Recent and Upcoming Events

THE CONFEDERACY’S BOMB BROTHERS

LITTLE IS KNOWN AND EVEN LESS HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE EVOLUTION AND USE OF "INFERNAL MACHINES" BY THE CONFEDERATE FORCES DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR DUE TO THE SECRET NATURE OF THIS NEW TYPE OF WARFARE. I DID, HOWEVER, READ AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE AUGUST 1997 ISSUE OF "CIVIL WAR TIMES" WHICH MADE AN INTERESTING CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO NORTH CAROLINA BROTHERS. THIS ARTICLE PROMPTED MY RESEARCH INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF GEORGE AND GABRIEL RAINS WHO WERE REFERRED TO AS THE CONFEDERACY’S BOMB BROTHERS. COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON RAINS DELIVERED AN ADDRESS TO THE CONFEDERARE SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION ON APRIL 26, 1882 ENTITLED "THE HISTORY OF THE CONFEDERATE POWDER WORKS". THE ONLY KNOWN COPY OF THE HAND WRITTEN RECOLLECTIONS OF GENERAL GABERIEL J, RAINS (WRITTEN AROUND 1870) WAS DONATED TO THE MUSEUM OF THE CONFEDERACY IN 1926 BY HIS DAUGHTER, KATHERINE RAINS.

MR. WHITE HAS PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM, WHICH DEPICTS THE ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION OF THESE TWO SONS OF NORTH CAROLINA TO THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE.

Our Dec. 5th 2006 meeting will featured Danny Couch, 46, is a life-long resident of the Outer Banks. He has taken a
passion for local history and developed it into a successful business,
Hatteras Tours. His passion began in second grade when his teacher at Cape
Hatteras School, Mrs. Nita Ballance, a Kitty Hawk native, worked local
history into the reading hour. In high school, he was editor of Sea Chest,
an award-winning student publication exploring the history and culture of
the Outer Banks. His lecture to the roundtable will focus on civilian life
on the Outer Banks during the Civil War

Our Jan. 16th 2007 meeting featured Grant Ambrose doing a presentation on Gen. Stonewall Jackson. Grant holds a BA in History and a BA in History from North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount. He taught school for 4 1/2 years at Lawrence Academy Since Feb 2006, worked as an Historic Interpreter for NC Division of Archives and History at Somerset Place State Historic Site.
He will focus on the eccentricities of Stonewall Jackson, and how they
add to the mystic that is "Stonewall". The presentation focused on the Lexington Years.

Our Feb.20th 2007 meeting featured Chris Grimes Mr. Grimes is the Managing Agent & President, Martin County Insurance Associates of NC, Inc.

He told the story of Edward O'Brien, a member of Lee's Battery which was part of Hoke's army that retook Plymouth and later detached to service aboard the CSS Albemarle.

- 1991 graduate of NCSU with a degree in Agricultural Business Management

- Interests include: Civil War history with an emphasis on both the CS and US Navies and CS and US special forces such as the Torpedo Bureau, Submarine Battery Service and Secret Service

American Revolution History with an emphasis on the Continental & State Navies and the NC Continental Line

- Memberships and affiliations include: CS Ram Albemarle Chapter, MOSB, Ship’s Company of the Roanoke (Naval Reneactors), 5^th NC Regiment of the Continental Line (Reactivated), Washington Co Hospital Board of Trustees, Museum of the Albemarle, Inc. Board of Trustees, Washington Co Historical Society Board of Trustees

March 3-4 2007 We assisted the Roanoke Island Festival Park with their annual Civil War Weekend. I hope you came down and watch the "fireworks" as the cannons roared and Mike Ross lined up the visitors in "battle lines" and did firing demonstrations. Roanoke also had an extensive list of speakers.

