Month: January 2019

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Southern MD Civil War Round Table Spring Field Trip

Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table

 Fredericksburg Battlefield Tour

Saturday, April 20, 2019

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The Tour: Join us for the Southern Maryland Civil War Round table’s annual Spring 2019 Field Trip and Tour of the Fredericksburg National Battlefield. Remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the war, with Union Casualties more than three times as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates, the Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in mid-December 1862, and s noteworthy for its intensity and winter fighting. The tour features visits to three locations:

  • Prospect Hill, where George Meade’s division almost knocked Stonewall Jackson’s Corps off the heights and came close to winning the battle. This phase of the your includes a walk along the Slaughter Pen, Pelham’s Corner and Prospect Hill.
  • Mayre’s Heights, including the stone wall, with a stop at the National Park Service Visitor’s Center and bookstore.
  • The Town of Fredericksburg, including the river crossing by the Union II Corps, and a variety of interesting sites.

    The tour begins in LaPlata at the College of Southern Maryland campus, where we will board a chartered bus for the trip to the Fredericksburg Battlefield. The tour will be under the guidance of Dr. Brad Gottfried, former president of the Southern Maryland Civil War Round table and noted author of twelve books on the Civil War, including his latest, The Maps of Fredericksburg: An Atlas of the Fredericksburg Campaign.

    The Cost of the trip (bus, lunch, maps and guide) is $55 for members and $65 for non-members. Save money through early bird registration (March 12, 2019): $50 for members and $60 for non-members.

    For additional information, or to register, contact Ben Sunderland, SMCWRT President, Phone: 443-975-9142, or email: bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.

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    February 2019 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

    February 12, 2019

    The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 at 7:00pm at the College of Southern Maryland’s Learning Resource Center, Room LR-102, at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata, MD.

    Guest Speaker:  Mr. Gary Dyson

     

    Having joined us last year to discuss with us his book, “The Ambush of the Isaac P. Smith, Family Ties and the Battle on the Stono, January 30, 1863″, Mr. Gary Dyson returns to the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table, to present, “A Civil War Correspondent in New Orleans“.

     

    “A Civil War Correspondent in New Orleans” explores the eyewitness account of Boston Journal War Correspondent Albert Gaius Hills from the day he left Boston Harbor in November 1861 through the New Orleans Campaign of 1862. Hills recorded his observations while with the Union fleet in the Gulf of Mexico and on Ship Island as well as his account of the bombardments of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and impression of captured New Orleans.  Hills’ life and his relationships with other correspondents are also part of the presentation.

    Gary L. Dyson is a retired Environmental Specialist from the city of Gaithersburg, MD and a former Marine. He is a lifelong history enthusiast and has spent countless hours reading, researching and exploring battlefields – from the French and Indian War to World War II. Gary owns Dyson Genealogy and Historical Research and is the author of “Ambush of the Isaac P. Smith” and “A Civil War Correspondent in New Orleans, the Journals and Reports of Albert Gaius Hills of the Boston Journal.” He has a BS in Natural Resources Management from Oregon State University. Gary lives in Mount Airy, MD with his wife Emily and has two children away at college. He is also a board member for the Frederick County Civil War Round Table. We invite everyone to join us and Mr. Dyson, as we learn about how one member of the press covered the Civil War.

    Attendance is free for all, but membership is recommended. For information, contact the Round Table’s president, Ben Sunderland, at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org or 443-975-9142.