CWT Presents Richard R. Schaus - Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken: Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg

Added to Calendar: 04/14/21

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Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 8:30pm EST
CivilWarTalk Presents:
Richard R. Schaus
co-author of
Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken:
Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg: July 4 to July 14, 1863


In A Free Live Video Presentation

Countless books have examined the battle of Gettysburg, but the retreat of the armies to the Potomac River and beyond has not been as thoroughly covered. “Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken”: Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg: July 4 to July 14, 1863, by Thomas J. Ryan and Richard R. Schaus goes a long way toward rectifying this oversight.

This comprehensive study focuses on the immediate aftermath of the battle and addresses how Maj. Gen. George G. Meade organized and motivated his Army of the Potomac in response to President Abraham Lincoln’s mandate to bring about the “literal or substantial destruction” of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s retreating Army of Northern Virginia. As far as the president was concerned, if Meade aggressively pursued and confronted Lee before he could escape across the flooded Potomac River, “the rebellion would be over.”

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BUY THIS GREAT BOOK AT SAVAS BEATIE

The eleven-day period after Gettysburg was a battle of wits to determine which commander better understood the information he received, and directed the movements of his army accordingly. Prepare for some surprising revelations. Woven into this account is the fate of thousands of Union prisoners who envisioned rescue to avoid incarceration in wretched Confederate prisons, and a characterization of how the Union and Confederate media portrayed the ongoing conflict for consumption on the home front.

Richard R. Schaus, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (Ret.), served on active duty for more than 30 years in a variety of army and joint military intelligence assignments both at home and abroad. He is a lifelong student of the Civil War and American military history in general, and the Gettysburg Campaign in particular.

REGISTER to reserve your seat.
Seating is limited. You don't have to be a member of CivilWarTalk to attend.
Don't forget to mark the date on your calendar.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have registered for this event. It did not state any cost for it. Please to inform me ,as this is my first with this. as to what I must do in order to receive this program on ZOOM
 
The CWT presents programs are provided FREE of charge! When you register, you receive an auto reply from Zoom that includes a link. When it's time for the presentation, just click the link in that email auto reply and "Allow" Zoom to connect you to video and audio. You'll first enter a waiting room and you will be admitted from there when its time for the program to begin. Looking forward to seeing you Wed. night!
 
Hope everyone is registered and ready for a great time. Hope to see you all there.
 
The CWT presents programs are provided FREE of charge! When you register, you receive an auto reply from Zoom that includes a link. When it's time for the presentation, just click the link in that email auto reply and "Allow" Zoom to connect you to video and audio. You'll first enter a waiting room and you will be admitted from there when its time for the program to begin. Looking forward to seeing you Wed. night!
I register yesterday and I have yet to received a e-mail wit the link could you please resend the email and the link
Thank you
 
I register yesterday and I have yet to received a e-mail wit the link could you please resend the email and the link
Thank you
John check your SPAM or junk mail. I cant send a link as those are auto generated by ZOOM and are user specific, tied to your email address.
 
Is there a way to get notified when signups for CWT Presents events are posted? I had tonight's event on my calendar, but late today I realized I never signed up for it and for that matter had never seen the post where I could do so. I had to hunt around to find this thread.
 
Thanks for your message @Joshism I hope you were able to get registered and attend Mr. Schaus' presentation tonight - it was excellent! All the events are posted a couple of weeks ahead in the Calendar Events section of CivilWarTalk and the registration links are located in those threads. I will "tag" you in the one for next week so you will see the location and how to navigate to it.

Threads for CivilWarTalk Presents Live Zoom presentations are featured on the homepage on Sunday, the weekend before the event, and then pinned to the homepage as a feature on the day of the event. I'll ask @CivilWarTalk if there are any other ways I can use to notify folks. Thanks again for your message.
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Mr. Schaus' presentation was excellent! For those who missed it, here is the content of the chat log, including Questions posed to the author and some of his recommendations for additional reading.

08:28 PM Sue Ann B. - Hello! Hope all are well.

08:28 PM Ed L. - Greetings from Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain

08:29 PM Shari T. - Hello from beaver falls PA

08:29 PM Michael H. - Greetings from The Inland Empire CWRT - Redlands CA

08:49 PM Richard S. - Who was the Confederacy equivalent to Halleck

08:53 PM @lelliott19 - What was Col Sharp's experience or qualifications for the Information Dept?

08:54 PM Richard S. - I thought that Pinkerton was the same thing to McClellan?

08:54 PM @NH Civil War Gal - How did Sharp recruit these spies and how could he trust them?

08:55 PM Robert C. - I presume that the penalty would be death for any of Sharp's agents caught in Confederate uniform?

08:55 PM Edward F. - Pinkerton lost favor with departure of McClellan, methinks

08:57 PM Benjamin C. - I think Sharpe was appointed by Hooker to the post of BMI and Provost after the Fredericksburg debacle.

08:59 PM Michael W. - A map of the "11 days" would be very useful in the presentation. Can you tell us about the maps in the book?

08:59 PM Benjamin C. - His background was a lawyer and he was an officer in the 20th NY Militia and Colonel of the 120th NY. I am unclear as to why Hooker chose him.

