Battle of Richmond papers

The title of Dr. Lambert's book, When the Ripe Pears Fell, is a reference to the ominous signs of combat being witnessed in the surrounding countryside of Madison County, Kentucky, which accompanied the Battle of Richmond. While Berea College teacher and future president J.A.R. Rogers was repairing the roof of his house, after having been run out of Berea by a furious pro-slavery mob, "he heard the firing of cannon... soon succeeded by volleys of musketry' in the direction of Kingston. At Bear Wallow, the concussions were so heavy that they shook the ripe pears off [Roger's neighbor] Mr. Layne's trees, and a faithful slave in charge of the little Laynes and Andersons made them all get under a bed" (Warren Dean Lambert. When the Ripe Pears Fell. Berea, Kentucky: Madison County Historical Society, 1996, page 3). Lambert’s book is focuses on the Battle of Richmond, fought from August 29 - 30, 1862, but also contains a good deal of background information on Madison County. The book provides a view of Major General Kirby Smith's invasion of Kentucky, authorized by Lieutenant General Braxton Bragg, the commander of Confederate forces in Tennessee.  From looking at the various drafts of the book, one can see the historical significance Dr. Lambert assigned to the background story of the battle in showing how important he considered the campaign to be, both locally and in the context of the whole Civil War. The Confederate triumph at Richmond, despite the relatively small number of troops involved, was the most complete victory of the war for either North or South. The Union army, led by Brigadier General Mahlon Manson, was routed completely; the Confederates, outnumbered but having a veteran army, captured nearly 4,000 Union prisoners out of roughly 6,000 men, most of whom were from untested, green regiments. Novelist and Civil War historian Shelby Foote commented that the battle "accomplished in Kentucky the nearest thing to a Cannae ever scored by any general, North or South, in the course of the whole war” (Shelby Foote. The Civil War, A Narrative: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Random House, 1958, page 650). Kirby Smith's victory at Richmond also won him the Northern army's supply train in Kentucky, which was considerable in its quantity of supplies, ,and gave him a forward base from which he might have struck at and captured Cincinnati. This prospect generated considerable panic in Ohio, which the Confederacy might have exploited if not for General Bragg's characteristic indecision and lethargy in pursuing a strategic advantage. Dr. Lambert pays special attention to the lack of attention most Civil War historians have given the Battle of Richmond, and offers occasional commentary for reasons the battle may have been ignored, as well as his own argument for why it is significant. I Dean Warren Lambert was born in Fairfax, South Dakota on January 9, 1927 to parents Paul and May Harrison Lambert. He and his mother moved to Berea in 1938 following the death of his father, and there he made his lifelong residence. Graduating from Berea College in 1948 with a B.A. in history and political science, Dr. Lambert served in the army as an engineer from 1950-1952. He taught social studies at the Berea Foundation School from 1953 – 1963 and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in history at the University of Kentucky in 1957 and 1975 respectively. In 1963 Dr. Lambert joined the Berea College history department, beginning a career at Berea College spanning 46 years. He was a recipient of the distinguished Seabury Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1992, the highest award Berea College bequeaths to faculty, for his "deep interest in, faithful service, unusual devotion and extraordinary quality of work to the Berea College family." He served as a leading member of Union Church, attending as moderator for many years and as a member since 1938. He participated and held leadership positions in many civic and community organizations, including the American Legion, the Kiwanis Club, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Having founded the Civil War Roundtable in Lexington, Dr. Warren was a proud member for many years, serving as its first president. When the Ripe Pears Fell, Dr. Lambert's magnum opus, is the first and only monograph-size work devoted entirely to the Battle of Richmond, and was the product of years of painstaking, carefully-crafted historical research. It received much praise from the historical profession. A fellow Kentucky Historian described Dr. Lambert's work as ''the definitive account" of the Confederate invasion of Kentucky in 1862.