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November 2024 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

November 12, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Matt Borders

A star of our video presentations during the COVID epidemic, it is a great pleasure to welcome Matt Borders in person to our Round Table.  Having spoken to us twice on his excellent books, “Faces of Union Soldiers at Antietam” and “Faces of Union Soldiers at South Mountain and Harper’s Ferry”, tonight Matt will speak to us about Chief Justine Roger Brooke Taney:  Beyond Dred Scott.

Matt’s presentation, Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney: Beyond Dred Scott, looks at that enigmatic figure through his case work and whether it gives a deeper understanding for this much maligned historical figure. Chief Justice Taney will be forever remembered for the infamous Dred Scott decision in 1857, but was this hardline opinion from the bench always the opinion of the man himself, or did it develop over time during the raucous antebellum years of the United States?

A graduate of Michigan State and Eastern Michigan University, Matthew Borders holds a BA in United States History with a focus in the American Civil War and a MS in Historic Preservation. Following graduation he taught at Kalamazoo Valley Community College before accepting a position with the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. He worked as the historian for the ABPP for six years, during which time he became a certified battlefield guide at Antietam National Battlefield and Harpers Ferry National Historic Site. He is also the President of the Frederick County Civil War Round Table and a founding member of the Antietam Institute.

Currently, Matthew is a Park Ranger at Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick, Maryland. He, along with fellow guide, Joe Stahl, have published four books in their Faces of Union Soldiers series

Help us welcome Matt by coming out hearing the fascinating exploration of the court decision that caused much strife and controversy in its aftermath.  Attendance is free as always, but membership is recommended.  Please contact us at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org or at 443-975-9142 for more details.

 

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October 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

October 8, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Alex Rossino

Tonight, we welcome Mr. Alex Rossino, who will discuss his book, “Calamity at Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam, published by Savas Beatie in October 2023.

Multiple mysteries surround the loss of a copy of Robert E. Lee’s Special Orders No. 191. These include the location near Frederick, Maryland, where a corporal with the 27th Indiana Volunteers found the so-called “Lost Orders,” and the identity of the man who lost them. Previous investigations of the subject have blamed General Daniel Harvey Hill, a member of Hill’s staff, or a courier carrying the orders from Lee’s headquarters on the Best Farm to Hill’s headquarters. In this presentation, Dr. Alex Rossino will present new research providing an informed estimate of the place where the orders were found and revealing the identity of the culprit who lost the orders based on what the available evidence suggests. He will also describe the devastating effect on Confederate operations that the discovery of the orders by Federal troops had.

A resident of Boonsboro, Maryland, Alex Rossino earned his PhD in History at Syracuse University. In addition to being a frequent public speaker about Civil War history, Dr. Rossino is also the author of several books and articles, including Their Maryland: The Army of Northern Virginia from the Potomac Crossing to Sharpsburg in September 1862 and The Tale Untwisted: General George B. McClellan, the Maryland Campaign, and the Discovery of Lee’s Lost Orders, which he co-wrote with Gene Thorp. His newest book, Calamity at Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam, came out with Savas Beatie in October 2023. Dr. Rossino is also a novelist. His book, Six Days in September: A Novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, has been praised for its historical accuracy by Civil War enthusiasts. His next novel, The Guns of September: A Novel of McClellan’s Army in Maryland, is due out in 2024.

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September 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

September 10, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Kevin Pawlak

Lucky year 13 kicks off with a return visit from another of our old friends, Mr. Kevin Pawlak.  Join us tonight as Kevin discusses his book, “John Brown’s Raid:  Harper’s Ferry and the coming of the Civil War”.