Our March 20th meeting featured Andrew Talkov. Mr. Talkov has been involved with the interpretation of American history, the
American Civil War in particular, for the past fourteen years. During
that time, he has worked as a National Park Ranger at Gettysburg National
Military Park and Manassas National Battlefield, and is most recently
the Chief of Interpretation at Pamplin Historical Park & The National
Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg, Virginia. During his time
at Pamplin, he has developed a number of programs/lectures on Civil War
topics that are of interest to our group.
Mr. Talkov did his talk on the last ride of Major General A.P. Hill at
Petersburg on April 2, 1865

Mr. Talkov is a graduate of Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey B.A. History, June 1995. New Jersey State Teacher Certification Program - Secondary Level/Social Studies

Our April 17th 2007 meeting will feature Walter White talking on THE CONFEDERACY’S BOMB BROTHERS

MR. WHITE HAS PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM, WHICH DEPICTS THE ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION OF THESE TWO SONS OF NORTH CAROLINA TO THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE.

Our May 15 2007 speaker is Todd S Campbell. Mr. Campbell is the current commanding officer of Battery M Second United States Artillery and holds the rank of Lieutenant. Battery M is reenactment group that portrays a United States Army artillery company during the American Civil War. The unit based in the Mid Atlantic States has approximately thirty members. Battery M owns a reproduction Three Inch Ordnance Rifle and limber for it's portrayal of a Federal horse artillery unit. The original Battery M was attached to Federal Cavalry units in the eastern theater for the majority of the war.

Lieutenant Campbell is a recently retired Federal employee. After serving six years in the United States Navy he worked an additional twenty eight years as an electronics technician for the Department of the Navy. His specialties were the firecontrol radar for the Terrier Guided Missile system and later on in his career Electronic Warfare systems.

Mr. Campbell became in involved in Civil War reenacting fifteen years ago when he joined a Henry Rifle Company in the Tidewater area. After becoming involved in reenacting in late middle age he decided to hedge his bet a little and joined an artillery unit as well. This was of course Battery M. He was elected Corporal after a year of service and assumed command of the unit in 1999.

During his tenure of command Mr. Campbell was responsible for the acquisition of a 3 Inch Ordnace Rifle, limber and trailer for the unit. He has involved Battery M in two film projects as well as countless living history events and reenactments in the Mid Atlantic region. Mr. Campbell has served as the Federal Artillery Commander at several reenactments.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia Lieutenant Campbell has had a long interest in history. During college vacations Mr. Campbell was employed as maintenance worker at Valley Forge Park which was three miles from his home. Besides having a tie to the Revolutionary War he also has a connection with the Civil War. The Phoenix Iron Works was the primary manufacturer of the 3 Inch Ordnance Rifle which produced over eleven hundred guns. The Ordnance Rifle was the armament for the original Battery M during the war. The iron works was located in the town of Phoenixville Pennsylvania a mere ten miles from his home.

Mr. Campbell currently resides in Suffolk Virginia with his wife and son. He spends a fair ammount of time preparing for living history and reenacting events that Battey M attends. His son Robert, who has been in reenacting since the age of seven, has gotten him involved in World War Two reenacting.

We are doing something different for our June 19 and July 17 2007 meetings. You know how much we enjoy Roy Archbell's presentation every July. Well this time Roy has prepared a fantastic presentation on The Wilderness. His presentation is about 5 hours or so in length. So we are going to be able to have Roy do back to back presentations in June and then July. I am really excited about this. I couldn't wait for Roy's presentation in July and now I don't have to wait as long. Thanks Roy!!!

Roy has spent countless hours preparing and culling down his presentation.

