Clark H. Lewis, President         Art & Carol Bergeron, Editors
P. O. Box 1122                    3901 Paces Ferry Road      
Richmond, VA 23218                 Chester, VA 23831-1239   

December 2002 PROGRAM

Dr. Gary W. Gallagher

"A Civil War Watershed?:
Assessing the Impact of Antietam and
the 1862 Maryland Campaign"


8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 10, 2002, at the
Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard,
Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.)

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, California, he  received
his  B.A.   from  Adams State College of Colorado (1972) and
his M.A.  (1977) and Ph.D.  (1982) from  the  University  of
Texas  at  Austin.  He taught for twelve years at Penn State
University before joining the faculty at the  University  of
Virginia.  His research and teaching focus on the era of the
Civil War and Reconstruction.  He is the author  of  Stephen
Dodson  Ramseur:  Lee's Gallant General (University of North
Carolina Press, 1985;  History  Book  Club  selection),  The
Confederate   War   (Harvard  University  Press,  1997;  HBC
selection),  Lee  and  His  Generals  in  War   and   Memory
(Louisiana State University Press, 1998; HBC selection), The
American Civil War: The War in the East 1861-May  1863  (HBC
selection),  and  Lee  and  His  Army in Confederate History
(University  of  North  Carolina  Press,  2001);  editor  of
Fighting  for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of
General  Edward  Porter  Alexander  (University   of   North
Carolina  Press,  1989;  HBC Main Selection); and editor and
co-author of fourteen books.  He  also  has  published  more
than nine dozen articles and notes in scholarly journals and
popular historical magazines, 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" as well as participating in other
television projects in the field.                           

Active  in the field of historic preservation, Gallagher was
president from 1987 to mid-1994 of the Association  for  the
Preservation  of  Civil  War  Sites  (an organization with a
membership of more than 11,500 representing all 50  states).
He  also  served  as  a member of the Board of the Civil War
Trust and has  given  testimony  about  preservation  before
Congressional committees on several occasions.              


Review of the November Program


Dr.  Thomas  J.   DiLorenzo  presented  a  program  entitled
"Lincoln's  Second American Revolution" at the Round Table's
annual Christmas banquet.  He stated  that  this  revolution
was  against  free  market capitalism, the principles of the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, international
law, and the idea of states' rights.                        

Lincoln  ended  slavery  through  violence (war) rather than
peaceful means.  This was a repudiation of what the rest  of
the  world  did,  which  in  every  case  was  to avoid war.
According to DiLorenzo, Lincoln told the truth about why  he
waged  war  against the South.  He wanted to save the Union.
His attack against slavery was only  to  help  his  ultimate
goal.   For  twenty-eight  years, Lincoln toiled in the Whig
and Republican parties  for  economic  objectives  that  had
nothing  to do with slavery.  He believed in a protectionist
tariff.  Southerners paid about three-quarters of all tariff
revenues,  which were monies used by the Federal government.
Lincoln and the  Republicans  raised  rates  to  triple  the
previous  level.  Lincoln wanted to help Northern industrial
interests.                                                  

Additionally,  Lincoln  wanted  the  government  to  sponsor
internal improvements which would also benefit industry.  He
was a champion of central banking as well.  Lincoln  favored
paper  money  not  backed  by  either gold or silver.  Paper
money would be used to finance internal improvements.  These
policies  are  known  as  mercantilism, the opposite of free
market capitalism.  All were put in  place  within  eighteen
months of Lincoln's inauguration.                           

