Maryland Line - Montgomery County Civil War Round Table

the
Maryland
Line
December 2013
Volume 33, Issue 4
Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign from July 15 to August 7
By Scott C. Patchan
After Lt. Gen. Jubal A.
Infantry called “. . . the most
Early ended his raid on
easily won victory of the
Washington, D.C., he pulled
war.” This opened the way
back to the Shenandoah
for Early to raid the North
Valley.
With two Union
once more. This incursion
forces closing in on him, Maj.
resulted in the burning of
Gen. George Crook’s small
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Army of West Virginia from
on July 30 at the hands of
Harper’s Ferry and Maj. Gen.
Brig. Gen. John McCausland
Horatio Wright’s Sixth and
and his 3,000 raiders.
Nineteenth Corps pursuing
Retribution was soon at
Early from Washington. The
hand, as Averell tracked
wily Virginian narrowly
down McCausland and his
escaped into the Valley,
men near Moorefield, West
The Kings of Kernstown, Shenandoah Summer 1864
where he defeated Wright and
Virginia on August 7th and
by Paul Strain
Crook in a rear guard action
routed them, giving Averell
near Snickers Gap called the
his second decision victory
Battle of Cool Spring on July 18th. However, Maj. Gen.
over superior forces in less than three weeks.
David Hunter, commander of the Dept. of West Virginia,
Early’s summer campaign in the Valley had thrown
d i s p a t c h e d
B r i g .
G e n .
the Union high command into panic. No one was sure
William W. Averell with a small force from Martinsburg
where Early would land next. In the end, Grant ended up
to threaten Early’s line of retreat at Winchester. This
detaching his best combat commander, Maj. Gen. Philip
resulted in the battle of Rutherford’s Farm, where
Sheridan and 30,000 men from Grant’s operations at
Averell’s small force thrashed Confederate Gen. Stephen
Petersburg to quell Early’s diversionary actions western
D. Ramseur’s larger force on July 20. When Horatio
Virginia and along the Potomac. Although Sheridan
Wright turned his troops around and marched back to
would eventually crush Early, his campaigns allowed
Washington, Early went back on the offensive, routing
Robert E. Lee to hold Richmond and Petersburg
Crook’s army at the Second Battle of Kernstown, in what
throughout the summer of 1864.
John Worsham of the 21st Virigina
A life-long student of military history, Scott C. Patchan is a graduate of James Madison University in the Shenandoah Valley. He
is the author of many articles and books, including The Forgotten Fury: The Battle of Piedmont (1996), Shenandoah Summer: The
1864 Valley Campaign (2007), and Second Manassas: Longstreet’s Attack and the Struggle for Chinn Ridge (2011).
Scott C. Patchan, a veteran Civil War battlefield guide and historian, and serves as a Director on the board of the Kernstown
Battlefield Association in Winchester, Virginia, and is a member of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation’s Resource
Protection Committee. Mr. Patchan has twice served as president of the Bull Run Civil War Round Table and is a much sought after
tour guide for both Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields and historic sites. He resides in Northern Virginia.
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December Civil War Traveler Events (cont.)
7 PA “An Evening with the Painting,” special two hour,
after-hours view of and talks about the Gettysburg
Cyclorama.
5
pm.
$20/adult.
Tickets:
gettysburgfoundation.org.
7-8 WV Living History, “Capt. Flagg’s U.S.
Quartermaster City: Prospects of Peace,” at the Harpers
Ferry National Historical Park. Demonstrations at
11 am-4 pm. Free with park admission. nps.gov/hafe.
8 PA “1860s Holiday Ball,” at the Gettyburg NMP
Museum and Visitor Center. High tea and dancing living
history. 1-3 pm. $28.95. gettysburgfoundation.org/18.
8 VA Living History, “A Civil War Christmas,” camps and
decorations at Mt. Zion Historic Park in Aldie, 4-7 pm. Free
703-327-9777.
10 MD Civil War Book Group at the Barnes & Noble
Booksellers, Montrose Crossing, 12089 Rockville Pike,
Rockville. 7:30 pm. Free.
12 MD Lecture, “Siege of Petersburg,” at the Carroll
Community College in Westminster. 6:30-9:30 pm. $39.
Details: 410-386-8100.
14 VA Living History, “Civil War by Candlelight,” camp,
demonstrations, music and holiday decorations at Sully
Historic Site in Chantilly. 5-8 pm. $10 includes house tour.
Reservations: 703-437-1794.
14 VA Living History Tour, “Enslaved Holiday,” at Ben
Lomond Historic Site, 10321 Sudley Manor Road,
Manassas. Tours on the half-hour 5-7 pm. $7. pwcgov.org/
benlomond.
14 VA Living History, “Christmas in Camp,” camps and
Christmas traditions at Fort Ward in Alexandria. Noon-4
pm. $2 donation. 703-671-7350.
14 MD Living History, “The Legend of Civil War Santa,”
with period decorations at the Surratt House Museum in
Clinton. Noon-4 pm. Free with admission.
surratt.org.
14-15 PA Holiday Open House at the Rupp House, 451
Baltimore St, Gettysburg. 1860s decorations, refreshments
and living history. Noon-8 pm Saturday, noon-4 pm Sunday.
Free. 717-339-2148.
14-15 VA Living History and Tours, “Christmas at
Liberia,” in Manassas. manassasmuseum.org.
15 MD “Christmas at the Pry House,” talks, Santa Claus
and period decorations at the Pry House Field Hospital
Museum on the Antietam battlefield near Sharpsburg. 11 am
-4 pm. $5 donation. civilwarmed.org.
