Tag: Andersonville

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May 2026 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

May 12 , 2026

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Guest Speaker:  Bob Crickenberger

Tonight, we welcome back our good friend Bob Crickenberger, as he presents “Point Lookout, and the Second Wave of Prisons”. 

As the Civil War persisted into another bloody year, federal campaigns were sending thousands of prisoners north that overwhelmed existing prisons. The cessation of the prisoner exchange cartel compounded the burden of the already overcrowded prison system with the additional numbers. By June 1863, Commissary General of Prisoners, Colonel William Hoffman, began seeking additional locations to open new camps in order to better manage this sudden influx of prisoners. Hoffman’s latest prison, Point Lookout, began the succession of new holding areas in what is now referred to as the “Second Wave of Prisons”.

Retired as a Production Coordinator for the Prince George’s County Department of Printing, Bob has taken an active role in the preservation of our Southern Maryland Civil War history. A volunteer at Point Lookout State Park since 1978, Bob is also the founder and chairman of The Friends of Point Lookout, which has been in existence since 1985. As well as being a member of the Round table, Bob is also a member of the Sons of Union Veterans Sgt. James Harris Camp #38.

Please come out and help us wrap up our 14th year as we learn more about the events and people that contributed to our own rich Southern Maryland Civil War history. Attendance is free, but membership is recommended. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org or at 443-975-9142.

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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

http://boboconnorbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/authorphoto.jpg

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