Welcome to the web site of the South Bay Civil War Round Table, Silicon Valley California's own Round Table.
News/Updates
- A slideshow about Our Favorite Books for 2012 is available here.
- A Civil War lecture series has been announced at UCLA. See the details on the travel page.
- The June 2010 issue of Civil War News has an article about our CWRT! Read it here.
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 7:00 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 John Herberich, President, at (408) 506-6214 or e-mail: [email protected].
Upcoming Programs/Speakers
| Date | Location | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | Holder's | Jim Campbell | A Marine Artist's View of Famous Civil War Naval Battles |
| June 26 | Holder's | Dr. Libra Hilde | Worth A Dozen Men: Nursing in the Civil War South |
| July 31 | Holder's | TBA | TBA |
| August | picnic | Hal Jespersen | The Seven Days Battles |
| September 25 | Holder's | Tom Lubas | Benjamin Franklin Butler, Lincoln's Conundrum |
Preview of the May 29 Meeting
Jim Campbell on "A Marine Artist's View of Famous Civil War Naval Battles"
Jim Campbell's pen and ink drawings tracing Americas rich maritime past can be seen in galleries on the west coast as well as the east coast. Campbell's art work has been exhibited at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia, where he did a series of drawings of the famous battles of the Civil War including the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, the first ironclads to do battle at Hampton Roads, Virginia. He has also done a series of drawings of the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley, the first submarine in world history to sink an enemy ship. Recently discovered, the Hunley is now on display in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in South Carolina. Jim will be discussing the duel at Hampton Roads and the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley, and will have some of his artwork on display.
Preview of the June 26 Meeting
Dr. Libra Hilde, Professor at San Jose State University, will discuss her newly published book: Worth A Dozen Men: Nursing in the Civil War South.
Preview of the August Picnic Meeting (date and location TBA)
Hal Jespersen on the "Seven Days Battles"
In the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan landed his Army of the Potomac at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and slowly advanced up the Virginia Peninsula in an attempt to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. At the indecisive Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), the Confederate commander, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, was severely wounded and soon replaced with Gen. Robert E. Lee. In late June, Lee launched a series of attacks against McClellan that have come to be known as the Seven Days Battles, including the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill, Glendale, Malvern Hill, and a few other (comparatively) minor engagements. Some historians describe the Seven Days as a campaign, others as a lengthy battle with daily engagements. If you subscribe to the latter view, the Seven Days ranks behind Gettysburg as the second bloodiest battle of the war, with approximately 36,000 casualties. Hal will give a brief overview of the initial movements and battles in the Peninsula Campaign, and then describe each of the Seven Days in detail. He will also discuss the strategic importance of the campaign and give his opinions on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the two opposing commanders.
Hal Jespersen is the webmaster for the South BayCivil War Round Table. He is a retired software industry executive and engineer who is currently busy as a freelance cartographer. You can visit his Civil War mapping website at http://www.cwmaps.com, and his Civil War travelogues at http://www.posix.com/CW.
Preview of the September 25 Meeting
Tom Lubas, President, North Bay Civil War Round Table, will discuss "Benjamin Franklin Butler, Lincoln's Conundrum".
Conferences and Travel
In 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.
Directions to the Meetings
Holder's Country Inn |
Website
Website design by Hal Jespersen.