21 VA Special Programs, “A 19th-Century Christmas at
Ellwood Manor,” at Ellwood near the intersection of Routes
3 and 20 west of Fredericksburg. 9 am-2 pm. Free.
fowb.org.
22 VA Living History “Civil War Santa,” at Chatham, NPS
site across the river from Fredericksburg. Decorations and
refreshments. 1-4 pm. Free. nps.gov/frsp.
Winter Weather Policy
As you all know, it’s that time of the year again
when Mother Nature loves to wreak havoc on our well
laid plans. So as a reminder of our winter weather
policy, we WILL NOT meet if the Montgomery County
School system cancel their evening activities. So if the
weather looks iffy, listen to news for possible
cancellations. We like y’all too much to lose any of you
to an accident.
Speakers for 2013-2014 Season
9 January: Kevin Knapp—Thaddeus Lowe & Civil War
Balloons
13 February: Ron Beavers—Civil War Railroads
13 March: Hari Jones—Emancipation Proclamation
10 April: Ben Hawley—History of U.S. Colored Troops
8 May: Kim Bernard Holien—First Manassas
Don’t Forget Our Monthly Dinner!
Don’t forget our monthly dinners before our
presentations. It’s a great time to meet others who are
interested in the Civil War era, meet the speaker, and
believe it or not some really good food. So come on out and
join us for dinner? We’d love to see ya! Reservations for
dinner are appreciated so we know how many meals the
hotel will need to prepare.
To make
dinner reservations, contact Bob Clark by email at
[email protected] or at 301-253-3485. Also, it’s nice to
see new faces at our meetings so invite your spouse, friend,
co-worker, or just grab someone of the street and bring them
with you.
December Civil War Traveler Events
For further events go to www.civilwartraveler.com
5 MD Discussion, “Children and the Civil War” at the USG
Library, the University at Shady Grove in
Rockville. 7 pm. Free. shadygrove.und.edu/news/9967
5 DC Book Talk and reception, “Lincoln’s Citadel: the War
in Washington, DC,” at President Lincoln’s Cottage in
Washington. Reception at 6 pm, talk at 6:30 pm. $10/
reception, $10/lecture. lincolncottage.org.
6-7 VA Open House, candlelight tour at Stonewall’s
Jackson’s Headquarters Museum in Winchester. 6-8 pm
Friday, 2-4 and 3-7 pm Saturday. winchesterhistory.org.
7 DC Civil War Book Fair at the National Archives
building in Washington. Author talks and book signings 11
am-5:30 pm. Free. archives.gov/calendar.
7 VA Living History, “Christmas on the Farm” at the
Virginia Museum of the Civil War/New Market
Battlefield State Park in New Market. 10 am-4 pm. Free
with park admission. www.vmi.edu/newmarket.
7 MD Illumination, the 25th anniversary of the 23,000
candle driving tour through the Antietam National
Battlefield near Sharpsburg. Tour begins 6 pm. Visitor
Center and most park roads closed at 3 pm. Free.
Donations welcome. Rain, wind date: Dec 12.
nps.gov/anti.
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The Cast of Characters for the 1864 Valley Campaign
Confederates
Federals
Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan
Born: March 6, 1831
Albany, New York
Died: August 5, 1888
Nonquitt, Massachusetts
Place of burial: Arlington
National Cemetery
Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright
Born: March 6, 1820
Clinton, Connecticut
Died: July 2, 1899
Washington, DC
Place of burial: Arlington
National Cemetery
Brig. Gen. William W. Averell
Born: November 5, 1832
Cameron, New York
Died: February 3, 1900
Bath, New York
Place of burial: Grove Cemetery
Bath, New York
Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early
Born: November 3, 1816
Franklin Co., Virginia
Died: March 2, 1894
Lynchburg, Virginia
Place of burial: Spring Hill
Cemetery
Lynchburg, Virginia
Brig. Gen. John McCausland
Born: September 13, 1836
St. Louis Missouri
Died: January 22, 1927
Point Pleasant, West
Virginia
Place of burial: Henderson, West
Virginia
Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur
Born: May 31, 1837
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Died: October 20, 1864
Belle Grove Plantation
Meadow Mills, Virginia
Place of burial: St Luke’s
Episcopal Church
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Major General Philip Sheridan’s March up the Shenandoah
Valley, 1864. By Alfred Waud
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Montgomery County Civil War Round Table
10510 Moxley Road
Fourth Regular Meeting of 2013 - 2014 Season
Damascus, MD 20872
Date: December 12, 2013
Comments, Questions or Suggestions
Place: Hilton Hotel
620 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, MD
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions
Contact Vivian Eicke at 301-681-6497
Time: 7:00 p.m. - Dinner
8:00 p.m. - Speaker
Next Month’s Meeting
Speaker: Kevin Knapp
Topic: Thaddeus Lowe and Civil War Balloons
Date: January 9, 2014
Speaker: Scott Patchan
Topic: Shenandoah Summer: 1864 Valley Campaign
The Maryland Line
Vivian Eicke, Editor
c/o MCCWRT
10510 Moxley Road
Damascus, MD 20872
Dinner: $25.00
Speaker only: $5.00
Reservations: Bob Clark
301-253-3485
Email: [email protected]
Layout and Production
Vivian Eicke
Substitute Meals
If you have dietary restrictions, and require something
other than what is on the menu, please let Bob know
when you make your reservations
Reservation Deadline: 9:00 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9th.
Please remember that if you have made a dinner
reservation and are a no show, then the Round Table has
to pick up the tab. So help us keep costs to a minimum
by honoring your reservation. Thank you.
Montgomery County Civil War Round Table
10510 Moxley Road
Damascus, MD 20872
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