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.