Civil War artillery engagements topic of Round Table meeting

Gen. Porter Alexander

Jack Marlar, Field Representative of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, will speak on "The Great Artillery Engagements of the Civil War" at the Washington Civil War Round Table Monday night, May 28, at 6 p.m., at The Fitzpatrick Hotel on the Square in Washington.

Artillery played a very significant part in almost all the battles of the Civil War. The artillery units were made up of some of the best educated and most prominent men in the Army. Leading this list was Brig. General Porter Alexander of Washington, Ga., who was Chief of Artillery for General Longstreet's I Corp. of the Army of Northern Virginia.

"Mr. Marlar will present the unbelievable details of the great artillery engagements in which our forefathers took part," Claibourne Darden, Round Table president said. "He also will bring part of his collection to show how the shells actually worked. The artillery used by both the Confederate and the Union military was much more sophisticated than is commonly thought and became, during the War, some of the most sophisticated in the world. For the first time in warfare, artillery could breech the sixfoot thick brick walls of fortifications and do it from over a mile off!"

Marlar, an expert in Civil War artillery, has actually built a number of Civil War type cannons and carriages which are actually used in live-fire demonstrations. Marlar served as Chief Technical Advisor to the Hunley Commission in salvaging and reconditioning the Confederate submarine, CSS Hunley. He also has been Commander of the South Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, on the Board of Directors of the Confederate Museum in Greenville, S.C. and has received the national Robert E. Lee Gold Award.

Membership in the Washington Civil War Round Table is open to everyone, and new members can join at the meeting. Annual dues are $25 for individuals, $35 for a family and $15 for students.

Darden says that the public is invited and welcomed. "The cost of the meeting is $10 per person and includes a very nice dinner. Please make reservations, as soon as possible, by e-mail at claibourne @darden-atlanta.net or by calling 404-210-5811 - leave a message."

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