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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 MEETING
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Saturday November 9, 2019
at
3 PM |
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NAVAL WARFARE THROUGH CIVIL
WAR PAINTINGS
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At our
temporary premises at Wolubilis, lecture by Maurice
Jaquemyns: Naval warfare through Civil War
paintings. The representation of war at sea is the
second part of the lecture dedicated to the so-called
historical painting during the American Civil War. Our
lecturer will analyze the paintings evoking sea combat and
will try to show that, on both the Federal and Confederate
sides, painters are scholars of the European schools and
models while innovating in their own production. The
subject will be illustrated by numerous examples intended
to establish the filiations and to identify the specifics
of maritime propaganda paintings. |
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Saturday December 14, 2019
at
3 PM |
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THE PRINCES OF ORLEANS IN
THE CIVIL WAR
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At our
temporary premises at Wolubilis, lecture by Farid Ameur:
Clad in blue: the princes of Orléans during the
American Civil War (1861-1862). During the French
Second Empire, under the rule of exile, the young princes
of Orléans are idle. With the aid of their uncle Prince of
Joinville, the 23 years old Count of Paris and his young
brother the Duke of Chartres, both grandsons of King
Louis-Philippe, decide to inquire on the state of American
democracy. Arriving in New York in September 1861, five
months after the outbreak of the American Civil War, they
are welcomed by President Lincoln and Secretary of State
Seward. Wishing to serve the Federal cause in the field
and hoping to find glory, they dress up in the blue
uniform of the Union soldier and are assigned captains on
the staff of General McClellan, Commander-in-Chief of the
Army of the Potomac. To the embarrassment of European
chancelleries, they take part in military operations
against the Confederates, despite little success. In July
1862, at the end of the Peninsula Campaign, they return
home with a formidable experience. Battle hardened with
techniques of modern warfare, they can now adhere to the
family military tradition with a degree in liberalism. |
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IMPORTANT NOTICE |
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The CHAB committee
wishes to inform our foreign and American
friends that due to severe budget constraints,
the English version of our 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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NEVER
AGAINST VIRGINIA |
THE
CHARMING LUCY BUCK AT BEL AIR |
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In
the spring of 1861, he was described as the
most promising officer in the United States
Army. Hero of the Mexican War, superintendent
of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
capturer of the radical John Brown, Col.
Robert Edward Lee was highly thought of by old
"Fuss and Feathers" himself General Winfield
Scott. On April 18th, at the request of
Abraham Lincoln, Lee was summoned to
Washington and met with Francis P. Blair,
where he was offered field command of the
entire Union Army. Lee politely declined.
Virginia had voted to secede the day before.
It was at his Arlington estates that Lee
confronted the greatest dilemma of his life.
He had turned down Lincoln's offer to climb to
the highest pinnacle of any man's military
career thus remaining loyal to the State of
Virginia and his family ties to the South. But
the winds of war were sweeping around him and
soon orders to duty would follow. Lee spent
the evening alone in his wife's flower garden
next to their home. A special place for the
Lee family, the garden served not only as an
area for Mary Lee's rose cultivation, but also
as a favorite gathering place and retreat for
all members of the family. It is there where
Lee would make his momentous decision that
would change the course of American history.
At midnight Saturday the 20th of April, Lee
wrote his letter of resignation from the
United States Army. On the 21st the Governor
of Virginia asked Lee to take command of the
state militia. Lee explained that he could
never draw his sword against his native state.
When he was called upon to take command of
Confederate forces, Lee left his beloved
Arlington behind, destined never to return.
For four years his brilliant, charismatic
leadership would inspire the Army of Northern
Virginia and the people of the South. |
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It had been an arduous march south from the
bloody fields of Gettysburg for the Army of
Northern Virginia. Torrential rains had
flooded the Potomac River delaying the
southern army’s retreat to the relative safety
of Virginia. With US General George Meade’s
Federal forces closing in, Lee’s army was
finally able to cross the Potomac on July
13th. Still in pursuit, General Meade’s
cavalry crossed the Potomac farther down
river, East of the Blue Ridge Mountains and
began to occupy a number of passes around
Loudoun County. As hats, coats and uniforms
began to dry out, the Army of Northern
Virginia arrived at the Shenandoah River.
Across the river was the town of Front Royal,
and Lee ordered his engineers to quickly build
another pontoon bridge. On July 22 the
southern army crossed the bridge into Front
Royal. A wealthy businessman and prominent
citizen of Front Royal, William M. Buck sought
out General Lee at the pontoons, to invite him
and his staff for refreshments at his home Bel
Air House. Lee welcomed the kind invitation
and rode to the manor house with some members
of his staff. There he was introduced to the
Buck family. 19 year old Lucy Buck wrote of
the encounter in her diary. “The old
gentleman greeted us with such a warm,
fatherly manner.” General Lee along with
his staff including Majors Taylor and Talcott
enjoyed fresh buttermilk while Lucy and her
sister Nellie entertained with songs of the
south. The brief respite of time with the Buck
family had been most welcome for General Lee.
But upon returning to his army he warned his
staff, “We must now prepare for harder
blows and harder work.”
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For
information or online orders: |
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www.johnpaulstrain.com |
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