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The Seventh Annual U.Va. Civil War Conference with Gary W. Gallagher
THE CAMPAIGN AND BATTLE OF SPOTSYLVANIA
May 25-29, 2005 • Richmond, Virginia

THE PROGRAM

In May 1864, armies commanded by U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee engaged in bloody combat around the village of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia.  Here Grant committed to a strategy that would carry him to the North Anna River and then on to Cold Harbor.  Signaling a change in the nature of infantry fighting, Lee's soldiers erected the most impressive field earthworks yet seen in the conflict.  When they marched away from Spotsylvania, soldiers and commanders alike understood that they faced more unrelenting combat and the promise of an unimaginably costly campaign. 

On the battlefield and in the classroom, Gary W. Gallagher and a group of exceptional historians will discuss the background of the campaign, the strategic and tactical decisions that shaped it, the performances of commanders on both sides, how serendipity played a key role in determining the outcome, and the ways in which the campaign resonated behind the lines in the United States and the Confederacy.

During two days of touring, we will cover much of the sprawling battlefield, including Todd's Tavern, Spindle Farm, the site of Upton's assault, the "Bloody Angle”, Landrum House, McCoull House, Harrison House, the extensive works along Lee's last line, Heth's Salient, Harris Farm, Po River, and the cavalry battlefield at Yellow Tavern.  A highlight of the tour will be an extensive walk in the Mule Shoe, which will help you trace the complex action on May 12.  Our battlefield tours will include private sites normally inaccessible to the public.

By program’s end you will have a richer understanding of this important campaign.

The program faculty includes: William W. Bergen, Peter S. Carmichael, Stephen Cushman, Gary W. Gallagher, Robert E. L. Krick, Robert K. Krick, and Joan Waugh

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PROGRAM FEATURES

    The U.Va. Civil War Conference offers you the opportunity to spend time with talented historians for four and one-half days of lectures, extensive walking tours, and lively discussions offering a fresh perspective on the 1864 Campaign and Battle of Spotsylvania.  You will really come to know the battlefield during our guided walking tours, some of which will be strenuous and all of which will be held rain or shine.  Richmond’s Owens & Ramsey Historical Booksellers will be on site during the program offering a wide selection of new, used, and very rare titles on the War Between the States. Return to the top

PROGRAM LOCATION

    The U.Va. Civil War Conference will be based at the beautiful University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia.  The Civil War Conference begins with check-in from 2:00-4:00 pm, on Wednesday, May 25.  The program ends 11:00 am, on Sunday, May 29.

    For useful information about nearby accommodations, detailed maps, and Richmond directions, distances, and transportation options take a look at the University of Richmond on-line Visitor’s Center. 

   Richmond is served by Richmond International Airport (airport code RIC), Greyhound Bus Line, and Amtrak.  The University of Richmond offers modern, air-conditioned dormitory rooms served by shared central bathroom facilities.  Return to the top

PROGRAM FACULTY

  • William W. Bergen is an assistant dean at the University of Virginia  School of Law with a longtime interest in the Army of the Potomac’s senior generals.  He has led many battlefield tours over the past 25 years, has lectured widely on the Civil War, and is the author of The Other Hero of Cedar Creek: The 'Not Specially Ambitious' Horatio G. Wright. 

  • Peter S. Carmichael is an assistant professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.  The author of Lee's Young Artillerist: William R. J. Pegram, as well as several essays and articles in popular and scholarly journals, he is completing a study of Virginia slaveholders' sons and the formation of southern identity in the late ante-bellum years. 

  • Stephen Cushman is the Robert C. Taylor Professor of English at the University of Virginia.  His books include Bloody Promenade: Reflections on a Civil War Battle.

  • Gary W. Gallagher is John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia.  His books include The Confederate War and Lee and His Generals in War and Memory. Return to the top

  • Robert E. L. Krick, a Richmond-based historian and author of The Fortieth Virginia Infantry and a number of essays and articles, is completing a biographical register of the staff officers of the Army of Northern Virginia. 

  • Robert K. Krick is a specialist on the military history of the Confederacy.  He has written dozens of articles and ten books, the most recent being The Smoothbore Volley that Doomed the Confederacy and Conquering the Valley: Stonewall Jackson at Port Republic.

  • Joan Waugh is an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).  She is currently writing a book on the memorialization of Ulysses S. Grant, which is the foundation for a larger project on the political culture of soldiers during the years 1861-1865.

  • University of Virginia Program Director: Jim Baker, University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Return to the top


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

    Should you have any questions about the program or Richmond area lodging options, contact U.Va. Continuing &  Professional Studies at 800-346-3882 or 1-434-982-5252 or by e-mail at travelandlearn@virginia.edu

SPECIAL NEEDS

    There will be several battlefield walking tours during the conference, some of them will be strenuous and all will be held rain or shine. Please notify us when you register if you have any physical or medical conditions which may interfere with walking battlefield terrain at a normal pace, or if you have any dietary restrictions.  Every effort to accommodate you will be made. Return to the top

FEES & REFUNDS - Reserve your spot with a $300 deposit*

    Your program fee includes specially prepared program materials, all meals (beginning with dinner on Wednesday and ending with breakfast on Sunday), and transportation for program tours.  If you choose the program lodging option, you will enjoy a modern, air-conditioned dormitory room served by shared central bathroom facilities.

