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March 2010 - rcwrt.org
Davis Wrinkle, Pres.                   Gary Cowardin, Editor    
7741 Rockfalls Dr.                     1404 Lorraine Ave.       
Richmond, VA 23225                     Richmond, VA 23227-3735  
dpwrink@verizon.net                    cowardin@juno.com        

March 2010 Program Frank A. O'Reilly Chancellorsville 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard, Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.) Enter the basement door on the right side under the front steps. "If the consensus of the intelligent opinion of the world was taken as to what battle gave most lustre to Southern generalship," mused a Confederate captain, "it would surely designate Chancellorsville." The battle fought in the forbidding confines of the Wilderness of 1863 pitted Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson against Joseph Hooker and a legion of Federals. Outnumbered almost three to one, Lee and Jackson did the unexpected. Lee divided his forces and Jackson launched one of the most celebrated attacks in American history. Jackson secured his place among the great captains of all time, but he also sealed his doom when he rode in front of his lines after dark on May 2, 1863. Frank O'Reilly will look at the battle that "gave most lustre" to Lee and Jackson, and has modern generals emulating the classic "Jacksonian Movement" of 1863. Vitae My latest book, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock, received a 2003 nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Letters. It was released by LSU Press in December, 2002, and has won the 2002 Capital District (Albany, NY) Book Award; the 2003 James I. Robertson, Jr. Book Award; the 2004 Daniel Laney Book Award; and the 2004 Richard Barksdale Harwell Book Award. I graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1987, and joined the National Park Service at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. I worked briefly at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and then returned to Fredericksburg in 1990 as the permanent historian for the "Stonewall" Jackson Shrine. I have also served as an historical consultant for the City of Fredericksburg. I have written numerous articles on the Civil War and Mexican War, and introductions to several books, including Phil Sheridan's memoirs, William McCarter's My Life in the Irish Brigade, and the History of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. I released a book on the Fredericksburg Campaign titled, Stonewall Jackson at Fredericksburg, in 1993. I have appeared in quite a few video documentaries, and have lectured extensively in the U.S. and abroad, on military history. I am currently researching a book on the Battle of Malvern Hill and the Seven Days' Campaign. Frank A. O'Reilly, Historian
NOTE: Please put on a name badge when you arrive for the meeting. (Materials will be at the raffle table.)
HOLD the DATE: Saturday, June 19, 2010, RCWRT Field Trip 8am-5pm From Campground to Battle Ground Stafford County, Chatham Manor, Oak Civil War Museum, Wilderness Battlefield, more info in the April RCWRT Newsletter
Reminder - Membership Dues for 2010 are Due by March 15th Update: as of 2/15/10 we have 96 paid up plus 5 lifetime (=101) members. Please select a membership category from the list below. The Sustaining Member category is an entirely voluntary option for those members who choose to increase their support of our organization. As in years past, the Ides of March (March 15) is the deadline for payment of dues. Select one category: < > $50 - Sustaining member (voluntary) < > $35 - Resident member < > $45 - Resident couple < > $20 - Non-resident member (50+ miles outside of Richmond) < > $25 - Non-resident couple < > $20 - Senior member (65 and older with at least 10 years of membership) < > $25 - Senior couple < > $20 - Student member (age 13-17) You may make your payment at the March meeting or mail your check to: Sandy Parker, RCWRT Secretary P.O. Box 37052 Richmond, VA 23234 Thank you for your continued support of the Richmond Civil War Round Table!
From the Preservation Committee Report Jack Ackerly, Chairman Motions in the Wal-Mart/Wilderness Battlefield case have been argued before the Orange County Circuit Court on February 3 and were taken under advisement. There is no indication when the Court will reach a decision. Also reported, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) has met the two-for-one match of $5.2 million established by the General Assembly under Speaker William Howell's leadership. The remarkable $10.4 million raised by CWPT has funded the acquisition of land at many nearby battlefields including Chancellorsville, Glendale, Malvern Hill, and Trevilian Station. Ackerly wondered if the CWPT success in funding battlefields does not offset the hard times of several Civil War Museums which are reducing hours/terminating employees on account of reduced visitation and diminished fundraising.