Co-written with Jon-Erik M. Gilot, Kevin will discuss on the most significant events that helped to trigger the American Civil War.  The first shot of the American Civil War was not fired on April 12, 1861, in Charleston, South Carolina, but instead came on October 16, 1859, in Harper’s Ferry, Virginia—or so claimed former slave turned abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Brown led a band of nineteen men on the nighttime raid that targeted the Federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. There, they planned to begin a war to end slavery in the United States. But after 36 tumultuous hours, John Brown’s Raid failed, and his subsequent trial further divided north and south on the issue of slavery. Herman Melville and Walt Whitman extolled Brown as a “meteor” of the war.

Kevin Pawlak is a historic site manager for Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation and a Certified Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. He previously worked as a Park Ranger at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Kevin has written seven books about the American Civil War, including John Brown’s Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War, October 16-18, 1859, part of the Emerging Civil War Series.

As always, attendance is free, but membership is encouraged.  Membership fees allow us to continue fine speakers every year. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

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2024-25 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Speaker Schedule

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce its 2024-25 speaker schedule! All meetings will be held at the Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 North Crain Highway, Newburg, MD. Start time is 7:00pm.

September 10, 2024:  Kevin Pawlak – “John Brown’s Raid:  Harpers Ferry and the coming of the Civil War, October 16-18,1859”

October 8, 2024:  Alex Rossino – Calamity at Frederick

November 12, 2024:  Matt Borders – Roger Brooke Taney:  Beyond Dred Scott

December 10, 2024:  Eddie Roberts – A Civilian Army and the Unwilling Participants

January 14, 2025:  Bob Crickenburger – William Hoffman:  Saint or Sinner?

February 11, 2025:  Steven Cowie – “When Hell came to Sharpsburg”

March 11, 2025:  Brad Gottfried – Seeing Antietam – The Paintings of Captain James Hope

April 8, 2025:  Sarah Kay Bierle – Battle of New Market

May 13. 2025:  Lisa Samia – John Wilkes Booth and his sister Asia Booth:  A Special Relationship

We look forward to welcoming all of these fine people to speak to us and to welcoming all of you to hear their presentations. Detailed descriptions about each speaker and their topics to be posted in the coming months. Attendance is free to all, but membership is encouraged For more information about the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table or to learn how to join, please reach out at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org!

 

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May 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

May 14, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Chris Mackowski

As we conclude season 12 of the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table, we welcome back Chris Mackowski.  Those who remember his discussion of “Grant’s Last Battle: The Story Behind the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant” will certainly enjoy tonight’s presentation, “Strike Them a Blow: Battle Along the North Anna River“.

Mr. Mackowski will describe for us the most overlooked segment of the Overland Campaign, which also represented some of the best chances both generals had for destroying each other’s armies—but the war of attrition had taken a personal toll on the commanders, peppering the North Anna River with lost opportunities.

As usual, attendance is free, but membership is encouraged. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

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April 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

April 9, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Jonathan Beasley

For our next to last meeting of year 12, we welcome Round Table member Jonathan Beasley, as he speaks to us about the Civil War in Maryland.

Jonathan will not introduce us to the some of the notable people involved n the Civil War from Maryland, but will also provide insight into the State of Maryland’s role in the Civil War, from both the Northern and Southern perspective.

It should be an interesting evening listening to stories about the Old Line State and its involvement in the Civil War.  Attendance is free, but membership is encouraged, to allow us to continue attracting speakers on the subject we so dearly love. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

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March 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

March 12, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Ronald Coddington

Civil War Portrait Photography: Reflections of a Generation

The first collectors of Civil War photos were those who lived during the four-year struggle. As the years ticked by and they passed from the scene, their likeness were handed down through the generations. Some remained with families. Others landed in antique shops. Many were lost to the elements or tossed into trash heaps. During the war’s centennial, a new generation rediscovered these intimate artifacts. Today, a vibrant community of collectors are caretakers of these portraits. In this talk, Ron answers key questions: Why do these images exist? What were the popular formats? Why did they pose this way? How did the war impact portrait photography in the North and South?

