Southern MD Civil War Round Table Film Series

November 8, 2016

Come out and join us for the second season of Civil War films from 4:30pm – 6:45pm, prior to the regularly scheduled Round Table meeting tonight. Movies will be shown 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. Admission is free!

Tonight’s Feature: “12 Years a Slave“

In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually to survive and maintain some of his dignity. Then in the 12th year of the disheartening ordeal, a chance meeting with an abolitionist from Canada changes Solomon’s life forever.

October 11, 2016

November 2016 Southern MD Civil War Round Table

November 8, 2016

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 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: Mr. Don Thomas

Debuting as the new kid on the block, former President and founder of West County Corporation, Don Thomas has recently retired from the industry to turn his hobby and lifelong passion for history into a new career. An avid reader with an insatiable appetite for nonfiction Don has always sought reading material untainted by legend, myth or fabrication.

Realizing few authors dare to venture outside the sanitized limits prescribed to explain the American experience, he began his own study compiling buried documents once hidden or forgotten, but never lost.

In 2012, after years of accumulating a personal library swollen with uncovered new evidence Don decided to publish some of his research, but needed an author. Though he quickly found it was futile trying to persuade a scholar to write his story which abandoned the mainstream chronicles surrounding Lincoln’s murder conspiracy. Growing frustrated he reluctantly decided to write the book himself.

The Reason Lincoln Had to Die is but a small portion of his painstaking four-year research into the violent removal of a United States president from office. While his book mainly focuses on the treasonous self-serving motive to assassinate President Lincoln, his investigation and publications about Lincoln’s hidden assassins continues as an ongoing project. With two highly acclaimed essays including many published articles, Don also is a popular speaker addressing private and public organizations each year.

Only those who have not yet learned about Don Thomas believe the conspiracy to kill Lincoln still remains an unsolved mystery.

The Reason Lincoln Had to Die - How They Got Away with Murder

September 30, 2016

Southern MD Civil War Round Table Film Series

October 11, 2016

Come out and join us for the second season of Civil War films from 5:30pm – 6:40pm, prior to the regularly scheduled Round table meeting tonight. Movies will be shown 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. Admission is free!

Tonight’s Feature: “The General“

ParadeRest Presents: Buster Keaton’s The General - VFH – Virginia ...

This American silent comedy film, released by United Artists, was inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, which happened in 1862. Buster Keaton stars as the hapless Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray who faces off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. When Johnny’s fiancée, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is accidentally taken away (kidnapped) while on a train stolen by Northern forces, Gray pursues the soldiers, using various modes of transportation in comic action scenes that highlight Keaton’s boundless wit and dexterity. (67 minutes)

September 30, 2016

Ulysses S. Grant Forum and Discussion

American Ulysses Audiobook by Ronald C. White Jr. at Library

WHAT: Evening Conversation with Ronald White.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 4th, 2016, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

WHERE: National Press Club Ballroom, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045

“The Trinity Forum invites you to participate in an Evening Conversation with Ronald C. White on the release date of his new book American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant on Tuesday, October 4. White will provide a new interpretation of Ulysses S. Grant as a generous, faithful and reflective man, and remarkable, if embattled leader — and the implications of Grant’s leadership approach for our own divisive time. Responding to Dr. White will be Peter Wehner, a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. The event will be held at the National Press Club from 6:30-8:30 pm on Tuesday, October 4th, 2016. Register today at http://www.ttf.org/event/evening-conversation-ron-white-0

Ronald C. White, Jr.'s American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant ...

*The Trinity Forum is a nonprofit organization that engages leaders with the great ideas of civilization in the context of faith for personal and societal renewal. With any questions about this event or the Trinity Forum, please contact Alyssa Abraham at aabraham@ttf.org or (202) 944-9881.

September 13, 2016

October 2016 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table

October 11, 2016

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 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: Robert O’Connor

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table welcomes Bob O’Connor, who will share with us his research about the approximately 209,000 soldiers who served in the Union armies and navies. He brings to light the number of Colored Troops held as prisoners of war in Confederate prisons. While historians have found 776 such prisoners, Mr. O’Connor has found evidence of 2,642! Mr. O’Connor will also bring some local flavor to our gathering, as he discusses some of the U.S Colored Troop soldiers that he discovered who enlisted from Southern Maryland. From Petersburg to Olustee, from Ft. Pillow to Salisbury and all the way to Andersonville, Mr.O’Connor will shed light on these courageous freedom fighters.

