June 10, 2016 Volume 30, Number 06 Monthly Newsletter of the San Diego Civil War Round Table (SDCWRT)

Transcription

1 June 10, 2016 Volume 30, Number 06 Monthly Newsletter of the San Diego Civil War Round Table (SDCWRT) Contents June 2016 Program May 2016 Minutes... 1 Classified Ads, &c... 3 Future Presentations....4 Membership Application...5 June 2016 Program By: Gordon Gidlund The 354th meeting of the San Diego Civil War Round Table will meet at 7:30 PM, Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at Palisades Presbyterian Church, 6301 Birchwood Street in the Allied Gardens community of San Diego. Tonight, Mr. Gordon Gidlund will be presenting Personal Motivation and Sectarian Causes. This presentation will address two distinct but logically related topics: First, as to personal motivations, we will learn of one scholar s analysis of the letters and diaries of a selected sample of Civil War soldiers and sailors, which effectively results in an opinion poll of a long-deceased survey population as to why they fought. Second, as to sectarian causes, we will reach back way before 1861 to review the conflicting sociologies of four major ethnic groups of 19 th Century America and will consider how much of the war was simply destined due to the tribes involved, regardless of slavery and other issues. May 2016 Minutes By: Travis Fuqua On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 the SDCWRT held a round table debating whether General Lee was overrated. Mr. Robert Osterhaus began the round table by saying that General Lee was overrated, an overrating which was not helped by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He then compared General Lee to General Hannibal of the Punic Wars of Ancient Roman times. Hannibal came to Italy and won the Battle of Cannae, but was unable to do much more. Hannibal, just like Lee, only knew how to win, but could not, and did not profit from any victories. Carthage was eventually defeated as the Confederacy was. General Lee could only win if: his enemies had poor leadership, he fought on his home territory, and if he benefited from good reconnaissance. General Lee June 10, 2016 SDCWRT Skirmish Line 1

2 was not very smart in going to Pennsylvania. He did not understand that Napoleonic tactics were no longer working. Mr. Josh Weiselberg asked whether Lee wanted to lose the war on purpose. Lee was torn over the issue of the Union and because of this, he may not have put his all into the war effort. Mr. Al Haun countered Mr. Osterhaus by saying that General Lee was the best General in the Civil War. No general on the Federal side was as clever. Lee stopped the attack on Richmond in Lee foiled McClellan time and time again. General Lee was able to cross Maryland to invade the North. He could defeat the Federal army, and then invade the north. Lee developed clever plans. The Federal Army never had a good invasion plan. Lee just ran out of men and supplies in comparison to the union which is why he lost. Mr. Bob Sigafoes added that General Lee had to protect Richmond and Virginia. He thought that by carrying the battle North, he could sue for peace by making war in the North. Mr. Ed Damrose added to what Mr. Sigafoes said in that Lee defeated Generals McClellan and Polk and forced them back north. Lee did not have the resources or men to pursue the Federal Army. Lee had to rely on trickery and stealth. Lee had a huge responsibility for defending Virginia and North Carolina. Mr. Osterhaus counted these points by saying that the Union was in a superior position to the South not just in its rail service. Lee won food while in the north. The poor diet of the Confederate soldiers affected their performance and the Union had a superior supply system. Mr. Rich Marcel added another point in that the South simply lost the war. We try to find answers and place blame or glorify someone, but Lee was a major psychological point as he gave the South someone to rally behind. Lee is important simply as a figurehead of the South and did much to delay the Union victory. Mr. Osterhaus did admit that the South had its best general in Lee. Mr. Hahn added that General Grant lost the Battle of Cold Harbor. General Burnside had captured South Carolina to do a pincer movement on Lee with McClellan in Virginia, but this did not happen. The Confederacy could only win by capturing major cities like Washington. Mr. Osterhaus added by saying that capturing the capital, such as Washington, was not necessarily essential. Mr. Sigafoes ended the roundtable by saying that Lee wanted to save Virginia because it was his home state and the capital of the Confederacy. Mr. Sigafoes pointed out that Lee was not tried after the Civil War like Jefferson Davis which shows the North respected General Lee. It would have been perfectly within the right of the North to hang Lee after the war for treason, but he was instead spared, not given any jail time, and instead allowed to retire quietly. June 10, 2016 SDCWRT Skirmish Line 2

