Welcome to the web site of the South Bay Civil War Round Table, Silicon Valley's own Round Table.
News/Updates
- New date for the picnic: Sunday, August 16
- Civil War Days at Duncans Mills, CA
- Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit in Sacramento
- Details of the October West Coast Civil War Round Table Conference are on the Travel Page.
Meetings
We invite you to join us at our meetings, which are held monthly except for December. All meetings are open to non-members and are free. Meetings—except for the August picnic—are held on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:15 p.m., at Holder's Country Inn, 998 South DeAnza Blvd. (near Bollinger), San Jose, CA 95129. See directions to the meeting.
Dinner is available for ordering in the meeting room; plan to arrive 30-40 minutes early to place your order and enjoy informal conversations with other members before the formal start of the meeting. In addition to the evening's main presentation the meetings usually include a raffle, Civil War quiz, announcements, discussions, and stimulating conversation related to all aspects of the Civil War.
For more information contact Gary Moore, President, at (408) 356-6216 or e-mail him: gkmmaats@comcast.net
Upcoming Programs/Speakers
| Date | Location | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 30 | Norman Patrick Doyle | Two Civil War Generals in Mexico | |
| July 28 | Bob Hubbs | How Lincoln Won the War Without the Help of His Generals | |
| Sunday, August 16 |
Picnic* |
Gary Yee | A Plan Gone Wrong: The Siege of Battery Wagner (July 21, 1863 to September 7, 1863) |
* Picnic time and location details to be announced later.
Preview of the June 30 Meeting
Norman Patrick Doyle on "Two Civil War Generals in Mexico"
As the year of 1861 dawned, Brigadier General David E. Twiggs commanded the Department of Texas for the U.S. Army. Across the country his former comrade in arms, Brigadier General William S. Harney was in command of the Department of the West, based in St. Louis, Missouri. The last time the two men had served in the same arena was in Mexico City in 1847 when they oversaw the branding and hanging of the survivors of the San Patricio Battalion, a group of mostly Irish deserters from the U.S. Army who fought on the Mexican side during the Mexican-American War. The San Patricios were led by John Riley, a charismatic Irishman from County Galway. Because Riley had deserted before the declaration of war, General Winfield Scott ruled that he should not be hanged, but merely flogged and branded.
Twiggs and Harney went on to play their ordained roles in the Civil War, while John Riley vanished into the unknown. Another curious chapter in history was over.Preview of the July 28 Meeting
Bob Hubbs on "How Lincoln Won the War Without the Help of his Generals"
Bob's presentation will focus on Lincoln's relationship with his generals in high command during the Civil War. Among the "highlights" or major points of Bob's presentation will be the following:
- A review of Lincoln for what he really was relative to the manner in which he selected, communicated with, and demonstrated confidence in his generals.
- Lincoln as a military strategist as well as a shrewd politician.
- Identifying the generals Lincoln eventually replaced.
- Lincoln's masterful use of the telegraph in monitoring both the crucial Civil War battles as well as the progress and effectiveness of his generals.
- Lincoln's "photographic memory" in recalling the details of crucial battles as well as the "pitfalls", shortcomings, and inept battlefield decisions of his generals.
- Lincoln's search for "just the right general" (or combination of generals) to carry out his aggressive strategy in the pursuit and defeat of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.
Bob's presentation promises to reveal new and meaningful insights related to Lincoln and his relationships with his generals. This is a presentation I am sure you will not want to miss.
Preview of the August 16 Picnic Meeting
Gary Yee on "A Plan Gone Wrong: The Siege of Battery Wagner (July 21, 1863 to September 7, 1863)"
Charleston was "the hotbed of secession, and the place beyond all others perhaps, which the people of the North desired to see humiliated, if not destroyed." A simple plan was proposed to achieve that goal and deliver Charleston to the Union's hands. Hear how and why that plan failed when a small battery* defiantly held out and rendered a victory moot. Adapted from Gary Yee's upcoming book, Sharpshooters 1750-1900: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story, Gary's talk will discuss the fifty-five days of siege warfare that followed after the failed assault of July 18th.
* Battery Wagner was the "fort" that the 54th Massachusetts attempted to storm. Their charge was immortalized in the movie Glory.
Conferences and Travel
We have added a new on the menu to the left: Travel will link you to a page with announcements about conferences and travel opportunities that may interest round table members. Current announcements include a Lincoln conference at Stanford and the Civil War Forum Battlefield Conference in Winchester, Virginia.
Directions to the Meetings
Holder's Country Inn |
Website
The South Bay Civil War Round Table website was formerly hosted courtesy of Jim Lyons. To visit Jim's personal website, click here.
New website design by Hal Jespersen.