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Due to the renovation works at the Communal Museum, the CHAB Club House has moved into temporary premises at Wolubilis, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. Our monthly meetings will thus be held there until further notice. New Address: 1 place du Temps Libre - Local A300 - 3rd floor (right when leaving the elevator). The building is located along the Cours Paul-Henri Spaak, just opposite the Woluwe Shopping Center. The entrance is on the ground floor, left of the bookstore/restaurant Cook & Book. See access map

NEXT MEETINGS

Saturday 11 February 2023 at 3 PM

BURNSIDE'S NORTH CAROLINA EXPEDITION

At our temporary premises in Wolubilis, lecture by Gerald Hawkins: Burnside’s North Carolina expedition of 1862. At the start of the Civil War, the American navy seized Hatteras Inlet, a channel allowing the passage through the Outer Banks of North Carolina – a string of islands facing the Atlantic Ocean – to deprive the State of sanctuaries for blockade runners and southern privateers. A larger expedition followed in February 1862, led by General Ambrose Burnside. With the support of some twenty gunboats, Union troops entered the North Carolina sounds through Hatteras Inlet and invaded the weakly defended Roanoke Island. Events followed swiftly. The Confederate Mosquito Fleet was cut to pieces at Elizabeth City, then New Bern fell after a pitched battle. The cities bordering the sounds suffered the same fate. Finally, after a brief siege, Fort Macon surrendered. In less than five months, General Burnside had taken control of eastern North Carolina, which would remain in Union hands until the end of the war.

Saturday 11 March 2023 at 3 PM

GUSTAVE CLUSERET, A FRENCH MERCENARY ON THE UNION PAYROLL

At our temporary premises in Wolubilis, lecture by Farid Ameur: Gustave Cluseret (1823-1900), a French mercenary on the Union payroll. Since the spring of 1861, French individuals, seeking adventure or seduced by an ideological cause to defend, did not hesitate to cross the Atlantic Ocean to offer their sword to one of the belligerents. Among them was Gustave Cluseret, an experienced soldier of fortune, full of panache and brave to the point of recklessness. Veteran of the Algerian and Crimean campaigns, and of the war in Italy, this close friend of the Republican Party with a tough character, intended to become the new Lafayette in the United States and cover himself with glory to satisfy his ambition. But his dream did not come true. During the conflict, despite his undeniable qualities and courage on the battlefield, he led a controversial career as an officer to the point of attracting the wrath of the main political leaders. He was considered an intriguer and a born conspirator, who constantly tried to take advantage of events and manipulate his interlocutors – a colorful and fascinating character, in line with the popular mercenary tradition of the 19th century.

Saturday 8 April 2023 at 3 PM

THE KNOXVILLE CAMPAIGN or THE SETBACK OF JAMES LONGSTREET

At our temporary premises in Wolubilis, lecture by Jean-Claude Janssens: The Knoxville campaign or the setback of James Longstreet (September 3 - December 4, 1863). Already in April 1863, General Pete Longstreet had failed to capture Suffolk in Virginia. After the Pennsylvania campaign of 1863, Longstreet and part of the 1st Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia were rushed to Tennessee, where the situation was becoming precarious for the Confederates. They participated at the Battle of Chickamauga and at the beginning of the siege of Chattanooga. On November 17, 1863, they besieged Knoxville in East Tennessee, which had been in Union hands since September 3. The siege was poorly conducted and on November 29, culminated in a resounding setback at Fort Sanders. On December 4, Longstreet had to retire. He held on with difficulty in Tennessee during the winter of 1863-64 and did not reach Virginia until the spring of 1864. An excellent tactician, Longstreet did not, however, shine at the head of independent commands. Siege warfare was clearly not his specialty.

CHAB NEWS END OF PUBLICATION NOTICE

The CHAB committee wishes to inform its foreign and American friends that due to severe budget constraints, the English version of the CHAB News is no longer published. However, the French version of our quarterly remains available to the contributing members of our association. Thank you for your understanding.
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LATEST PAINTINGS OF JOHN PAUL STRAIN

BY THE MILKY WAY

GOLDEN SKY

The year of 1862 had been amazing for General Lee. He had been commanding the Confederate Army for only seven months, and yet incredibly, during that time his outnumbered armies had won victories at Port Republic, Cross Keys, Mechanicsville, Gaines’s Mill, Savage Station, Frayser’s Farm, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, Boonsboro, Harpers Ferry, fought a draw at Sharpsburg, and now the great win at Fredericksburg. Southern forces had fought thirteen battles, large and small, and held the field in every instance except Boonsboro, and Sharpsburg. As the winter winds of December and January brought snow and freezing temperatures, morale in the ranks of the Army of Northern Virginia was high. New Year’s Day found General Stuart and his cavalry back in camp after his successful Christmas raid, with six hundred prisoners and bountiful plunder from federal camps. General Lee had great admiration for Stuart in his abilities as a battlefield commander. General Stuart’s easy going, and happy disposition contrasted with Lee’s more stoical and serious inclination. But this difference in personality seemed to complement each other, and the two leaders had become good friends. Lee would often worry when his friend was in harm’s way, because of Stuart’s reckless courage and bravery which needlessly exposed himself to danger. Perhaps from Stuart’s example, General Lee decided to set an example of good cheer that winter. Whether General Lee was inspecting his troops, visiting his brigadiers, entertaining dignitaries, or in council with his commanders, Lee tried to keep the spirits high of his lieutenants and soldiers during winter quarters. Stuart would often accompany Lee, on his rounds, as the two conversed over strategy and plans on how best to counter the next move of Lincoln’s armies.

A distant crack of a Federal sharp-shooter’s rifle was instantly heard, as the bullet whistled past Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, barely missing them. The two commanders made a dash to some nearby woods. It had been a close call, one that easily could have changed the whole course of the war. But this was the risk these brave leaders often faced leading their armies in battle. Lee and Jackson had been scouting the ground southeast of the Plank road on a small pathway leading to Catherine’s Furnace. In the early morning of April 27, the Army of the Potomac under the command of General Joseph Hooker had begun an offensive towards the Confederate left, by crossing the Rappahannock River on pontoons. On the 29th, General Stuart dispatched a telegram to Lee reporting that his men had engaged the enemy at Maddens, nine miles from Culpeper. They had captured Federal troops from the V, XI, and XII Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The dispatch also informed Lee that large columns of federal troops were headed for Germanna and Ely’s Ford on the Rapidan River. With this vital information Lee was able to determine General Hooker’s plan was to turn the Confederate left flank. General Lee ordered Stuart to rejoin the main body of the army post haste. On the 30th, a courier arrived from General Anderson at Chancellorsville, informing Lee the federal force had crossed the Rapidan and was heading his way. Anderson requested reinforcements, and Lee ordered Anderson and his four brigades to dig in. Hooker’s advance was tentative. When confronted by southern brigades, the Federals would stop, retreat and regroup before advancing again. General Lee felt there was something suspicious about the situation, as numerically, General Hooker’s army was far superior than his. In the late evening of May 1st, he met up with Jackson near the Plank road to get a better feel of things. After retreating from the sniper into the woods, Lee and Jackson dismounted and began discussing how best to deal with the invading federal force. They were soon joined by General Stuart in this night conference. Lee had already left part of his army at Fredericksburg to counter any federal moves there. His new plan was to divide his army again sending General Jackson’s Corps on a flanking maneuver at 4am and attack the unsuspecting Federal XI Corps in their camps. The plan the commanders came up with would lead to one of the greatest victories for the Confederacy, and one of the costliest. General Jackson would be mortally wounded.

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