  •  Program and single room:  $795 per person

  •  Program and double room with shared bath:  $745 per person (limited availability - mutual requests only)
     

  • Program and double room with PRIVATE bath: $795 (VERY limited supply - mutual requests only). 

  • Program only, no lodging**:  $715 per person.

  •  Sponsor Level: Add $500 to your program fee and enjoy SPONSOR LEVEL benefits, including a private Sponsors’ dinner with Gary Gallagher during the program and limited, signed editions of two of Gary’s books.  Availability is limited to 10 spots. $350 of the Sponsor fee is tax deductible as a donation to the University of Virginia.  $500 Sponsor’s fee is due with registration/deposit.  Sponsor’s fee payable by check only.)     Return to the top

    PROGRAM SCHEDULE (subject to change)

    Wednesday, May 25 

    2:00-4:00 pm: Program Check In

    4:00 pm: Program Introduction

    4:30-5:15 pm: Session 1: Setting the Stage: Spotsylvania and the War in May 1864
    Gary W. Gallagher

    5:30-6:30 pm: Session 2: Grant versus Lee-Round Two: A Tactical Overview of Spotsylvania
    Peter S. Carmichael

    6:30-7:30 pm: Dinner
    Heilman Dining Center

    8:00-9:00 pm: Session 3: No Turning Back: U.S. Grant Brings Unrelenting War to Virginia
    William W. Bergen

    9:00-10:00 pm: Evening Snack Break   Return to the top

    Thursday, May 26

    7:00-8:00 am: Breakfast

    8:15-9:30 am: Session 4: Robert E. Lee and the Confederate High Command at Spotsylvania
    Gary W. Gallagher

    9:30-10:00 am: Refreshment Break

    10:00-11:15 am: Session 5: Cavalry Operations in an Infantry Campaign:  Sheridan versus Stuart in May 1864
    Robert E. L. Krick

    11:15-11:30 am: Break

    11:30 am-12:45 pm: Session 6: Francis Channing Barlow: From Harvard to the Mule Shoe
    Joan Waugh

    12:45-2:00 pm: Lunch

    2:30-4:00 pm: Session 7: An Insurmountable Barrier between the Army and Ruin: The Confederate Experience at Spotsylvania’s Bloody Angle
    Robert K. Krick

    4:00-4:30 pm: Refreshment Break

    4:30-5:30 pm: Session 8: Spotsylvania in Some Civil War Novels
    Stephen Cushman

    5:30-6:30 pm: Dinner
    Heilman Dining Center

    7:30-8:15 pm: Session 9: The Ladies Never Tire: Spotsylvania’s Ladies’ Memorial Association
    Caroline E. Janney

    8:30-9:00 pm: Session 10: Tour Preview
    Gary W. Gallagher and Robert K. Krick

    9:00-10:00 pm: Evening Snack Break   Return to the top

    Friday, May 27 

    6:15-7:15 am: Breakfast

    7:30 am: Buses Depart

    9:00 am-Noon: Session 11: Spotsylvania Battlefield Tour - Part 1
    • Grant Turns South Intersection
    • Todd’s Tavern
    • Laurel Hill Fighting

    12:15-1:15 pm: Lunch 
    Sedgwick Exhibit Shelter

    1:30-5:00 pm: Session 12: Spotsylvania Battlefield Tour - Part 2
    • Sedgwick Monument
    • Doles’ Salient Fighting
    • Landrum House
    • Union Assault to East Angle

    6:30-7:30 pm: Dinner

    8:00-9:00 pm: Session 13: Civil War Book Review 
    All Faculty

    9:00-10:00 pm: Evening Snack Break   Return to the top

    Saturday, May 28 

    6:15-7:15 am: Breakfast

    7:30 am: Buses Depart

    9:00 am-Noon: Session 14: Spotsylvania Battlefield Tour - Part 3
    • Union Assault-East Angle to McCoull
    • Ramseur’s Advance from McCoull
    • Bloody Angle
    • Lee’s Last Line Walk
    • Harrison House

    12:15-1:15 pm: Lunch 
    Harris Farm

    1:30-5:00 pm: Session 15: Spotsylvania Battlefield Tour - Part 4
    • Harris Farm Fighting
    • Heth’s Salient
    • Spotsylvania Cemetery
    • Massaponax Church

    7:00-8:00 pm: Dinner & Band

    8:30-10:00 pm: Evening Snack Break & Book Drawing     Return to the top

    Sunday, May 29

    7:00-8:30: Breakfast

    9:00-10:30 am: Session 16: Tour Review and Concluding Thoughts    Return to the top

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    travelandlearn@virginia.edu or call us at 800-346-3882 or 1-434-982-5252.

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