January 10, 2017
The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 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: William Connery
Join William C. Connery as he recounts the notable events and battles that occurred in Northern Virginia in 1861 after the firing on Fort Sumter. In the mid-nineteenth century, Alexandria was a port across from the Nation’s Capital; Arlington was an 1100 acre estate managed by U.S. Colonel and Mrs. Robert E. Lee; Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun Counties consisted of rolling farmland and tiny villages. This peaceful region was thrown into chaos as South Carolina seceded from the Union in Dec. 1860 and other slave states followed until Virginia finally joined the Confederacy in April and May 1861. The ‘invasion’ of Northern Virginia on May 24, 1861, created a no-man’s land between Yankee and Rebel armies, especially in the area south of Alexandria. Some citizens joined Confederate forces, while others stayed to face uncertainty. This book offers new insights into this most important time in American history.
William S. Connery grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, considered ‘neutral territory’ in the Civil War. As a young boy, his family visited the battlefields of Gettysburg, Antietam, and other local historical sites. He has a degree in history from the University of Maryland. Since 1989, Mr. Connery has lived in Fairfax County. He contributes to the Civil War Courier and other publications. He was awarded the prestigious Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal by the Fairfax Chapter of the UDC for this book. His other book, Mosby’s Raids in Civil War Northern Virginia, deals with the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy, who became a friend of U.S. Grant after the War! Mr. Connery is a frequently requested speaker on the Civil War and other American history topics in the Washington, D.C., metro region. He can be reached at william.connery@verizon.net.
