Circular Memorandum #432
October, 2011
louisvillecwrt.yolasite.com
Announcing Our 468th Meeting
“Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens:
A Marriage Made in Hell”
Will be Presented by Thomas Schott
DATE: Saturday, October 8
COCKTAILS: 6:00 P.M.
Location: Big Spring Country Club
DINNER ($25.00): 7:00 P.M.
PROGRAM: 8:00 P.M.
Meet Our Speaker – Thomas Schott
Thomas E. Schott was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and raised in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He earned a Ph.D in American History from Louisiana State University where he studied under famed
historian T. Harry Williams.
He has written several history-connected publications, including a prize
winning biography of Alexander H. Stephens, as well as articles on numerous other Civil War subjects. He is
co-editor of two upcoming publications: Confederate Generals in the Trans-Mississippi, vol. 2 & Robert E. Lee
and His Generals: Essays in Honor of T. Harry Williams. Both to be published by University of Tennessee
Press next year.
He recently retired from a long career as a historian for various Air Force organizations and the U.S.
Operations Command. Tom loves reading, baseball in general and the Texas Rangers in particular, Cajun
cooking, history, writing poetry, playing chess, good wine, laughter, music, and ideas on the edge. He lives in
Norman, Oklahoma, where his grandkids are.
“Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens: A Marriage Made in Hell”
Political expediency dictated the selection of Alexander H. Stephens as vice president of the Confederacy. A
former Whig from Georgia, the Empire State of the South and one which could not be ignored for top
offices in the new nation, he vehemently opposed secession right up until passage of the secession ordinance.
Jefferson Davis was his political opposite: a Democrat who favored secession. The two men did share some
personality traits, but this only served to exacerbate the differences between them. The period of
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October, 2011
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cooperation between them after their election lasted only a few months. Thereafter, Stephens stayed
mostly at his home in Georgia and away from Richmond.
For Stephens, the war was about "constitutional liberty" above all else. Therefore he opposed virtually
everything the Davis administration did in its efforts to win the war: conscription, impressment, financial
policy, and especially suspension of writ of habeas corpus. In 1864, the vice president delivered a speech to
the Georgia legislature publicly attacking the administration's policies. He actively supported various peace
plans being proposed in the South in the latter stages of the war. He was probably the worst possible choice
for the office he held in the Confederacy.
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Books, Books, Books!
We will have copies of the speaker's book, Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia for sale at the meeting at a
40% discount. These are paperback.
RESERVATIONS: Call Doug Krawczyk (502-425-0325) to place your reservations. If you are making
reservations for more than just yourself, please give the names of the others. If you leave your reservation
on his answering machine, please spell out your name so he can correctly identify you. You can also make your
reservation by e-mail by sending it to [email protected]. Please call or email no later than
Wednesday, October 5, by noon. We cannot accept reservations past this date! If you wish to join us just
for the program, please call and make a reservation so that we can provide you with a chair. If you are only
coming for the program, you can call Doug anytime up to 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
Reminder for Table Reservations: We can reserve tables for parties of eight only, and we need you to
provide us with the names of all the people in your party when you make the reservation. This will enable us to
manage our meeting space in a more efficient manner. Thank you.
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It is Time for Membership Renewals
It is now time to pay the annual membership fees of the Round Table. Remember any amount you give above
the basic or family membership fee is tax-deductible since the Round Table has tax-exempt status as
a 501 (c) (3) organization! There are three membership options from which to choose. The additional funds
raised through Patron memberships allow the Round Table to take a more active role in the Preservation of
Civil War battlefields and sites and also help pay the costs of bringing the very best Civil War speakers to
our meetings. Dues notices were sent in the Summer Newsletter.
To Summarize the Options:
Option One: Regular Membership
Option Two: Family Membership
$30
$35
Option Three: Patron Membership
+$5
$55+
Basic membership.
Allows spouse or family member living in the same
household to also join.
For each additional family member.