.April 27-28-29 Will be the Plymouth Living History Weekend. The reenactor contingent of our group of course will be down there fighting it out. Keith and Pat Sawyer, Dr. Sledge, Captain Dick Armstrong and Mike Ross will be participating. Plymouth is very close by so members of the Round Table can easily come down and watch the reenactment and hang out with us in camp. Plymouth goes all out for this weekend and it s well worth the short drive to see. Even just to see the ironclade "Albemarle" is worth the trip. Check out the website.

www.livinghistoryweekend.com

Our August 21st 2007 meeting we were honored to have the return of Prof. Mark Grimsley Head of Military History for Ohio State University. His list of books and articles are too long to put here so I will provide some links. Professor Grimlsy will be doing a Power Point presentation on "How to Read a Civil War Battlefield" Please visit here, or for a full vita and publication list see this.

http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/grimsley1/default.htm

Check out this interesting essay on How to Read a Civil War Battlefield

Our Sept.18 2007 meeting will feature Peter Rascoe - Chowan County Attorney and Special Projects Officer for last nine years. Former Director of NE Regional Office of Historic Preservation Foundation of NC. Current Commander, US Coast Guard Reserve stationed at Legal Division, Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic. Current Trustee, NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Past Chairman of Edenton Historical Commission. Past Board Member of Outer Banks History Center Associates. Past Board Member of Historic Hope Plantation. Past Board Member of Albemarle Resource Conservation and Development Council. Member of Fort Branch Chapter of Descendants of Confederate Veterans. Member of CSS Albemarle Chapter of Military Order of Stars and Bars. Member of Albemarle Area Provisional Chapter of the Sons of American Revolution. Graduate of NC State University and University of South Carolina School of Law. Married to Dianne Daniels, former resident of Southern Shores. Together they have five children.

Program topic will be: "Return of the Cannons of the Edenton Bell Battery". A presentation of the ten-year effort to locate and retrieve two of the four artillery pieces that were cast from the bells of the Town of Edenton and which were used by Battery B (Edenton Bell Battery), 3^rd NC Light Artillery Battalion while fighting in Virginia and North Carolina.

William Read presentation on October 16th 2007 by Scott Dawson

William Read was in the Confederate Navy and is probably the most underated man of the entire war. He served on board the CSS McRae, the famed commerce raider CSS Florida and the CSS Arkansas during it's short but glorious career. He also managed to capture 22 ships while commanding a host of captured Yankee ships in a run from Brazil to Maine where he stole a Federal warship and blew it up without the loss of a man. He escaped from jail twice and that is just the half of it....wait till you hear what he did in Columbia and Cuba.

In other news, I have published a new book called Croatoan: Birthplace of America. It is about the so called lost colony and proves they assimilated with the indians at Hatteras. I sold over 300 of these books in 8 days and have been on 2 national radio shows and have a book tour that starts in Virginia September 22nd. The book came out August 14th and I saved a stack for the Roundtable otherwise they would all be gone. Most of the stores who carry it have sold out and it will not be back in stores until republished by a bigger company.

Our Nov. 20 presentation will feature Andrew Duppstadt.

Andrew Duppstadt is the Assistant Curator of Education and Historic Weapons Program Coordinator for the NC Division of State Historic Sites. Though based in Kinston, his duties afford him the opportunity to travel statewide. He is also an Adjunct Instructor of History at Coastal Carolina Community College and Craven Community College.

Andrew also serves as President of the Civil War Roundtable of Eastern North Carolina, Secretary of the North Carolina Civil War Tourism Council, President of the living history group Ship’s Company of the Roanoke, and sits as an alternate board member for the Navy and Marine Living History Association.

Andrew holds a BA and MA in history from UNC-Wilmington, and served as a teaching assistant to renowned Civil War historian Chris Fonvielle.

Andrew’s presentation will cover the history of the CSS Neuse and the involvement of members of the ship’s officer corps in the expedition against the USS Underwriter in February 1864.

Our Dec 4th (remember the Dec. meeting is always the first Tuesday) will feature Richard W. Lawrence, Branch Head Underwater Archaeology Branch Kure Beach, NC

The title of my presentation will be: "Relics of War: Civil War Shipwrecks in Eastern North Carolina." I will give brief historical overview of naval activities in eastern NC during the Civil War and then discuss the various Civil War shipwreck sites that we have examined in the region over the past 20 years and how underwater archaeology has led to a better understanding of those events. This will be a PowerPoint presentation.

