Welcome to the web site of the Peninsula Civil War Round Table, the San Francisco Peninsula's own Round Table, founded in 1972. The PCWRT is a non-profit organization dedicated to those interested in the Civil War era history, and meeting monthly to hear noted historians and authors speak on various topics related to America's Civil War history. The PCWRT also encourages efforts to preserve battlefields and historic Civil War sites.
News/Updates
- A new Civil War lecture series has been announced at UCLA. See the details on the travel page.
Meetings
We invite you to join us at our monthly meetings, held the third Tuesday of each month at the Poplar Creek Grill in San Mateo (see below for directions). Guest and new members are welcomed. A social half-hour cash bar starts the program at 11:30 AM. Lunch ($25.00) is served at 12:00 Noon. The featured program speaker begins after lunch.
Upcoming Programs/Speakers
| Date | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| May 15 | Howard Jones | George Washington and the Battle of Yorktown |
| June 19 | Hal Jespersen | The Seven Days Battles |
| July 17 | Libra Hilde | Confederate Politics |
| August 21 | TBA | TBA |
| September 17 | Charlie Sweeney | Thugee: The Murder Cult |
Preview of the May 15 Meeting
Howard Jones on "George Washington and the Battle of Yorktown"
The Revolutionary War was entering its forth year. Somehow, General George Washington had managed to keep the Continental Army intact against superior British forces. Then in 1778, the Americans won a stunning victory at Saratoga. This victory was the War's turning point.
The French had waited for such a victory before they would support the American cause. In 1780, some 6,000 French troops were landed at Newport, Rhode Island, under the command of General Rochambeau. These forces would later unite with the Continental Army in New York. Washington had always believed that the War's deciding battle would be fought in New York.
As the joint forces prepared to attack they received a message from the Marquis de Lafayette who commanded a small detachment of troops near Williamsburg, Virginia. General Lafayette told them that the army of General Charles Lord Cornwallis had gone into winter quarters in Yorktown. Lafayette believed that Cornwallis could be attacked and beaten at Yorktown. A victory at Yorktown might just end the war.
In 1781, Washington decided to attack! The presentation will detail the story of Washington's 400 mile march from New York to Yorktown. It will describe the 20 day siege that ended with Cornwallis's surrender. And finally, it will tell the story of the 1783 Treaty of Paris that guaranteed America's freedom.
Preview of the June 19 Meeting
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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 Peninsula Civil 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.
Membership
Annual membership dues are $25. Checks should be made payable to PCWRT and mailed to PCWRT, 1471 Woodberry Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403.
Directions to the Meetings
Poplar Creek Grill |
Website design by Hal Jespersen. Our masthead includes an image of an original painting by Mort Künstler, "With a Rebel Yell", Second Manassas, August 29, 1862. Used with permission. ©2002 Mort Künstler, Inc., http://www.MKunstler.com