Membership with financial gift to LCWRT.
Please send your membership renewal to: LCWRT, 1028 Sarah Drive, Louisville, KY 40219-4923
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October, 2011
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Shiloh Field Trip April 25-29,2012
We will be going to Shiloh April 25- 29 for our Spring Field Trip. Our tour guide will be Tim Smith, historian
at Shiloh Military Park. More details will be announced soon.
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Fall Field Trip to Lexington October 23
We will be traveling to Lexington for our annual one-day Fall Field Trip on Sunday October 23. We will meet
our guide, Sam Flora, at 9:30 at the gates to the Lexington Cemetery at 833 West Main St. From there we
will begin our tour which will include stops at the John Hunt Morgan House, Lexington History Museum, the
Fayette County Courthouse, Ashland, and a few other interesting places. Plan on car pooling and bring money
for lunch and house tours. Call John Davis 502-759-1152 if you have any questions.
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Round Table Extends Sympathy to Dave Hoffmann
The Round Table wishes to extend our heart-felt sympathy to Dave and Sue Hoffmann and their family.
Dave‟s mother recently passed away.
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2011 – 2012 Dates
Saturday
October 8
Thomas Schott
“Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens:
A Marriage Made in Hell”
Saturday
November 12
Glenn LaFantasie
“The Rise of U.S. Grant in 1862”
Saturday
December 3
Sam Elliott
“Tennessee Governor Isham Harris”
Saturday
January 21
Saxton‟s Cornett Band “Civil War Music”
Saturday
February 11
Michael Bradley
“TBA”
Saturday
March 10
Gary Gallagher
“The Real Lost Cause: Union in the Memory
of the Civil War”
Saturday
April 14
Ari Hoogenboom
“Gustavas Fox of the Union Navy”
Saturday
May 12
Brian McKnight
“Contested Borderland”
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Welcome New Members!
We wish to extend the warm hand of fellowship to new members:
Lawrence and Marie Montalto
Robert Jones
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Winners of the September Door Prizes
Congratulations to our door prize winners at the September meeting.
Chancellorsville
Breckinridge
Embattled Shrine
A Pitiless Rain
The Young Lions
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by
by
by
by
by
Stephen Sears
William Davis
David Riggs
E. Hastings
James Conrad
won by
won by
won by
won by
won by
Bob Webb
Maurice Jeffries
Milt Koger
Cindy Winslow
Joe Reinhart
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The 149th Commemoration of the Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville was fought 149 years ago on October 8, 1862. The battle although very significant to
the state, was perhaps more significant nationally as the CS defeat at Perryville helped Lincoln issue the
Emancipation Proclamation. During the summer of 1862, five Confederate armies began an offensive that
would eventually end at Perryville, Kentucky. Never again would the Confederate military forces be able to
launch such an offensive. The Confederate defeats at Corinth, Antietam and the stalemate at Perryville gave
Abraham Lincoln the political clout he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Battle of Perryville was Kentucky‟s largest and bloodiest Civil War battle. Over 40,000 men engaged in a
desperate struggle that raged throughout the day of October 8, 1862. The battle left in its wake 7,500 men
killed and wounded, a countryside ravaged by war and a civilian population in serious distress with a tremendous
lack of food and water. Today the preservation efforts at Perryville Battlefield are a great success. The park
has over 750 preserved acres and the Civil War Trust recently entered into an agreement with several local
land owners to purchase 248 more acres. The annual Commemoration of the Battle of Perryville will occur this
year on October 1-2, 2011 and will feature numerous activities that can be enjoyed by both families and serious
Civil War historians and enthusiasts. You can find more at www.perryvillebattlefield.org for more information.
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Help the Civil War Trust Save 141 Acres at Perryville
The Civil War Trust has launched a campaign to save 141 acres of core battlefield at Perryville. Here is the
scoop from Trust President James Lighthizer, "Today, you and I have the chance to save 141 absolutely crucial
acres that go a long way toward completing this tremendously significant battlefield. (And here‟s an “insider's”
tip: don‟t be surprised to hear soon about additional preservation opportunities at this site, adding even more
to the “critical mass” of saved land here. Due to on-going negotiations, that‟s all I can say for now.)