3 San Diego Civil War Round Table Founded January of 1986 Officers/Appointments President....Dave Tooley VP/Program.. Travis Fuqua VP/Membership...Curtis Dryer Secretary... Travis Fuqua Treasurer...Tim Charlesworth Chaplain..Dennis Mikulanis Historian...Travis Fuqua Preservation...Al Haun Skirmish Line Editor.....Travis Fuqua Webmaster Tim Charlesworth Public Relations....Tim Charlesworth Master-at-Arms.. Mick Halbert The $25 donation per year helps defray cost of hall rental, maintaining a Civil War Library and publishing the Skirmish Line newsletter. Submit articles, ideas, comments, etc. by the 1 st day of the month to Travis Fuqua. to tfuqua07@gmail.com, or at the meeting. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CIVIL WAR MUSEUMS Drum Barracks Civil War Museum 1052 Banning Blvd. Wilmington, CA Tours: Tue, Wed, Thu 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM Sat & Sun 11:30 AM & 1:00 PM Lincoln Memorial Shrine A.K. Smiley Public Library 125 West Vine St. Redlands, CA Hours: Tue Sun (closed Mon.) 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM SAN DIEGO COUNTY CIVIL WAR DESCENDANT GROUPS Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War Nancy Hanks Lincoln Tent No. 5 Meets 4 th Tuesday of each month at midday. President Marilyn Steber marilynsteber@yahoo.com Sons of Confederate Veterans Father A. J. Ryan Camp No. 302 Meets 2 nd Saturday of each odd-numbered month in late afternoon. Commander Jim Stephens jtstephens@cox.net Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - Sgt. William Pittenger Camp No San Diego Civil War Round Table Meets 2 nd Saturday of each even-numbered month in late afternoon. Secretary John May cbadjohnny@gmail.com United Daughters of the Confederacy Stonewall Jackson Chapter No. 476 Meets March, June, Sept. & Dec. President Jane Zoch isplanejane@yahoo.com SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE GROUPS Civil War Round Table of Orange County Meets in Huntington Beach, 3 rd Tuesday of each month Ron Webb ronwebb832@aol.com June 10, 2016 SDCWRT Skirmish Line 3

4 Civil Warriors Round Table (San Fernando Valley) Meets in West Hills, 2 nd Wednesday of each month goracke@alum.mit.edu Inland Empire Civil War Round Table Meets in Redlands (at Lincoln Memorial Shrine), 2 nd Wednesday of each month except July & August Azureken32@msn.com Los Angeles Civil War Round Table Meets in Marina del Rey, 3 rd Tuesday of each month except July & August jpbcoast@aol.com Pasadena Civil War Round Table Meets in Pasadena, 4 th Tuesday of each month Michael Oddenido cwrt@pasadenacwrt.org UPCOMING PROGRAMS THE SAN DIEGO CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Jun. 15 Personal Motivation and Sectarian Causes..Gordon Gidlund Jul. 20 Lincoln s Final Hours... Kathryn Canavan Aug. 17 TBA...TBA Sep. 21 Annual Social Event...SDCWRT Oct. 19 Cushing..Mick Halbert June 10, 2016 SDCWRT Skirmish Line 4

5 SAN DIEGO CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Nawa Way SAN DIEGO, CA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION YEAR: Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Telephone: Home: ( ) Work: ( ) Do you wish to have your name in a telephone number/interest listing circulated among the membership? Yes No Annual Membership Fee (tax deductible): $ This charge is for one person, or all interested members of a household. Charitable Donation for HISTORIC PRESERVATION (Please show the amount you choose to give.) $ Total $ Address? Would you be willing to receive your newsletter by a WEB page? Yes No, or sent to you via your address? Yes No. Do you have a particular interest that you would like others to know of? INTEREST: Would you like to present a program? (one hour time limit): TOPIC: Please mail this form and check payable to San Diego Civil War Round Table to Dave Tooley above, or drop off application and check at reception desk at the meeting. A membership Card will be made for you. Thank you in advance for your participation and interest! For Membership/Treasurer use: Name: Check # Cash: Date Paid: Membership: Preservation: Total: June 10, 2016 SDCWRT Skirmish Line 5