Ronald S. Coddington is Editor and Publisher of Military Images, a quarterly magazine that showcases, interprets and preserves Civil War portrait photography. He is the author of the five volume series Faces of the Civil War published by Johns Hopkins University Press. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Civil War Monitor, Civil War Times, Civil War News, and elsewhere. His latest book is Gettysburg Faces: Portraits and Personal Accounts (Gettysburg Publishing).

We welcome all to join us for a different look at Civil War Photography.  Attendance is free, but membership is encouraged. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

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2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Spring Field Trip

The Past is Waiting for You!

Join the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table for its Annual Spring Field Trip, departing from the Maryland Veteran’s Museum, 11000 Crain Highway, Newburg, MD on April 27th, 2024.  This year’s destination: Richmond, VA, where we will visit the American Civil War Museum, Brown’s Island and The White House of the Confederacy.

The Details:

Date:  Saturday, April 27th, 2024

Departure:  8AM from the Maryland Veteran’s Museum, 11000 Crain Highway Newburg, MD .  Return time is 5pm.

Pricing:  $85 for members/$95 for non-members.

What’s Included:  Bus Transportation to and from Richmond, Entry fees to the museums and lunch.

Be sure to sign up for all of the fun.  Looking forward to seeing you and enjoying another fun filled of Civil War learning.  For any questions, please call 443-975-9142.

 

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January 2024 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

January 9, 2024

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  YOU!!!

That’s right!  Back again for a 3rd year, tonight we engage in a fast growing tradition of Questions and Answers from you, the members of the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table.

Come out and ask your questions or find some answers to topics that have always interested you, concerned you or perplexed you.  The floor is yours.

Attendance is free, but membership is encouraged, to allow us to continue attracting speakers on the subject we so dearly love. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

 

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December 2023 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table Meeting

December 12, 2023

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  James Brewster

Tonight we look at the experiences of a Confederate Civil War Soldier during the Civil War, as James Brewster presents the story of his ancestor, John Henry Cammack in Personal Recollections of Private John Henry Cammack; A Soldier of the Confederacy 1861-1865.

On May 15, 1861, 16-year-old John Henry Cammack and his 20-year-old brother, Lucius Cammack, enlisted in the 10th Virginia Volunteers and joined the American Civil War as combatants in the Confederate States Army.  For the next four years as a soldier, he marched from Grafton, WV to Richmond, VA and back pursuing and being pursued by the United States Army.  His army life was characterized by a constant struggle to survive, either in battle or to keep himself fed and clothed. He saw great bravery and great cowardice in officers and enlisted alike. When paroled he was 350 miles from his home in Harrison County, WV and had to walk that distance to resume farming life with his father and marry his fiancé, Mary Jane Fox.  After the war he and Mary Jane distinguished themselves as leading citizens of Huntington, WV

John Henry’s great, great, grandson, James Burd Brewster, has republished John Henry’s personal accounts of fighting in the civil  war, Personal Recollections of Private John Henry Cammack – A soldier of the Confederacy 1861-1865, as well as captured John Henrry’s legacy as a leading citizen of Huntington, WV.  His presentation will focus on the life of a typical Confederate Soldier as revealed by John Henty Cammack.

James Burd Brewster was raised in New England, learned to sail on Lake Champlain, navigated a polar icebreaker to Alaska, and served a career in the United States Coast Guard. Currently, he is president of J2B Publishing, and author of the “Glad to do it!” series of children’s picture books (www.gladtodoit.net).

Jim is descended from three significant American families; William Brewster of the Mayflower on his father’s side and Col James Burd of Pennsylvania (French and Indian War) and Private John Henry Cammack of Huntington, WV (Civil War) both on his mother’s side.

His publishing career began in 2013 when he learned how the publishing industry had become accessible to start-ups.  Ten years later, Jim has written and published over 25 books of his own as well as the works of more than 70 other new authors (www.J2BLLC.com).

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Brewster and encourage everyone to join us.  Attendance is free, but membership is encouraged.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.