November 2021 Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table

November 9, 2021

The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.

Due to Charles County Board of County Commissioner updated mandates, masks will be required for all in attendance. Seating will be limited to 4 people per table. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Guest Speaker: Gary Dyson

We welcome our friend Gary Dyson back to Southern Maryland this evening, as he shares with us his latest offering, “Confederate Row: The Confederate Dead Buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland 1862-1907”

Confederate Row tells the stories of the Confederate dead buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick from 1862-1907. These soldiers entered Maryland in not the best physical condition, but fought at South Mountain, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, Cedar Creek, and other nearby battlefields and later died in Frederick from their wounds. Their genealogy, battle history, and extent of their wounds where possible are described. The presentation will also give the history of the Row since the war. As a sequel, “beyond the Bowie List” is in the works. This will describe the lives of all the known Confederate dead buried in Maryland that presumably were re-interred at the Washington Confederate from the battlefields of South Mountain, Sharpsburg, the retreat from Gettysburg, and some from Early’s Maryland invasion of 1864 that weren’t buried in Frederick.

Gary L. Dyson is a retired Environmental Specialist from the city of Gaithersburg, MD and a Marine Corps veteran. 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 The 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 as well as two Maryland church histories. He has a BS in Natural Resources from Oregon State University. Gary lives in Mount Airy, MD with his wife Emily, and are finally “empty-nesters.”

We welcome all to come out and learn about this important Civil War location, the story behind and the current state of the cemetery. Attendance is free, but membership is encouraged. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org or at 443-975-9142. We look forward to seeing you!

January 8, 2019

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.

September 12, 2017

October 2017 Southern MD Civil War Round Table Meeting

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

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.