Next meeting May 21, 2008
Our featured speaker will be Kurt Senn, Director of the Missouri State Museum.
Mr. Senn's program will focus on the Missouri State Museum's efforts to conserve the state's collection of Civil War flags. There will also be some information about the museum's plans for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. A flag from the collection will be on display at the program.
Mr. Senn has a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Arts in History and has worked for the Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks since 1999. He started his career as the Assistant Historic Site Administrator at Mastodon State Historic Site near St. Louis in 1999. In 2001, Mr. Senn became the Historic Site Administrator at Confederate Memorial State Historic Site and started his tenure as Director of the Missouri State Museum in 2004.
Meeting Recap - December
Too bad if you missed it! We were regaled by the wonderful Back Porch Players out of Nixa, Missouri; an incredibly talented and amusing bunch led by Paul Stickley and his lovely wife, Carol. They were joined by their son, Greg, and daughter-in-law, Barb, and granddaughter, Kaylin who, at the ripe old age of 13, has already written 2 songs! Paul and crew were kind enough (crazy enough?) to oblige my request for La Bastringue, an old French-Canadian folk song. Despite my timid personality (pshyeah, right!), Paul cajoled me into belting out a few bars in French and, no, the CWRT will not cover medical bills for those of you who suffered any hearing damage from my debut.
It was great fun for all and many thanks to those of you who participated in the sing-alongs. (I'm still waiting to hear from "American Idol"...)
Meeting Recap - October
"To err is human." Oops!!
Our October gathering was a test of patience for some as the staff of Two Hearts scrambled to set up tables for our unusually large crowd. Linda accepts all credit for the snafu (should've called in more reservations!) and has duly sat on the pickle barrel for the requisite 12 hours. Mea culpa! I extend my sincere apologies to any guests who were inconvenienced. Apparently, Robert E. L. Krick is a bigger celebrity than I reckoned!
Having lived or worked on battlefields for 35 years, Mr. Krick is uniquely qualified as a leading historian on Richmond and officers of the Confederacy. His presentation to our round table reviewed highlights of the Seven Days Battles with particular emphasis on Stonewall Jackson's seeming ineptitude as the Richmond Campaign reached its climax during the last week of June 1862.
Of course, Stonewall was not alone in his military blunders that week. There were miscues aplenty on both sides and at every level of command. However, Jackson's lethargy seems more pronounced in view of his brilliant performance in the Valley Campaign just 2 months prior and his later renown as one of the Confederacy's greatest heroes.
Mr. Krick wrapped up his lecture by examining hypotheses put forward by those seeking an explanation for Jackson's uncharacteristic lack of zeal. Ideas range from battle fatigue to lack of coordination at the command level to Jackson's religious convictions, to name a few.
As Mr. Krick pointed out, it would be difficult to identify any one particular cause for Stonewall's inaction. Indeed, our members added their own ideas to the list during a lively question and answer session following the presentation.
Mr. Krick's lecture separates Jackson's mythological status from his human nature. And, as we all know, to err is human.
Meeting Recap - September 2007
Without a doubt, our first meeting of the 2007-08 campaign was a HUGE success! We had over 100 guests and enlisted 98 members. It was the highest attendance we've had in quite some time and I'd like to thank each of you for your enthusiasm and support.
Our guest speaker, Tom Perry, gave a lively talk on JEB Stuart. He got us all laughing by recounting his misfortunes of the day, which were topped off by my seating him, undoubtedly Stuart's biggest fan, next to Father Heier, Custer's biggest fan. Talk about unintended consequences!
Tom's discussion of Jeb was punctuated with humor and plenty of I-didn't-know-THAT facts including the story of Jeb's grandfather, Judge Alexander Stuart, and his connection to St. Louis via Lewis and Clark. And while it's fascinating to imagine "What if the judge had stayed in Missouri?" I reckon it is our fortune that he did not. For if the Stuarts had not gone back to Virginia, Jeb would not have been born there and, without his local hero, Tom may've become a bourbon salesman. Or not.
Please remember to join us October 24th for Bobby Krick's "Stonewall Jackson and the Seven Days Battles" and bring a friend!