09:00 PM Richard S. - Who was the Union cavalry equivalent to JEB Stuart at Gettysburg?

09:00 PM @NH Civil War Gal - Well, if he didn't think Lee was retreating, what did Meade think Lee was doing then?

09:01 PM Edward F. - Lee did spent the 4th hoping that Meade would attack. Lee didn’t start leaving till that night.

09:04 PM Ed L. - Meade had to be sure what Lee's intent was. The AoP base of supplies was in Westminister. If Lee took a stand along the mountains west of Fairfield, Meade might have to change his base of supplies to Gettysburg. However, if Lee was in full retreat, a change in his base of supplies to Frederick made more sense. So, Meade had to be absolutely sure of Lee's plans. Otherwise, Meade not be able to recover if he changed his base and Lee did not conform to that.

09:04 PM Edward F. - right. pleasonton; gregg was division commander

09:04 PM W. Charles Y. - I’m not sure that paranoia is the right word for the concern for DC. Meade was ordered to cover both Washington and Baltimore.

09:06 PM Edward F. - Meade was right to be certain of Lee’s plans before he moved in force. He gets too much criticism for his delay.

09:09 PM @lelliott19 - Was the Sixth Corps chosen to directly pursue Lee's army because of confidence in Sedgwick, or because of its size, or because they hadn't really been fully engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg? Or all of those?

09:09 PM Richard S. - Was Brig Gen Buford under Pleasonton?

09:11 PM Edward F. - 6th corps was largest in army (16K) and had been held in reserve thru most of the battle, so they were rested and many!

09:12 PM Benjamin C. - Agreed. I think it had more to do with the fact that they were the largest and rested...not sure it had anything to do with a specific confidence in Sedgwick, but rather because the troops were rested.

09:12 PM Ed L. - I think the short answer is that they had seen the least of fighting for those previous three days.

09:12 PM @lelliott19 - Thank you gentlemen.

09:12 PM Benjamin C. - Maybe rested is not the right term, but unengaged

09:13 PM @NH Civil War Gal - Why would they have been instructed to refuse parole?They already knew about the prison pens.

09:14 PM Edward F. - parts of 6th had been culled during the battle but not the corps entire

09:15 PM Tom S. - So sorry to be joining late and ignore it already covered but ... did the CSA kidnap well-heeled people in PA and take them to Richmond for ransom?

09:17 PM Edward F. - never heard of such kidnappings

09:17 PM @lelliott19 Tom S are you asking about the taking of political prisoners?

09:17 PM Ed L. - Coddington says the corps was mostly for "reserve and replacement purposes for the whole army."

09:21 PM Tom S. - I’ve heard a couple of times that the CSA kidnapped important people in PA as part of the retreat, both for possible ransom but also in retaliation for imprisonment of Maryland officials and newspaper publishers etc by Lincoln. Maybe that qualifies as “political prisoners” but these were not political leaders as I’ve heard it. (This has been very hard to pin down so I wanted this expert’s view of it)

09:33 PM @ucvrelics - Sergeant Major Schaus, In all my years in the US Army I was never asked to vote, were you. What does say for Meade

09:35 PM Bruno P. - How was Meade so in the dark about the condition of Lee's army, that he was so concerned about an attack by the ANV? Shouldn't he have known or surmised that Lee's army was in no shape for offensive operations?

09:39 PM W. Charles Y. - Was the Army of the Potomac really in any condition to attack Lee in Maryland?

09:40 PM Ed L. - Bruno, Offensive abilities aside, the defensive position of Lee along the river was one of the strongest the AoP had seen, it was quite formidable. No guarantee of success had Lee remained and Meade attacked.

09:40 PM Vicky F. - I especially enjoyed your many high quality photos of the generals and staff, thank you for sharing.

09:40 PM Edward F. - Thanks very much Mr Schaus. Great show!

09:41 PM Kyle D. - Thank you so much for the presentation! I enjoyed it very much and the pics were excellent, most I had not seen before.

09:42 PM Edward F. - I will join. : )

09:42 PM @MS2623 - If you are not a member yet, I encourage you to join. You will learn so much and be among many great people, with many many great friendships to be made.

09:42 PM W. Charles Y. - I have read that Lee’s works from Hagerstown to Williamsport were extremely formidable. Is that your take on them?

09:43 PM @NH Civil War Gal - Civilwartalk.com is free. Please consider joining today. Premium membership starts as low as $12.00 a year for an ad free experience.

09:44 PM @MS2623 - Mr. Franks, we will gladly welcome you. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.

09:45 PM Rip E. - Any book bargains tonight from publisher?

09:46 PM @NH Civil War Gal - Use the following link: savasbeatie.com/?ref=CivilWarTalk for this book and any other books you choose to put in your shopping cart!

09:46 PM Richard S. - Richard Shaus, that was a high caliber presentation. It was informative and enlightening. Thank you so much. Especially your answer to my question about the Confederate equivalent to Halleck.

