May 2015 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

May 12, 2015

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 7:00pm at the College of Southern Maryland’s Center for Business and Industry, Chaney Enterprises Conference Center, Room BI-113, at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata, MD.

Guest Speaker:  Edward Bonekemper

Image of Edward H. Bonekemper

Ulysses S. Grant was the greatest general of the Civil War and the overrated Robert E. Lee was part of the Myth of the Lost Cause!  These are the conclusions of historian Edward Bonekemper, author of “Grant and Lee:  Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian”, a war-long comparison of the two most famous generals of the Civil War. Mr. Bonekemper will reveal how Lee’s hyper-aggression resulted in his army suffering approximately 209,000 casualties, while Grant’s army lost “only” about 154,000.  He will explore and explain how Grant won and Lee lost the Civil War.

by Edward Bonekemper, III

Mr. Bonekemper will show to us that Lee was far too aggressive a general for the Confederacy, which did not have the burden of winning the war and could not afford to squander its manpower.  He will demonstrate that Lee was a Virginian first, a Confederate second – priorities that led him to a bloody stalemate in the East and had disastrous impacts on Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Atlanta, Chattanooga and elsewhere. Mr. Bonekemper will show that throughout the war Lee either did not know or did not care what was occurring outside his theater and committed blunders that aided Grant and later William Tecumseh Sherman in the Middle and Western theaters of the war. The inter-theater relationships and interplay between Grant’s and Lee’s campaigns; even before they fought head-to-head in 1864 and 1865, will be described by Mr. Bonekemper.  He will detail Lee’s draining of the entire Confederacy to replace his intolerable losses, his resistance to sending needed reinforcements to other theaters and his role in facilitating Sherman’s critical capture of Atlanta.

In contrast to Lee, Mr. Bonekemper depicts Grant as doing exactly what a Union general was supposed to do:  aggressively taking the fight to the enemy, winning the Mississippi Valley and the East and saving the critical Union Army in the Middle Theater. Perseverance, deception, alacrity and appropriate aggressiveness were the hallmarks of Grant, the Civil War’s greatest general.

Edward Bonekemper is the author of four other Civil War books covering Grant, Lee, Lincoln and McClellan which include, “How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War”, Lincoln and Grant:  The Westerners Who Won the War”, and “McClellan and Failure: A Study of Civil War Fear, Incompetence and Worse”.  Copies of “Grant and Lee:  Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian” will be available for purchase and Mr. Bonekemper will be available to sign them after the discussion.

 

 

Lincoln 150 – On the Trail of the Assassin

Lincoln 150 – On the Trail of the Assassin

150Lincoln

Spend the weekend in Charles County, MD!

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Lincoln 150 Commemoration. History comes alive this April 17-19, 2015. Enjoy Civil War re-enactors, encampments, music, theater, guided tours, and food. See below for participating hotels commemoration discounts.

April 17, 2015
An Evening of Civil War Music and Words – “Charles County in the Civil War,” a lecture presented by Dr. Christine Arnold Lourie, CSM Professor of History following with Q & A. “Civil War Music and Words,” a dramatic presentation with music, performed by CSM theatre students under the direction of CSM Associate Professor of Theatre, Keith Hight, with CSM Lecturer in Music Michael K. Santana on keyboard.

Time: 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: College of Southern Maryland
8730 Mitchell Rd, La Plata, MD 20646
(Center for Business and Industry (BI) Building, Room 113)
Event Admission: Free (tickets not required)
Phone: 301-934-7828
Website: http://www.csmd.edu/Arts/

April 17 – 18, 2015
A Global View of The Escape – Experience history through science at the James E. Richmond Science Center.  Using the latest digital dome technology and Science on a Sphere audiences will get a vivid picture of Booth’s escape path.
Time: Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. & Noon
Location: James E. Richmond Science Center
5305 Piney Church Rd, Waldorf, MD 20603
Event Admission: Fee
Phone: 301-934-7464
Email: JERScienceCenter@ccboe.com
Website: http://www.ccboe.com/sciencecenter/

April 18 – 19, 2015
Lincoln 150 – On the Trail of the Assassin – On April 14, 1865 John Wilkes Booth, the assassin, rode on horseback with co-conspirator David Herold to Dr. Mudd’s home in the early hours of April 15th for surgery on his fractured leg before continuing his escape. Weekend activities include: Port Tobacco Players Theater Production titled, “The Assassin’s Doctor”, living history group and suttlers, first person impressions (i.e. Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Dr. Mudd, etc.), guest speakers, authors, music performances, and Civil War Dolls display. 
Time: Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Dr. Samuel Mudd House Museum
3725 Dr. Mudd Rd, Waldorf, MD 20601
Event Admission:  $5 per car
House Tour Admission: $8 for adults, $2 for children (6 – 16); Free for members
Phone: 800-766-3386
Email: welcomecenter@charlescountymd.gov
Villains, Rebels & Rogues – Join professional archaeologists as they excavate around Rich Hill Farm uncovering evidence of its 19th century appearance. Hear from local historians as they share Rich Hill’s connection to the Lincoln assassination and learn about the little known people who lived and worked on this historic Charles County farm.
Time: Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
Location: Rich Hill Farm House (home of Samuel Cox)
Rich Hill Farm Rd, Bel Alton, MD 20611
Event Admission: Free
Phone:800-766-3386
Email: welcomecenter@charlescountymd.gov

Conspiracy – The Talk of Port Tobacco – Come take a walk around Port Tobacco Village, a Maryland port town that was a hotbed of Confederate activity and where residents may have been involved in the conspiracy. Learn about one of the conspirators who lived and owned a business here.
Time: Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last tour begins at 3 p.m.)
Location:  Port Tobacco Historic Village
8430 Commerce St, Port Tobacco, MD 20677
Event Admission: $5
Phone: 301-392-3418
Email: historicdistrict@charlescountymd.gov

Hotel Discounts
Best Western Plus La Plata Inn
6900 Crain Highway
La Plata, MD 20646
Ph: 301-934-4900
website: www.bestwestern.com/laplatainn
Phone Reservation Only: Reservation Code LIN to receive 22% discount rate.

Hampton Inn Waldorf
3750 Crain Highway
Waldorf, MD
phone: 301-632-9600
website: www.waldorf.hamptoninn.com
Refer to Lincoln 150 Commemoration Weekend or Group Code CHXLCW to receive the discount rate.

Colony South Hotel
7401 Surratts Road
Clinton, MD 20735
Ph: 301-877-4801
website: www.colonysouth.com
Refer Group code 1504LINC to receive the discount rate.