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

May 2002 PROGRAM

Frank A. O'Reilly

"The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson"

8:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at the
Boulevard United Methodist Church, 321 N. Boulevard,
Richmond, VA (corner of Boulevard and Stuart Ave.)

Frank A. O'Reilly  graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in American History from Washington & Lee University.
He worked for the "Stonewall" Jackson House in Lexington and
was a guest lecturer at Washington & Lee on Civil War topics
while still an undergraduate.  O'Reilly joined the  National
Park  Service  in  1987  as  a  temporary  historian  at the
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania  National  Military  Park  and
later  took  a  fulltime  position  at  Independence Hall in
Philadelphia.  He returned to Fredericksburg in 1990 to fill
the   permanent  historian's  position  at  the  "Stonewall"
Jackson Shrine.  O'Reilly has also served as  an  historical
consultant for the City of Fredericksburg and the Shenandoah
Valley Battlefield Planning Commission.                     

O'Reilly  has  written  numerous  articles  on  the  war  in
Virginia  and introductions to several books, including Phil
Sheridan's memoirs, the History  of  the  1st  Massachusetts
Cavalry,  and  the  155th  Pennsylvania's  Under the Maltese
Cross.  In 1993, he released a book  on  the  Fredericksburg
Campaign titled  Stonewall Jackson at Fredericksburg, and he
has   contributed   several   articles   and   essays   such
publications  as  James  M.   McPherson's Atlas of the Civil
War; Ted Savas' Civil War Regiments; and Bill Miller's Civil
War  magazine.   O'Reilly  has  made  appearances in several
video documentaries,  including  "Civil  War  Journal."  His
latest  book, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the
Rappahannock, will be released by Louisiana State University
Press  in  the  Fall  of  2002.  He is currently researching
another book on the Battle of Chancellorsville.             

O'Reilly's presentation  will  deal  with  the  wounding  of
Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Chancellorsville and will
follow through to his death and subsequent funeral.         



Review of the April Program


Dr.  Edward C.  Smith of  American  University  presented  a
lively  and  entertaining  program on "The Civil War Through
the Eyes of Lincoln, Lee, and Douglass."  He  said  that  he
feels  these three characters, all of whom were Southerners,
defined how the struggle was carried out.                   

Abraham Lincoln was not an abolitionist.   He  waited  until
twenty-one  months  into the war to declare the Emancipation
Proclamation, and his motivation was largely diplomatic,  to
prevent  Union intervention in the war.  According to Smith,
Lincoln saw the union as a  marriage.   Thus  secession  was
simply  a  divorce.  Lincoln did not want to see this happen
and worked hard to preserve the  union.   He  really  wanted
Robert  E.   Lee  to command the armies of the United States
and offered him  that  command  after  the  firing  on  Fort
Sumter.   Lincoln  had  hoped that Lee would do for him what
Lee had done for President James Buchanan  in  putting  down
John  Brown's  seizure of Harper's Ferry.  Lee's decision to
follow his state really upset Lincoln.                      

Eventually,   Lincoln   chose   Ulysses   S.     Grant    as
commander-in-chief.   Grant  adopted a different strategy to
capture Richmond.  Lincoln felt comfortable  with  Grant  in
command,  especially  since  he  had William T.  Sherman and
Philip H.  Sheridan carrying out his wishes.   Lee,  on  the
other   hand,  had  lost  his  chief  subordinates-Stonewall
Jackson and Jeb Stuart.  Lincoln  approved  the  burning  of
Atlanta,  the  destructive  March to the Sea, and Sheridan's
campaign  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.   The  president  was
willing  to  accept  a scorched earth policy to win the war.
Smith said that Lincoln won re-election in 1864  because  of
the  soldier  vote  and because of the generals Smith called
"Grant's   flamethrowers"-Sherman   and   Sheridan.    Their
victories  convinced  the  North  that Lincoln would win the
war.                                                        

Robert E.  Lee believed that the states  had  the  right  of
self-determination  and  had  the  right to leave the union.
Lee, like most Americans, saw his state as his country.   He
also  believed  that  states, after leaving the union, could
join in a new confederation.  Lee dedicated himself  to  the
success of the Confederate States of America.  The Civil War
redefined him, however.  Before the conflict, he said he was
a Virginian; afterwards, Lee said he was an American.       

