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CONFEDERATE
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF BELGIUM |
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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) |
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NEXT MEETINGS |
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Saturday 8 April 2023 at 3 PM |
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THE
KNOXVILLE CAMPAIGN or THE SETBACK OF JAMES LONGSTREET
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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.
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Saturday 13 May 2023 at 10 AM |
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Excursion to Poperinge organized by our member
André Borri. Visit of Talbot House, the Hop Museum
and the military cemetery of Lijssenthoek |
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Talbot House
During the First World
War, Poperinge was part of a small unoccupied part of
Belgium. About twelve kilometers from the Ypres
Salient, the town became the nerve center of the
British troops. In December 1915, in the heart of the
city, the chaplains Neville Talbot and Philip
Tubby Clayton opened a club where soldiers,
whatever their rank, could find some rest and
entertainment. Today, the house remains a remarkable
testimony for anyone interested in the Great War. |
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Hop Museum
Poperinge is the capital
of hop farming. Here, the story of hops and beer is
told. From the ground floor to the monumental attic,
from cultivation to field work, including harvesting
and the various forms of applications, the genesis of
hops is explained. On the ground floor, one can admire
the collection of more than 2,500 Belgian beers. |
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Lijssenthoek
The Lijssenthoek Military
Cemetery bears impressive witness to more than four
years of wartime violence. From 1915 to 1920, the
largest evacuation hospital in the Ypres Salient was
located in the hamlet of Lijssenthoek. Today, the
cemetery is the mirror of the Great War. The visitor
center tells the story of this unique site. |
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Price of the excursion is
60 €. More details on the French page of this website or
upon request. Reservation a must
before May 3, 2023 at the latest
by email to d.decleer@scarlet.be or tel. at
0475/77 34 60.
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Saturday 3 June 2023 from 11.30 AM |
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As in previous editions, the CHAB barbecue will take place
at the club house of the Hoegaarden hockey club. This
year, Hubert Leroy and
Dominique De Cleer will prepare a
traditional barbecue. Planter's punch – Famenne pâté
– Beef skewer and spare ribs, salads, assorted vegetables
and fried potatoes – Vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit
salad – Coffee/Tea. Meal price (drinks not included): CHAB
members: €35 – non-members: €45. Please register with our
secretary Dominique De Cleer by email at
d.decleer@scarlet.be or by tel. at 0475/77 34 60, and pay
the amount of your meal to account BE90 0631 2838 8932
with the mention BBQ CHAB,
before May 25, 2023 at
the latest. |
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CHAB NEWS END
OF PUBLICATION NOTICE |
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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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MAJOR JOHN
PELHAM COURTING MISS SALLIE |
GOLDEN SKY |
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After the Battle of Antietam, General Stuart and
his staff retired to “The Bower”, the home of
the Dandridge family located near Leetown,
Virginia. During the months of September,
October, and into November the home was the site
of many entertaining nights with General Stuart
and staff, including John Pelham, Heros Von
Borke and Wade Hampton. Both military and
civilian participants enjoyed music, dancing,
games of whist, chess, and cards. Even scenes
from Shakespeare and Dickens were performed. It
was during this respite from war that Stuart’s
brilliant 24 year old artillery commander Major
John Pelham met and courted Miss Sarah “Sallie”
Dandridge. The couple spent every minute of
spare time together, riding through the
beautiful countryside and taking long walks
together. By some accounts, just before General
Stuart’s raid on Chambersburg, the couple were
engaged to be married. Like many young soldiers
Major Pelham would have to say good-bye to Miss
Sallie. Major Pelham’s horse artillery battery
was a key element in General Stuart’s success in
the field. Pelham and his guns proved time and
time again how devastating to the enemy his
brave and skilled cannoneers were. General
Stuart regarded his young artillery commander as
a younger brother, praising, promoting, teasing,
and looking after him. Major Pelham’s exploits
were often witnessed by the Confederate high
command. General Lee talked about watching
Pelham in action, ”It is glorious to see such
courage in one so young. I have never seen a
more skillful handling of guns.” Lee remarked.
“It is really extraordinary to find such nerve
and genius in a mere boy.” General Stonewall
Jackson begged Stuart to give him Pelham for his
army, saying according to legend, “With a Pelham
on each flank, I could whip the world.” And of
course Stuart refused to give up his young
artilleryman. General Stuart’s Chambersburg Raid
and second ride around the Army of the Potomac
was about to start. Pelham and his cannoneers
would face new challenges in enemy territory
covering many fast paced miles crossing
difficult terrain and keeping pursuing Federals
at bay. The Raid on Chambersburg would be a
great success. But sadly Major John Pelham would
be killed at the Battle of Kelly’s Ford, five
months later. Pelham was promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel posthumously on April 4, 1863. He had
fought in over 60 engagements and had never lost
a gun to the enemy. General Stuart would later
name his newborn daughter Virginia Pelham
Stuart.
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© All copyrights reserved
by John Paul Strain Historical Art
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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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© All copyrights reserved
by John Paul Strain Historical Art
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For
information or online orders: |
www.johnpaulstrain.com |
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