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

December 2000 PROGRAM

Edwin C. Bearss

"Raising of the U.S.S. Cairo"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 12, 2000, at the
Holiday Inn-Crossroads, 2000 Staples Mill Road
6 p.m. Social Hour; 7 p.m. Dinner

Edwin Cole Bearss is Historian  Emeritus  for  the  National
Park  Service.   A  native of Billings, Montana, he received
his bachelor's  degree  at  Georgetown  University  and  his
master's   degree  at  Indiana  University.   He  was  Chief
Historian of the National Park Service from November 1981 to
July  1994.  Then Bearss became the Special Assistant to the
National Park Service Director for Civil War Sites.   During
his  early  park  service career, Bearss was attached to the
Southeast Regional Office, which then had  its  headquarters
in Richmond.  He is a prolific author, and his books include
Hardluck Ironclad: The Sinking  and  Salvage  of  the  Cairo
(1966); The Campaign for Vicksburg (3 vols., 1985-1986); and
Forrest at Brice's Cross Roads and in North  Mississippi  in
1864  (1979).   Bearss  is  also  one  of  the  most popular
speakers and tour guides in the country.                    

The U.S.S.  Cairo was one of seven ironclad  gunboats  named
in  honor  of  towns  along  the  upper Mississippi and Ohio
rivers.  She was constructed at Mound  City,  Illinois,  and
commissioned  in  January  1862.  On the morning of December
12, 1862, her commander led a small flotilla  up  the  Yazoo
River,  north of Vicksburg, to destroy Confederate batteries
and clear the channel of torpedoes.  As the Cairo reached  a
point  seven miles north of Vicksburg, she was rocked by two
explosions in quick succession which tore  gaping  holes  in
the  ship's  hull.   Within twelve minutes the ironclad sank
without any loss of life.  Cairo became the  first  ship  in
history  to  be  sunk  by an electrically detonated torpedo.
Over the years the  gunboat  was  soon  forgotten,  and  her
watery  grave  was  slowly  covered  by a shroud of silt and
sand.  By studying contemporary documents and maps,  Bearss,
who  was then Historian at Vicksburg National Military Park,
was able to plot the approximate  site  of  the  wreck.   In
December  1964,  the  ironclad  was  finally pulled from the
river and  eventually  taken  to  the  Ingalls  Shipyard  in
Pascagoula,  Mississippi,  for repair and conservation.  The
vessel  was  transported   to   the   park   and   partially
reconstructed  on  a  concrete foundation near the Vicksburg
National Cemetery in June 1977.                             



Review of the November Program

Professor Craig L.  Symonds  presented  an  interesting  and
informative  talk  on  "Franklin  Buchanan and the Battle of
Hampton  Roads."  Born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  1800,
Buchanan  had  a  distinguished  career in the United States
navy prior to the Civil War.  Known affectionately  as  "Old
Buck,"  he was the first superintendent of the U.  S.  Naval
Academy.   He  was  a   typical   naval   officer   of   his
time-ambitious  and  enthusiastic  and  a fighter.  In 1859,
Buchanan was a captain and commander of the Washington  Navy
Yard,  one  of  the  most prestigious positions in the naval
service.  He faced a personal crisis in 1861.   Despite  his
45  years  in the navy, he believed in states' rights.  When
Union troops  fired  on  civilians  in  Baltimore,  Buchanan
resigned  his  commission.   Maryland did not secede, and he
attempted to get  back  into  the  navy.   Secretary  Gideon
Welles  refused to allow this, and Buchanan then offered his
services to the Confederacy.                                

In Richmond, Buchanan was given command of the  C.   S.   S.
Virginia   and   the   James  River  Squadron.   Confederate
Secretary of the Navy Stephen R.   Mallory  wanted  a  bold,
judicious  individual  to command the new ironclad and hoped
that Buchanan would be able to take her up the Potomac River
and  attack Washington, D.  C.  However, Old Buck discovered
that the  Virginia's  engines  were  incapable  of  such  an
undertaking.   He  assumed  command  at  Norfolk on March 4,
1862, and decided to attack the Union  warships  in  Hampton
Roads.   Buchanan had wanted Major General John B.  Magruder
to cooperate with the attack by sending his army against the
Union  land  forces nearby, but Magruder refused because his
force was too weak.                                         

A surprise movement by the Virginia was  impossible,  so  on
the morning of March 8, Buchanan took her down the Elizabeth
River to take on the enemy vessels.  The ironclad's crew had
coated the casemate with wax to help deflect Federal shells.
Buchanan had his ship steam toward the  frigates  Cumberland
and  Congress.   The two warships carried 70 guns, while the
Virginia had  only  10.   Because  the  Cumberland  had  the
strongest  armament,  the Virginia would go after her first,
intending to ram and sink  her.   Then  the  ironclad  would
attack  the  Congress, on which Buchanan's brother served as
paymaster.                                                  

The Virginia received a salvo from  the  Cumberland  as  she
approached,  but  none  of the shots even dented the iron on
her casemate.  Buchanan ordered his forward gun to fire when
the  Virginia's  ram  drove into the Cumberland.  This would
help his vessel back out.   Unfortunately,  the  1,500-pound
ram  became  stuck  in  the  Cumberland's  side.  Just as it
appeared that the latter would sink and  take  her  attacker
with  her,  the ram broke off.  The Virginia was able to get
away and turn toward the Congress.  Buchanan watched as  the
commander  of the Congress took his ship into shallow water.
Old Buck ordered his men to pour a heavy fire into the Union
warship.   After  a  short time, the Federals ran up several
white flags.                                                

Buchanan sent one of his  support  vessels  to  receive  the
surrender  of  the  Congress.   While doing so, Union troops
ashore began firing on the  Confederates,  forcing  them  to
retreat  before  the surrender could be completed.  Buchanan
was unaware of what had happened and  ordered  his  crew  to
fire  into  the  Congress with hot shot.  This fusillade set
the Federal ship afire, and she blew up a few  minutes  past
midnight.   Toward  the end of the day, the Virginia fired a
few  broadsides  at  the  remaining   enemy   warship,   the
Minnesota.   Buchanan received a severe leg wound during the
Battle of Hampton Roads and had to turn over command of  the
Virginia  to Catesby Jones.  Thus Buchanan missed the battle
fought the following day with the Monitor.  He  did  receive
promotion  to  full  admiral, the only man to hold such rank
during the war.                                             



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Announcements


At the November meeting, the three following past presidents
were  elected  to the 2001 Executive Committee-Jack Ackerly,
Daniel Balfour, and Robert (Bobby) E.  L.  Krick.           



A Civil War Christmas Recipe

The following  recipe for  eggnog  is  from  The  Civil  War
Cookbook by William C.  "Jack" Davis (1993):                

4 egg yolks           
4 Tbsps sugar         
1 cup cream (whipping)
1 cup brandy          
1/4 cup wine          
4 egg whites          
A little grated nutmeg

Beat the egg yolks until  light  then  slowly  beat  in  the
sugar,   cream,  brandy  and  wine.   Whip  the  egg  whites
separately  and  then  fold  into  the  other   ingredients.
Sprinkle with the nutmeg to serve.


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
or just
rcwrt.org


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