Frederick  Douglass  was  born  a slave in Maryland.  He ran
away and taught himself how to read and write.   During  his
young   militant  years,  Douglass  hated  Thomas  Jefferson
because of what Douglass thought was  Jefferson's  hypocrisy
over  slavery.   He  came  to  realize that Jefferson really
hated slavery, and Douglass adopted Jefferson as a spiritual
father.   To  Douglass,  the  Constitution  was a lower law,
while the Declaration of Independence was a higher law.   He
strongly  urged Lincoln to support the higher law.  This may
have affected Lincoln.  In the latter's Gettysburg  Address,
he  spoke  of  "four score and seven years ago," which was a
reference to the Declaration and not the Constitution.      

According to Smith, Lincoln's view of blacks changed because
of  his  relationship  with Douglass.  He stopped talking of
sending the freed slaves back to Africa and  became  willing
to  try  to  see  them become a part of the American system.
Douglass wanted Lincoln to restore the union on a  different
basis, where Jefferson's words would apply to him as well as
whites.  He accepted the Emancipation Proclamation for  what
it  was  and decided to work for the complete end of slavery
and full citizenship later.  The latter came  in  the  13th,
14th,  and  15th  Amendments.   Thus,  the  war  produced  a
different America.  Had Lincoln lived, he would have allowed
both  Lee  and  Douglass  to  participate in Reconstruction.
Lincoln's visit to Richmond was a sign of his commitment  to
a peaceful reunification of the states.                     

Article by Dr. Smith



 Announcements 

Round Table Web Site

For those members who have Internet access, the Round  Table
has  a  Web  site that features the monthly newsletter, past
newsletters, book reviews, and much more.   The  address  is
rcwrt.org


Cemetery Memorial Ceremony

A monument and plaque will be dedicated in  the  Scottsville
Confederate  Cemetery on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.  m.  They
will honor the 40 Confederate soldiers who are  believed  to
be  buried  there.   All  of  the  men  died  in  the  local
Confederate hospital that operated  from  1862-1863.   Until
now,  the  identity of these men has been unknown, and their
graves were marked by  simple  marble  headstones  inscribed
only  with the letters "C V" (Confederate Veteran).  The men
were from seven different states, and the plaque lists their
names  and military units.  This is a community event and is
sponsored by the United Daughters of  the  Confederacy,  the
19th  Virginia Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and
the Town of Scottsville.  The  famous  Stonewall  Band  from
Staunton  will  play at the ceremony.  For more information,
call  Richard  L.   Nicholas  in  Charlottesville  at  (434)
977-1878     or     contact     him     by     e-mail     at
Richardnicholas@msn.com


Ukrops' Golden Gift Program

Once again this year, we will be collecting Ukrops' receipts
from  its  Golden  Gift  Program  to  benefit  the  Richmond
Battlefields Association (RBA).  Please remember to  solicit
these receipts from friends and co-workers who may otherwise
not  donate  them  to  any  particular  organization.   Your
support of the RBA is greatly appreciated.                  


Museum of the Confederacy Programs

Summer  Living  History  begins  May  25  and  runs  through
September  2.   The  Museum is pleased to offer a variety of
costumed historians each day through the summer for visitors
to  learn more about the daily life of soldiers and citizens
in the South in the 19th century.   The  programs  are  free
with Museum admission.                                      

Children's  Fun  Days  will be held on May 27, Memorial Day.
Families are encouraged to bring your kids to  enjoy  a  fun
day  at  the  Museum  on these holidays while learning about
Civil war history.  Children will enjoy a scavenger hunt  or
other  neat  activities  that  will  put  them  on a journey
through the Museum galleries and will  receive  a  prize  to
take  home  at  the  completion of their mission.  Free with
Museum admission.                                           

Jefferson  Davis'  Birthday  Celebration  will  be  held  on
Monday,  June 3.  Help celebrate the Confederate President's
birthday.  Join us for punch, cake and special activities in
the Museum throughout the day.  Free with Museum admission. 


RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2002


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:           

May 24 for June;
June 21 for July; July 19 for August; August 23   
for September; September 20 for October; October 18         
for November; and November 22 for December                  


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