Our Nov. 20 presentation will feature Andrew Duppstadt.

Andrew holds a BA and MA in history from UNC-Wilmington, and served as a teaching assistant to renowned Civil War historian Chris Fonvielle.

Andrew’s presentation will cover the history of the CSS Neuse and the involvement of members of the ship’s officer corps in the expedition against the USS Underwriter in February 1864.

Our Dec 4th (remember the Dec. meeting is always the first Tuesday) will feature Richard W. Lawrence, Branch Head Underwater Archaeology Branch Kure Beach, NC

Our Jan. 15 2008 speaker was our own Randy Allen. Randy did a wonderful presentation about the items the average WBTS soldier wore, carried and used. It was quite a display and presentation. Everyone totllay enjoyed it. Duck Woods Country Club did a great job taking care of us. What a fantastic dinner.

Our Febuary 19 2008 meeting will feature Jeff Johnston.

Jeff Johnston is a Program Specialist who has worked with the /Monitor/ National Marine Sanctuary since 1995. Jeff serves as the Sanctuary historian and has over 20 years experience specializing in the fields of maritime and Civil War history. Jeff served as one of the archaeological team leaders for NOAA on /Monitor/ during the recovery years and continues to work with private research groups to fulfill NOAA’s efforts to preserve the USS /Monitor/

*The presentation will be about the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the work NOAA has been doing to preserve the Monitor and what we've learned about her along the way. I've given it to several other groups since last fall and folks really seemed to have liked it.

Our March 18th presentation will feature Marc Leepson. Mr. Leepson will be doing a talk on his latest book, Desperate Engagement, which tells the story of the little-known but crucial Battle of Monocacy, which took place on July 9. 1864, four miles south of Frederick, Maryland. Jubal Early with some 14,000 troops defeated Lew Wallace that day with some 6,500 troops. It was the northernmost Confederate victory of the war. After the battle Early marched on under-defended Washington, D.C., and was set to invade at noon on July 11.
Marc Leepson is a journalist, historian and author who specializes in writing about American history, the Vietnam War and Vietnam veterans.

A former staff writer for Congressional Quarterly, he has been arts editor and columnist for The VVA Veteran, the newspaper published by Vietnam Veterans of America, since March of 1986.
He has written for many newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post, Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian, Military History, Civil War Times Illustrated, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Arizona Republic, New York Newsday, Detroit News, Dallas Morning News, Christian Science Monitor, St. Petersburg Times, and USA Today.

He is the author of six books, most recently, Desperate Engagement: How a Little Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History. His well-received, Flag: An American Biography (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2005), a history of the American flag from the beginnings to today, was published in 2005. His previous book was Saving Monticello: The Levy Family’s Epic Quest to Rescue the House and Jefferson Built (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2001; University of Virginia Press, paperback, 2003).

He is the editor of Webster’s New World Dictionary of the Vietnam War and a contributor to The Dictionary of Virginia Biography and The Encyclopedia Americana.

He has been interviewed on MSNBC, FOX News, The Today Show, All Things Considered, CNN, CNBC, Talk of the Nation, Morning Edition, The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), On the Media, New York and Company (WNYC-FM), Irish Radio, and CBC (

Canada

).
He has presented papers and chaired panels at academic conferences at the University of Notre Dame, Tulane University, University of Massachusetts, Texas Tech University, the College of William and Mary, and Salisbury State University. He has given presentations to students at the colleges, universities and high schools, including the University of Miami, American University, Georgetown University, Appalachian State University, the University of Maryland and Foxcroft School.

An adjunct instructor of history at Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton, Virginia, he earned a BA in history from George Washington University in 1967. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1967-69, including a year in the Vietnam War, he earned a Masters Degree in history from George Washington University in 1971. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife and children.