09:48 PM Bob D. - Thank you Richard for a great presentation! With all the intelligence gathered by the BMI, the Signal Corps and the Union cavalry, it's amazing that Meade did not try harder to intercept Lee. You're never going to have perfect intel, but Meade had pretty good information. But what is most amazing is that Lee made no attempt to cross the Potomac before Lee and confront him from the south side of the river. Why do you think he did not attempt an earlier river crossing than Lee?

09:48 PM Rip E. - Great. Thank you

09:49 PM Bob D. - Meant to say above that Meade made no attempt to cross before Lee

09:50 PM @NH Civil War Gal - Mr. Schaus' book is Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken: Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg July 4-14, 1863. available at: savasbeatie.com/?ref=CivilWarTalk

The book recommended by Mr. Schaus about the Bureau of Military Information is Spies, Scouts and Secrets, of the Gettysburg Campaign by Thomas J. Ryan is available at: savasbeatie.com/?ref=CivilWarTalk

09:50 PM Bob D. - By the way, I have read the book and it's great!! Really enjoyed it.

09:56 PM W. Charles Y. - Sharpe and the BMI are central in the book “The Secret War for the Union” by Edwin C. Fishel

10:04 PM Bill G. - The parole issue also coincided with the emersion of colored troops The South wouldn’t exchange colored prisoners

10:08 PM Tom S. - Many thanks for including my question about kidnapped civilians. Very helpful answer. Must sign off now. Thanks again

10:12 PM @ucvrelics - Great Briefing Sergeant Major. Thanks

10:17 PM Diane D. - Awesome presentation. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and for sharing information about how you and Mr. Ryan came about making decisions about publishing your book!

10:24 PM Kathy S. - Thank you
 
View attachment 395698
Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 8:30pm EST
CivilWarTalk Presents:
Richard R. Schaus
co-author of
Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken:
Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg: July 4 to July 14, 1863


In A Free Live Video Presentation

Countless books have examined the battle of Gettysburg, but the retreat of the armies to the Potomac River and beyond has not been as thoroughly covered. “Lee is Trapped and Must be Taken”: Eleven Fateful Days after Gettysburg: July 4 to July 14, 1863, by Thomas J. Ryan and Richard R. Schaus goes a long way toward rectifying this oversight.

This comprehensive study focuses on the immediate aftermath of the battle and addresses how Maj. Gen. George G. Meade organized and motivated his Army of the Potomac in response to President Abraham Lincoln’s mandate to bring about the “literal or substantial destruction” of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s retreating Army of Northern Virginia. As far as the president was concerned, if Meade aggressively pursued and confronted Lee before he could escape across the flooded Potomac River, “the rebellion would be over.”

View attachment 397529


BUY THIS GREAT BOOK AT SAVAS BEATIE

The eleven-day period after Gettysburg was a battle of wits to determine which commander better understood the information he received, and directed the movements of his army accordingly. Prepare for some surprising revelations. Woven into this account is the fate of thousands of Union prisoners who envisioned rescue to avoid incarceration in wretched Confederate prisons, and a characterization of how the Union and Confederate media portrayed the ongoing conflict for consumption on the home front.

Richard R. Schaus, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (Ret.), served on active duty for more than 30 years in a variety of army and joint military intelligence assignments both at home and abroad. He is a lifelong student of the Civil War and American military history in general, and the Gettysburg Campaign in particular.

REGISTER to reserve your seat.
Seating is limited. You don't have to be a member of CivilWarTalk to attend.
Don't forget to mark the date on your calendar.
I enjoyed the presentation very much. Can anyone tell me what the Lincoln quote regarding Meade was at the end of the program. I read Lincoln's unsent letter to Meade on the internet. But did not find this off the cuff comment there. Thanks. Looks like a great book!
 
I enjoyed the presentation very much. Can anyone tell me what the Lincoln quote regarding Meade was at the end of the program. I read Lincoln's unsent letter to Meade on the internet. But did not find this off the cuff comment there. Thanks. Looks like a great book!
Hi Kathy

Thanks for your question. I am not Mr. Schaus, but he contacted me and asked that I pass this information along regarding the source for the Lincoln quote. Here is his message:

I was reading the comments about my presentation (thanks to all for the comments), and I noted one commenter (15 April) had a question about the source for my final anecdote from Mr. Lincoln to Gen. Meade.​
Would you please see that 'Kathy the Civil War Sleuth' gets the answer​
The source is George Herbert's The Popular History of the Civil War in America 1861-1865
1885 edition, it is NOT in the 1884 edition.​
Page 522.​
She can access the book in Google books.​
Thanks,​
Rick Schaus​
 
Hi Kathy

Thanks for your question. I am not Mr. Schaus, but he contacted me and asked that I pass this information along regarding the source for the Lincoln quote. Here is his message:

I was reading the comments about my presentation (thanks to all for the comments), and I noted one commenter (15 April) had a question about the source for my final anecdote from Mr. Lincoln to Gen. Meade.​
Would you please see that 'Kathy the Civil War Sleuth' gets the answer​
The source is George Herbert's The Popular History of the Civil War in America 1861-1865
1885 edition, it is NOT in the 1884 edition.​
Page 522.​
She can access the book in Google books.​
Thanks,​
Rick Schaus​
Thank you!
 
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