Survey Results The following is a summary of the Club survey. Forty (40) responses were received. (Editor's Note: It appears most members are happy with as is with less than a 50% response for any big changes.) o Do you want to consider changing our meeting location? YES - 12 NO - 24 o Do you want more dinner meetings? YES - 6 NO - 30 o Should we meet with the Powhatan Round Table? YES - 20 NO - 13 o Do you have any suggestions for field trip destinations? Antietam, Lexington, Gettysburg, an overnight, Trevilian, Kernstown, White Oak, Shenandoah, Belmead, Bermuda100, South Mt.,Yorktown o Do you want more than 1/year? YES - 13 NO - 15 o Please give ideas for fund raisers such as book donations, artifacts, % take of items sold. Charge to attend our meetings, dues, book donations, field trip cost, T-shirts, hats, cash raffle, silent auctions, artifacts o Where would you like our annual meeting to be held? Most said U of R, Willow Oaks CC, Va Historical Society, and Richmond Masonic Lodge o Is the price too high? YES - 2 o Do you want book reviews? YES - 21 NO - 10 o Would you like 2 or 3 pearls about the night's talk be written and handed out? YES - 17 NO - 19 o Should we market more so as to recruit more members? YES - 20 NO - 9 o What would you like to see in the newsletter or internet? Photos, press release, dull as is, need more in depth, speaker photos, include previous meeting news, bio of members o Are you ok with changing the time of our meeting to 7:30pm? YES - 12 NO - 17 Other times: 7:00 - 3, 6:30 - 1 o What do you like most about the RCWRT? Least? Most - Speakers-29, Coski letters, great members Least - min social time, hard chairs, no personal interface, too long speaker intro, parking bad, club too big, poor dress, location bad ,too much business, too long presentation, need younger members o Any Other Suggestions? Have books audited, more audio visual, put in local newspaper, invite history teachers, list Richmond Battlefields Association annual meeting, leave earlier, senior dues to $25 "Boomer Life", higher member dues, have at 1st Presb. St. Stephens, have summer picnic, eliminate July & August meetings to save money
Virginia Takes the Lead in Commemorating the War Between the States! If you would like to learn more about the very impressive efforts of the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, take a look at the Commission's excellent website. VA Sesquicentennial Logo www.virginiacivilwar.org The Commonwealth's 8-year program is being ably led by Speaker of the House of Delegates William J. Howell. When asked why Virginia is making such an effort, he responded by saying, in part: "No event in this nation's history has had as much impact as the Civil War, and the goal of Virginia's Sesquicentennial commemoration is to better understand our past by examining multiple facets of the Civil War ..." In addition to many and varied local events, there will be a major (Signature) event each year through 2016. The first annual Signature Event was hosted by University of Richmond President Dr. Ed Ayers in April 2009. It was a huge success!
Some Upcoming Events
U of R Trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania! April 18-19, 2010 (Sun-Mon) Join Retired Brigadier General Jack Mountcastle as he leads us on an all-inclusive trip to Gettysburg! This is a great way to experience and learn about this famous Civil War battle. Trip includes deluxe transportation, videos and presentations on the bus from General Mountcastle, your ticket to the brand-new Gettysburg Visitor Center, and guided tours of the battlefield. Also included is your room at the Historic Gettysburg Hotel, right in the heart of historic downtown Gettysburg. You will be treated to a wonderful dinner on Sunday night, breakfast buffet Monday morning, lunch on Monday, and snacks on the bus. Bus will depart University of Richmond campus at 12 noon on Sunday, April 18 and return by 7:30 pm on Monday, April 19. Contact Stephanie Bowlin (sbowlin@richmond.edu or 287-6331) for a detailed itinerary. The course number of this 2-day mini-course is CRN: HIS210.99 Fee: $279 per person based on double occupancy. Additional $65 fee for single occupancy. Register online at activenet.active.com/thinkagain or call 289-8133 to request a copy of the Think Again registration form!
Now - at the Virginia Historical Society A New Exhibition on John Brown's Raid October 10, 2009 through April 11, 2010 www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_johnbrown.htm
Visit The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar www.tredegar.org and their Events Calendar
Visit the The Museum of the Confederacy Online www.moc.org and their Events Calendar for MOC Events Calendar The Museum of the Confederacy will sponsor a seminar: Healing Wounded Warriors, March 27, 2010, in the Egyptian Building
Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier www.pamplinpark.org and their Special Events Calendar
RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2010
We Need Your Help to Save Money If you have an E-mail address and internet access and are not currently receiving your newsletter notification via E-mail please let me have your E-mail address. My E-mail address is: cowardin@juno.com (Just click my E-mail address above)
Richmond Civil War Round Table Newsletter Gary Cowardin, Editor 1404 Lorraine Ave. Richmond, VA 23227-3735 cowardin@juno.com


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