..Our April 15 2008 speaker is Randy Watkins. Randy is a US Park Ranger at the Petersburg National Battlfield. Park. He is a member of the 12th Va Reenactment group. Randy is the park ranger that gave the Rt the tour of the Petersburg and Five Forks Battlefield. He is a walking encyclopedia with a good personality. We were very impreessed with him and at that time suggested he come down and give a presentation to us. He is going to go in depth on the Battle of The Crater. He walks that site every day and tells the story of the Crater over and over. When we were there at the Crater he really helped bring the site alive. You will also pick up the amazing amount of respect Randy has for those who fought and those who died on all of these battlefields. I and all of the people on the tour know you will be impressed.

Our May 20th meeting will feature COMMANDER GERALD C. ROXBURY USN RETIRED Commander Jerry Roxbury was born in Queens, New York. He enlisted in the Navy in January 1972 and upon completion of Recruit Training at Great Lakes IL he attended Radarman "A" school. As an Operations Specialist he attained the rate of Senior Chief (Surface Warfare) and served in USS PIGEON (ASR 21); USS VIRGINIA (CGN 38); USS MOINESTER (FF 1097); USS BIDDLE (CG 34) and ashore at FLEASWTRACEN Atlantic. It was onboard USS BIDDLE in 1985 that CDR Roxbury was selected as a Chief Warrant Officer W2.

After commissioning, CDR Roxbury served in USS CORONADO (AGF 11) while she served as the Flagship for COM6THFLT, COM3RDFLT, and COMIDEASTFOR. In 1988, CDR Roxbury was selected as a Limited Duty Officer. His subsequent sea tours included temporary additional duty to augment the Space and Electronic Warfare Commander (SEWC) staff onboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) during her maiden deployment in support of OPERATION DESERT STORM; USS BARRY (DDG 52); and Cruiser Destroyer Group TWO where he served onboard the Flagship USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73). CDR Roxbury’s shore tours include Naval Space Command at Dahlgren Virginia; Combat Systems Training Group, Norfolk VA; Navy Personnel Command in Millington TN; and the Center for Surface Combat Systems Learning Site Dam Neck VA.

CDR Roxbury’s decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Silver Star and Gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with three Gold Stars, as well as numerous unit, campaign, and service awards.

.Jerry Roxbury retired from the US Navy in August 2006 and in civilian life is employed by RNB Technologies, Inc. He works for the Navy at Tactical Training Group Atlantic, at Dam Neck Virginia as a government contractor.

Jerry Roxbury has had an interest in naval history and has collected military and naval artifacts for over 40 years. He is the current president of the Hampton Roads Militaria Society, a member of the Company of Military Historians, and the Hampton Roads Civil War Round Table. He has displayed his vast collection in various museums, living history events, and Civil War shows throughout the Hampton Roads area and recently won "Best of Show" for his display on "Confederate Naval Cutlasses" at the 2007 Capital of the Confederacy Civil War show in Richmond Virginia.

Our June 17th 2008 meeting will feature John V. Quarstein is an award-winning historian, author, and preservationist. He has served as an adjunct professor at several universities including the College of William and Mary and after 30 years, he is the Director Emertius of the Virginia War Museum. John is now the Historian for the City of Hampton, Virginia. He also serves as a museum consultant and historian for various cities and counties, such as Poquoson and Gloucester. Furthermore, he provides leadership and project management for the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, The Mariners’ Museum, Rebecca Vaughan House, and T.C. Walker House. During his 32-year career he has created or revitalized 16 museums and preserved 9 historic sites, such as Lee Hall Mansion, Endview Plantation, Warwick Court House and portions of the Williamsburg Battlefield.

Dr. Quarstein is the author of nine books including Fort Monroe: The Key to the South, C.S.S. Virginia: Mistress of Hampton Roads, and A History of Ironclads: The Power of Iron Over Wood. He also serves as historian for the local PBS affiliate WHRO producing, narrating and writing films documenting Hampton Roads history such as the ‘Here & Then’ and ‘Hampton Roads’ series as well as individual productions such as ‘Jamestown: Foundation of Freedom’ and ‘Halloween Haunts’. He produces two shows for the City of Hampton’s Channel 47 television station.

