's university historian in
1973.                                                       

At W&L  he  has  taught  classes  in  American  and  ancient
European  history  and  in the classics.  He has written two
books,  chapters  for  several  others,  and  half  a  dozen
monographs.  His numerous reviews and articles have appeared
in  publications  ranging  from  The  Virginia  Magazine  of
History  and  Biography to The Old Farmer's Almanac and is a
contributor to The Encyclopedia  of  Southern  Culture.   In
addition  to  participating  in numerous Civil War tours and
seminars, he recently completed a  three-year  term  as  the
Virginia  Society  of  the Cincinnati's Distinguished George
Washington Scholar.                                         

Much of Dr.  Saunders' teaching, writing and research  deals
with  ancient  history.   He  has lectured in the UK, Italy,
Greece, Egypt and on the  Island  of  Rhodes.   He  recently
conducted seminars in Damascus, Sleppo, and Palmyra, Syria. 

He  will  discuss Gen.  Robert E.  Lee at Washington College
(1865-1870).  Dr.  Saunders believes that Lee lived up to at
least  one  journalist's  hopes  that he would shake up "old
fogy" academicians in the way he had shaken  up  "old  fogy"
generals.                                                    

Recap of October Program


At the October meeting of the  RCWRT,  Mrs.   Gail  Stephens
spoke  on Confederate Gen.  Jubal Early's Valley Campaign in
the  summer  of  1864.   She  believes  Early's  significant
accomplishments  from  mid-June  to  mid-September have been
unfairly overshadowed  by  his  subsequent  defeats  against
Philip Sheridan's much larger army.                         

Mrs.   Stephens  began  by  reminding  us  of the Shenandoah
Valley's value to Virginia and the South.   The  Valley  has
been  rightfully  recognized  as  the  "Breadbasket  of  the
Confederacy." What is  often  overlooked,  however,  is  the
importance  of  the  extended valley south of Lexington into
Southwestern Virginia.  This area was rich  with  iron  ore,
salt   and   lead,   providing   critical  supplies  to  the
Confederate army.                                           

Following Franz Sigel's defeat at New Market  in  May  1864,
Grant  sent  Gen.   David  Hunter  to the Valley.  After New
Market, Mrs.  Stephens  noted,  the  Confederates  left  the
Valley  "virtually  undefended."  This paved the way for the
Union's easy victory at Piedmont three  weeks  later.   From
here,  Hunter essentially had a clear path to Lynchburg, the
largest  Confederate  quartermaster  supply   base   between
Richmond  and Knoxville.  Lee recognized the danger and sent
Early with 16,000 men (about ¬  of  Lee's  army)  to  defend
Lynchburg against Hunter's slightly larger force.  The Early
and his troops arrived in the city just in time  to  repulse
the Federals.  The rebels continued to press Hunter westward
through Bedford and Roanoke counties,  ultimately  into  the
Allegheny  Mountains.   From here, Mrs.  Stephens explained,
Hunter planned to move to Point  Pleasant  where  steamboats
could  transport  his  men  up  the  Ohio  River back to the
northern Valley.  With the Valley no  longer  threatened  by
Hunter,  Early  wrote  Lee  of  the  opportunity  to  attack
Washington.  Lee and President Davis  approved  and  Early's
forces  began  moving  northward,  crossing  the Potomac the
first week of July.                                         

Between Early and Washington stood Union Gen.   Lew  Wallace
and  his 5,800 men.  Wallace took position on a high bank of
the Monocacy River near Frederick, Maryland and prepared  to
counter  Early's  14,000  rebels.   The  Federals held their
position  for  several  hours  before  John   B.    Gordon's
Confederates  pushed  them  from  the field.  Hearing of the
danger to Washington, Grant rushed the VI Corps by  boat  to
the  capital.   Early arrived on the outskirts of Washington
and attacked Fort Stevens on July 11.   When  evening  fell,
Early   prepared  for  another  offensive  in  the  morning.
Overnight, boats arrived bringing the  VI  Corp,  increasing
the  Union's  strength  to  at least 35,000 men.  Seeing the
enemy's position reinforced, Early pulled his army  back  to
the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Union Gen.  George Crook made what
Mrs.  Stephens described as "a leisurely pursuit" of  Early,
eventually being thoroughly defeated at the Second Battle of
Kernstown.   Following   this   battle,   Early   gave   the
controversial order for his cavalry under John McCausland to
burn Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.                            

Grant was now forced to devote more attention to the  Valley
said  Mrs.   Stephens.   He  sent  the VI Corps - eventually
about 40,000 men -- back across the Blue Ridge and put  them
under  the  command  of  Sheridan.   With  superior numbers,
Sheridan began the systematic destruction of Early's rebels,
starting  with  the Third Battle of Winchester in September.
Following this and subsequent Confederate losses at Fisher's
Hill  and  Cedar  Creek, Early's successes from June through
August were soon forgotten by a demoralized South.          