Bob O’Connor lives in Charles Town, WV, where he is retired and dedicates his time to being a full time author. His interest in history dates back to 1958, when he visited Galesburg, IL for the 100th anniversaty celebration of the Lincoln v. Douglas debates. The featured speaker that day was Carl Sandburg! Mr. O’Connor would go on to serve as Director of Tourism in Washington County, MD and became intimately familiar with Antietam National Battlefield and Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park. He helped bring to fruition two marvelous events held at Antietam that we all enjoy today; The Independence Concert, held each July and the Memorial Illumination, held each December. Mr. O’Connor has written and published eleven books about the Civil War and four times has been named a finalist in national book award competitions. To learn more about Bob O’Connor and his works, pleases visit his website; http://boboconnorbooks.com/.

Attendance is free for all, but membership is recommended. For information, contact the Round Table’s president, Brad Gottfried, at bgottfried@csmd.edu or 301-934-7625

July 8, 2016

September 2016 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

September 13, 2016

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 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: Daniel Carroll Toomey

Dan's photo

Following the War of 1812 the Federal Government opened ten arsenals across the newly formed United States. One of these was located in Pikesville, Maryland. Opened in 1818 the arsenal supplied weapons and equipment to the United States Army until the beginning of the Civil War. After the war the property was conveyed to the State of Maryland.

In 1888 a great need existed for the care and shelter of Confederate veterans living in Maryland after the Civil War. General Bradley T. Johnson, the president of the Association of the Maryland Line, approached the state legislature for permission to convert the arsenal buildings in Pikesville to a home for Confederate veterans. Supported by private donations from nearly every Southern veteran’s organization in the state, the home was both an immediate and long term success. Noted Maryland author Daniel Carroll Toomey will give a brief history of the Pikesville Arsenal followed by an in depth look at the creation and management of one of Maryland’s least known Civil War sites.

... in Maryland: Daniel Carroll Toomey: 9781929806003: Amazon.com: Books

Daniel Carroll Toomey is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the author or co-author of a dozen books including The Civil War in Maryland and Baltimore During the Civil War. He has lectured for a number of historical organizations and colleges including the Smithsonian Institution and Johns Hopkins University. His course “The Civil War in Maryland” has been taught throughout the state.

Dan has contributed to a number of radio and television programs and several video productions. He also serves on the Maryland Military Monuments Commission and was Project Historian for the Maryland Memorial erected at Gettysburg in 1994. It was Dan Toomey who wrote the inscription for that monument.

Dan has won numerous awards for his historical research and exhibits including the Gettysburg National Battlefield Award in 1985 and was the 2001 recipient of the Peterkin Award given by the National Park Service at Fort McHenry. He is currently the Guest Curator at the B&O Railroad Museum and designed The War Came by Train exhibit – the largest Civil War railroad exhibit ever presented and written a book by the same title.

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table invites all to join us as we welcome Daniel Carroll Toomey back to speak to us about this little known Civil War treasure within the Free State’s boundaries. Attendance is free for all, but membership is recommended. For information, contact the Round Table’s president, Brad Gottfried, at bgottfried@csmd.edu or 301-934-7625.

May 9, 2016

Blue and Gray Days

June 11 & 12, 2016

Blue and Gray Days

Point Lookout State Park

Point Lookout Maryland Address

Saturday June 11, 2016: 11:00am – 4:00pm

Sunday June 12, 2016: 11:am – 3:00pm

The Maryland State Park Service, Department of Natural Resources, sponsored by the Friends of Point Lookout, invite you to attend the 28th Annual Blue and Gray Days Weekend at the original sites of historic Fort Lincoln and Camp Hoffman, prisoner of war camp, at Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, Maryland. There is a service charge to enter Point Lookout State Park.

Activities Include:

– Hammond Hospital and Camp Hoffman (Prisoner of War Camp) Exhibits

– Infantry Drill and Musket Demonstrations

– Life in a military garrison, prisoner of war camp and civilian occupation of Point Lookout during the Civil War.

