October 10, 2017

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 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: Gary Dyson

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table welcomes author Mr. Gary Dyson, as he discusses his book, “The Ambush of the Isaac P. Smith, Family Ties and the Battle on the Stono, January 30, 1863.” Mr. Dyson will present the story of the USS Isaac P. Smith, which was ambushed by Confederate shore batteries and captured on the Stono River near Charleston, South Carolina on January 30, 1863. John Wyer Dicks (Executive Officer) and Frederic Calvin Hills (Paymaster) were officers on the Smith, meeting each other as shipmates, spending time as prisoners of war together, and immediately after the Civil War becoming related when Frederic married John’s daughter Marianne. This book also tells the history of the Smith leading up to its capture as well as provides an account of the crew’s captivity, the lives of Dicks and Hills after the war, and some brief biographies of other combatants, North and South. Battle reports and eyewitness accounts were used to describe the battle. Published through Lulu.com, Mr. Dyson’s book is available there as well as Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

The Ambush of the Isaac P. Smith, Family Ties and the Battle on the Stono, January 30, 1863

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 one of the lesser known stories of the American 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.