Even so, as Mrs.  Stephens demonstrated, Early had fulfilled
Lee's orders by saving Lynchburg, threatening Washington and
diverting  tens  of  thousands  of  Union  troops  from  the
Richmond  area.   Early  had  also brought back supplies and
thousands of dollars from the Maryland raid.  In the  summer
of   1864,   Mrs.    Stephens  explained,  "Early  gained  a
psychological edge for the South." He had  forced  Grant  to
open a second front.                                        

History has not always been kind to "Old Jube." While he was
as fearless, bold and daring as Lee, observed Mrs.  Stephens,
his  physical  attributes  and  personality  did  little  to
establish him  as  a  figure  of  romance.   "Without  Jubal
Early,"  Mrs.   Stephens asserted, "the war would have ended
in the fall of 1864." A bold statement to  be  certain,  but
one she firmly supported by facts.                          


Exhibit to End Soon

Widely  known  for   its   outstanding   historic   military
collection, The Museum of the Confederacy displays the depth
of its  domestic/homefront  collection  in  The  Confederate
Nation,  an  exhibit  that asks the question: To what degree
did the Confederacy demonstrate the  unity  and  purpose  to
make  a nation?  The original Great Seal of the Confederacy,
and a  colorful  variety  of  Confederate  state  and  local
currency,  along  with many rare personal artifacts tell the
stories of this fledgling nation and of the diverse Southern
people.                                                     

Never  before  exhibited  to  the  public, the ten-foot-long
original handwritten Constitution of the Confederate  States
has  been a constant source of visitor fascination.  Because
of the constitution's condition and size, the museum had  to
have a special case constructed to display it in the special
exhibit area.  Since no other  display  area  can  currently
accommodate  it,  this  prized  document  will be retired to
storage when the exhibit ends.                              

Throughout The Confederate Nation,  visitors  encounter  the
faces  of  Southerners  -  men  and women, white and black -
staring from original velvet-lined cased-image  photographs.
Some  show  ordinary  people  whose names are not familiar -
widows, young soldiers bound for the front, nurses  -  while
others'  names  ended  up  in  history  books.  Poster-sized
reproductions  of  historic  MOC  photographs   show   young
couples, children playing in front of the ruins of buildings
in Charleston, S.C., and women in mourning who seem to  walk
hurriedly  through the Burned District of downtown Richmond.
Visitors see the simplest of homemade shoes  fashioned  from
raccoon  skin,  mourning  dresses  and  jewelry,  symbols of
Confederate patriotism from patriotic aprons to  silk  First
and   Second   National   flags,  as  well  as  evidence  of
Southerners who  never  surrendered  their  loyalty  to  the
Union.  Younger visitors are drawn to Nina and Lucy Ann, two
large dolls, who testify to  a  citizenry  under  siege  and
struggling with privation: the heads of both dolls were used
to smuggle quinine into the South.                          

Although the exhibit cannot answer all  the  questions  that
scholars  continue  to  debate, the many fascinating objects
and images  on  display  illuminate  facets  of  Confederate
nationalism and the diverse reactions of the Southern people
to the trials of  war  and  ultimate  defeat.   The  exhibit
invites   visitors   to   consider  timely  questions  about
nation-building in time of war.                             

The Confederate Nation exhibit closes Monday, Jan.  3, 2005.
The  Museum  of  the  Confederacy  will unveil a new special
exhibit on the Confederate Navy in early March 2005.        


Upcoming Events

Thursday, November 11

Special Veterans Day program  saluting  black  Union  troops
from  Tidewater  who  fought  at Petersburg, Suffolk and New
Market Heights.  11:30am-2pm  at  the  Gabriel  Chapel  AMEZ
Church,  2216  Long  Ridge Road in Chesapeake.  Free.  Info:
757-547-5542.                                               

Saturday, November 13

Living  history  at  Hallsbrough  Tavern,  16300  Midlothian
Turnpike,  just  west  of Route 288 intersection.  11am-5pm.
Features the 15th Virginia Infantry and  Richmond  citizens.
Info: www.15thvacoa.org                                     

Saturday and Sunday, November 20-21

Civil War Show at Richmond Raceway Complex.  Co-sponsored by
the  Central  Virginia  Civil War Collectors Association and
the Museum of the Confederacy.  Several hundred exhibitors. 

Monday, December 6

Holiday Music Program at Old Salem Church on Route 3 west of
Fredericksburg.  7pm.  Free.  Info: www.nps.gov/frsp        

Sunday, December 12

Court End Christmas Celebration, noon - 5pm.  The Museum and
White  House  of the Confederacy, Valentine Richmond History
Center, Historic Richmond  Foundation's  Monumental  Church,
John  Marshall  House,  and  the Virginia State Capitol will
offer free  admission  all  day  and  will  have  activities
ranging from musical performances and special house tours to
children's  activities  and  costumed  interpreters.   Free,
guided tour of the White House of the Confederacy, decorated
for the season as it was when Jefferson Davis and his family
lived there.                                                

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:           

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