Blue and Gray Days | St. Mary's County MD Tourism
A Civil War Living History Program Presented by:

The Maryland Park Service, Department of Natural Resources and The Friends of Point Lookout located at historic Fort Lincoln, Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, Maryland

April 12, 2016

May 2016 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

May 10, 2016

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 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: Dr. Bradley Gottfried

As we eagerly anticipate our annual field trip; this year to the Antietam National Battlefield, Round Table President Brad Gottfried will get us ready for our great adventure on Saturday, May 14th. Author of the book, “The Maps of Antietam“, join us as Dr. Gottfried provide his unique insight, analysis and perspective of the battle that marked Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North. Bruised and battered after a long spring and summer of battles on the Virginia peninsula and at Manassas, the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee decides to seize momentum and move the theater of battle away from his native state and give the north a taste of the conflict. An audacious gambit indeed, that if successful might bring a negotiated peace and Southern independence. Meanwhile, The Army of the Potomac has just had its beloved leader, Gen. George B. McClellan, restored to overall command, in an attempt to boost troop morale and blunt the advances of the Confederate Army. The result of these two behemoth’s clashing in the Maryland countryside on September 17, 1862 was one of the bloodiest days in American History.

Battle of Antietam - The New York Times

Not able to go on the field trip! That’s OK! Come on out anyway and hear Brad as he lays out the important events that took place prior to, during and in the aftermath of a battle that would ultimately make the Battle of Antietam arguably one of the most significant battles ever fought. Dunker Church! The Cornfield! The Sunken Road! Burnside Bridge! Dr. Gottfried will cover them and whet our appetites for the sites we shall see on the field.

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table invites all to attend this lecture on a battle fought on our own soil! Attendance is free for all, but membership is recommended. For information, contact the Round Table’s president, Brad Gottfried, at bgottfried@csmd.edu or 301-934-7625.

March 12, 2016

Southern MD Civil War Round Table Film Series

April 12, 2016

The last in our series of Civil War movies for this season will be shown, free of charge, prior to the regularly scheduled Round table meeting tonight from 4:47pm – 6:47pm 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.

Tonight’s Feature: Death and The Civil War

Death and the Civil War . American Experience . WGBH | PBS

Directed by Ric Burns and based on the book “This Republic of Suffering“, by Drew Gilpin Faust, historian and president of Harvard University, this documentary explores how the American Civil War created a “republic of suffering” and charts the far-reaching political and social changes brought about by the pervasive presence and fear of death during the Civil War. Though universally predicted to be a brief and bloodless military adventure, the Civil War dragged on for four years, killing an estimated 750,000 men — nearly 2.5% of the American population. The impact permanently altered the character of the republic,the culture of the government and the psyche of the American people for all time.

Woefully unprepared for the awful work of burying and accounting for the dead, northerners and southerners alike had to find a way to deal with the hundreds of thousands of bodies, many of which were unidentified, and the grieving families who sought information on loved ones who, in the end, would never be found. Following the common Christian notions of the “proper” way to die and be buried was all but impossible for most soldiers on the front. Before the Civil War, America had no national cemeteries; no provisions for identifying or burying the dead, notifying the next of kin, or providing aid to the suffering families of dead veterans; no federal organizations; no effective ambulance corps; no adequate federal hospitals.

At the conclusion of tonight’s film, please feel free to stay for a presentation by Hilda Koontz about the Sultana Disaster. The regularly scheduled meeting will begin at 7:00pm.

March 10, 2016

Park Day – April 2, 2016

April 2, 2016

Point Lookout State park SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR PARK DAY

WHAT: Park Day Volunteer Event at Fort Lincoln, Point Lookout State Park

WHEN: April 2, 2016 beginning at 10:00am until 2:00pm

WHERE: Meet at Fort Lincoln Point Lookout State Park

Fort Lincoln - Point Lookout State Park | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

On Saturday, April 2, 2016, history buffs, community leaders and preservationists will team up with the Civil War Trust at more than 125 sites in 29 states to answer the call to service on Park Day. Celebrating its twentieth year, Park Day has attracted volunteers of all ages and abilities bound by their dedication to serving their communities at historic sites nationwide.

Point Lookout State Park and the Friends of Point Lookout will host a Park Day event beginning at 9:00am. Needs range from general cleanup to maintenance of historic, restored Fort Lincoln. Refreshments will be provided free of charge thanks to the Friends of Point Lookout, Inc. A local historian may also be available to describe the park’s significance. For more information about Park Day at Point Lookout State Park, please contact Bob Crickenberger at 301-872-5688 or Meg Martin of The Civil War Trust at 202-367-1861 x7231.

The Civil War Trust is the largest and most effective nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save battlefields connected to the revolutionary War and the War of 1812. To date, the Trust has preserved close to 43,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states. For a complete list of participating Park Day sites, visit Civilwar.org/parkday.