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

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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