This ground saw horrific fighting during the afternoon of October 8, 1862, with hundreds of casualties
occurring on this land. This property surrounds on three sides the historic Bottom House, and contains the
site of Henry Bottom‟s Barn which burned during the battle, killing many wounded men who had crawled in
there for shelter.
By the end of the day, both sides would suffer a total of approximately 7,400 casualties, and local experts on
the battle estimate that about 500 of those occurred in just a few afternoon hours of fighting on the 141
acres we are working to save. If we can raise $181,250, we can save this critically important land valued at
$725,000 – that‟s a $4-to-$1 match of your donation dollar".
Follow this link to donate;
www.civilwar.org/battlefields/perryville/perryville-2011. You can mail your contribution to: Civil War Trust,
P.O. Box 1477, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1477.
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Getting the Newsletter via Email is Fast and Saves $$$
With the cost of postage going up (as always), we want to encourage everyone to consider getting the
newsletter by email. It costs the Round Table about $8.00 per year in postage, envelopes, and printing costs
to mail each newsletter. If you multiply that times 150 you can see it adds up to a large amount. In order to
receive the newsletter by email, you do need the capability to read a „Word Document‟ on your computer. Just
contact Harriette Weatherbee at [email protected] and let her know. You will get your newsletter faster
and help us save $$$ at the same time.
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September 2011 Quiz Answers:
1. Who did Robert E. Lee call the "eyes of the army," who "never brought me a piece of false information"?
James Ewell Brown "JEB" Stuart
2. In 1856, on the floor of the United States Senate, during arguments about slavery, a South Carolina
congressman clubbed a Massachusetts senator on the head with a cane. Who were these politicians?
Congressman Preston Brooks clubbed Senator Charles Sumner. Sumner was so badly beaten that he
was unable to attend the Senate for the next three years.
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3. What were "Beecher's Bibles"?
Rifles surreptitiously shipped by abolitionist clergyman Henry Ward Beecher to groups opposing proslavery forces in the Kansas Territory in the 1850s. The weapons were parked in crates labeled
"BIBLES".
4. Kentucky's Governor Beriah Magoffin issued a proclamation of neutrality and forbade either government
from entering the state. When and how did that neutrality end?
On September 3, 1861, Confederate forces under Confederate General Gideon Pillow on orders from
General Leonidas Polk entered Kentucky from Tennessee en route to Hickman and Columbus, Kentucky
on the Mississippi River. On September 6, Federal forces under General U. S. Grant captured
Paducah, Kentucky in Grant's first major and bloodless victory.
5. At Lexington, Missouri, why did Colonel James Mulligan surrender his Federal troops to General Sterling
Price's Confederate forces?
Mulligan had about 3600 troops to Price's 18,000 troops; General John Charles Fremont, the Federal
commander in St. Louis, failed to send aid or reinforcements; and the Confederates effectively used
dampened hemp bales in their final assaults before the surrender.
October 2011 Quiz:
1. During October 1861, Jefferson Davis was besieged by requests from unhappy Confederate soldiers. What
did they want?
2. CSA General Thomas Jackson's map maker was a native of what state?
3. In what battle did the charging troops of Winfield Scott Featherstone, CSA, push their foes back so that
they fell to their deaths over a steep cliff?
4. Why, after the above battle, were neither USA Brigadier General Charles P. Stone nor CSA Brigadier
General Nathan G. "Shanks" Evans promoted?
5. This Georgia politician served as a U.S. Representative both before the Civil War and after Reconstruction.
Who was he and what did he do during the Civil War?
(The Quiz is prepared by Harriette Weatherbee)
Attest:
John Davis
Adjutant
By Order of:
Chris Kolakowski
President