Welcome to
the Most important Round Table, in the Most important small town,
at the Most important Battlefield,
in the Most important Country
in the World.
Joe Mieczkowski, Past President
Thurs., Sept. 24th Lynchburg, Virginia during the Civil Wa
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Presented by Dr. Clifton Potter
Lynchburg, Virginia
In 1855 Lynchburg, Virginia was the second wealthiest city in the United States with a per capita income second only to New Bedford Massachusetts. Its wealth was based on the whaling industry, while Lynchburg was known as "The Tobacco City." Located in the heart of Central Virginia, it was served by three railroads, several turnpikes, and the James River-Kanawha Canal; it was the metropolis of the western half of the Old Dominion. When a special assembly convened in Richmond in the spring of 1861 to discuss the possibility of secession, Lynchburg's delegates were instructed to vote against leaving the Union. The pro-Union delegates won the first vote, but President Lincoln's call for volunteers forced a second vote which led to Virginia joining the Confederacy. How Lynchburg survived four years of war and emerged as the only major city in the Upper South that was neither damaged nor occupied despite the fact that it was as the second largest hospital center in Virginia, the site of a POW camp, and a vital supply center is a fascinating tale.
A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Clifton Potter was educated in the city schools, graduating from E.C. Glass High School in 1958. He holds a B.A., magna cum laude in history from Lynchburg College, a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and he was a Fulbright Fellow at Oxford University. He joined the history department at Lynchburg College in 1965, serving as Chairman from 1990 until 1996. He held the John M. Turner Distinguished Chair in the Humanities from 2002 until 2005. For a number of years, he served as the faculty parliamentarian and College Marshal. He retired in 2019 with the rank of Professor of History, Emeritus. Dr. Potter is a member of the Taylor-Wilson Camp #10, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Virginia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Its membership is composed of descendants of Union officers. He has served as Commander of both these heritage organizations. His latest book, Yankees in the Hill City, The Union Prisoner of War Camp in Lynchburg, Virginia, was published in 2024.
His wife, Dorothy T. Potter, holds a masters and doctorate from UVA, and was also a member of the LC history department, retiring in 2017 as Professor of History, Emerita. Together they have written four histories of the city. The latest is Lynchburg, 1757- 2007, was published to commemorate the Sesqui-Bicentennial of Lynch's Ferry. They recently co-edited A Good and Pleasant Company, Lives and Legacies of Central Virginia, a project endorsed by LYN250. Their son, Dr. Edmund D. Potter is also a historian.
Meetings held between September and May begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Adams County Historical Society.
During the Summer we meet on the battlefield.Please check our further meeting page for our summer excursions. These are not live streamed.
You can view May's Meeting at the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1b6SpRJNjA/
For questions concerning the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable please feel free to email GettysburgCWRoundtable@gmail.com, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.