DiLorenzo  stated  that  Lincoln's  behavior  showed that he
repudiated all of  the  principles  of  the  Declaration  of
Independence.   For  one  thing,  he did not favor equality.
Lincoln openly said so in his debates with Stephen  Douglas.
He  firmly  believed  that  whites  were superior to blacks.
Lincoln supported the Fugitive Slave Act  and  colonization.
Second,  Lincoln  philosophically  destroyed  the concept of
union because the South was coerced into  returning  to  the
union,  which  is  the  opposite of the idea that government
derives its just powers from the consent  of  the  governed.
Most Northern newspapers expressed support for the theory of
secession before the war.  Finally, Lincoln  carried  out  a
train  of  abuses  that all were worse than anything done by
King George III.                                            

Historians do not talk about Lincoln's  repudiation  of  the
Constitution   because  it  is  embarrassing.   Only  a  few
historians have dared call Lincoln a dictator.  He suspended
the  writ of habeus corpus even though the Constitution says
only Congress can do so.  Some 38,000 people were imprisoned
in  the  North.   Lincoln  declared  a  blockade  without  a
declaration of war.  He nationalized the  railroads.   There
was  a  systematic disarming of people in the border states.
Lincoln shut down opposition newspapers and imprisoned their
editors.    He  pushed  for  two  confiscation  acts,  which
employed an extremely broad interpretation  of  "aiding  and
abetting  the  rebellion."  Informers  could receive half of
everything seized under these acts.                         

Lincoln  waged  war  against   civilians.    He   encouraged
destruction  carried  out  by the armies of Grant, Sheridan,
and Sherman.  This was against international law.  DiLorenzo
stated that a great humanitarian does not do these things.  

DiLorenzo concluded that Abraham Lincoln was a political son
of Alexander Hamilton.  He favored a plutocracy.  This meant
the death of federalism and  states'  rights.   To  Lincoln,
that was what "saving the Union" really meant.              


 Announcements 

Special Christmas Program

On Sunday, December 15, from noon to 5:00 p.m.,  the  Museum
and  White  House of the Confederacy will sponsor "Court End
Christmas." Kick off the season with a bit of good cheer  at
The  Museum  of  the Confederacy.  In honor of the holidays,
The Museum and White House of the Confederacy will  be  open
to the public free of charge.  Your family will enjoy period
music,  living  history,  children's  crafts,  and   holiday
refreshments.  This program will be held in conjunction with
the Virginia State Capitol, the Valentine  Richmond  History
Center,  John  Marshall House, and Monumental Church.  These
sites will also offer free admission and  will  host  music,
special tours, and activities honoring Virginia's history.  


Holiday Recipes

The following are from The Civil War Cookbook by
			William C. "Jack" Davis (1993):

EGG NOG:              
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.                          

PLUM CAKE:                                                  
(Heavy, alcohol-laden  cakes  were  the  most  suitable  for
surviving  the  long  and  arduous  journey necessary to get
boxes of gifts to the soldiers.)                            
5 cups all-purpose flour   
2 cups sugar      
1/2 tsp salt      
1 tsp ground clove
1 tsp cinnamon    
1 cup molasses    
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup of butter   
1 tsp soda        
1 cup soured milk 
2 tbsps brandy    
1/2 pound raisins, chopped 
1/2 pound currants, chopped
Mix the flour,  sugar,  salt,  and  spices  together.   Melt
shortening,   butter,   and   molasses,  and  mix  into  dry
ingredients.  Mix the soda in the sour milk and add  to  the
mixture  along  with  the  brandy.   Add  the fruit and beat
thoroughly.  Pour into a large baking pan and bake in a  low
oven (325 F) for 2 1/2 hours.                               

SWEET POTATO PUDDING:
6 medium-sized sweet potatoes (white or orange-fleshed)
1 cup milk      
1 cup sugar     
3 eggs          
juice of a lemon
1 tsp cinnamon  
Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes until soft  and  mash  with
the  milk  to  a  smooth  consistency.  Add the sugar, eggs,
lemon juice, and cinnamon, and beat until smooth.  Pour into
a shallow, lightly buttered dish and bake in a moderate oven
(375 F) for 30 minutes.                                     


Many Civil War soldiers did not enjoy such  luxuries  during
the holidays in camp.  One Confederate wrote in his diary on
December 25,  1863,  "My  Christmas  dinner  was  bean  soup
without bread.  The boys are not seeing a good deal of fun."
The following year, Private  John  S.   Jackman  reported  a
better  meal:  "For breakfast had fresh pork, biscuit, baked
sweet-potatoes, etc." He went on to write, "Bad prospect for
a Christmas dinner-can't cook in the rain."                 


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