John V. Quarstein is the recipient of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 1993 President’s Award for Historic Preservation, The Civil War Society’s 1996 Preservation Award in 1996, The United Daughter’s of the Confederacy’s Jefferson Davis Gold Medal in 1999, a 2007 Emmy for ‘Jamestown: Foundations of Freedom’ and a 2007 Silver Telly Award for his ‘Civil War in Hampton Roads’ film series. Presently he serves on the board of several national organizations such as Virginia Civil War Trails, Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority, and the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission Advisory Board.

An avid duck hunter and decoy collector, John V. Quarstein lives on Buckroe Beach in Hampton, Virginia and on his Eastern Shore farm.

Mr. Quarstein will be doing a presentation on the Battle of Big Bethel

Our July 15 2008 meeting will feature Elizabeth Roberson. Mrs. Roberson is the Author of "Weep Not for Me Dear Mother". Mrs. Roberson will be speaking on "Black Confederates".

Our August

September 2008 Our speaker will be Fred L. Ray is the president and CEO of CFS Press, Inc. (cfspress.com), and author of several books on flood and swiftwater rescue. He is a US Army veteran who spent most of his time in armored cavalry, during which he served two tours in Vietnam.

While researching the Civil War era as part of a family history project, he found that one of his great-grandfathers, Lieutenant Jason O. Patton, had commanded a Confederate sharpshooter company. This, in turn, led to an investigation of the sharpshooters themselves, and a book on the subject.

Visit Mr. Ray's website to learn more about him. Also he has a treasure trove of articles archived on his site. http://www.cfspress.com/sharpshooters/index.html

Next months meeting on Oct. 7 th will feature: Eric Wittenberg doing a presentation on Lee's Retreat from Gettysburg. Mr. Wittenberg is from just outside of Gettysburg.

Eric J. Wittenberg is a noted Civil War Cavalry historian and author of a dozen books and two dozen articles on the Civil War. His first book, “Gettysburg’s Forgotten Calvary Actions”, won the 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award. The focus of most of his work has been on Union Cavalry operations in the eastern theatre of the Civil War with a special emphasis on the role played by horse soldiers in the Gettysburg Campaign. Eric has spoken at numerous Round Tables across the country.

The following is a partial list of the books written or edited by Eric Wittenberg:

Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions (1998)

“We Have It Damn Hard Out Here”: The Civil War Letters of Sergeant Thomas W. Smith, Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry (1999)

One of Custer’s Wolverines: The Civil War Letters of Brevet Brig. Gen. James H. Kidd, 6th Michigan Cavalry (2000)

Under Custer’s Command: The Civil War Journal of James Henry Avery (2000)

Glory Enough for All: Sheridan’s Second Raid and the Battle of Brandy Station (2001)

At Custer’s Side: The Civil War Writings of James Harvey Kidd (2001)

With Sheridan in the Final Campaign Against Lee (2002)

Protecting the Flank: The Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field, Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-3, 1863 (2002)

Little Phil: A Reassessment of the Civil War Leadership of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan (2003)

The Union Cavalry Comes of Age: Hartwood Church to Brandy Station, 1863 (2003)

The Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads and the Civil War’s Final Campaign (2005)

One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg, July 4-13, 1863 (with J. David Petruzzi and Michael F. Nugent) (2006)

Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (with J. David Petruzzi) (2006)

Our Nov. 18th presentation will feature local historian and educator Bruce Long on the Battle of Elizabeth City. Check out Mr. Longs website on the Battle

http://ecbattle.home.coastalnet.com/Battle%20Summary.htm

Here is Mr. Long's website on the Battle of South Mills. A great website.

http://southmillsbattle.home.coastalnet.com/

Our Dec. 2 2008 meeting featured Larry Floyd from Chesapeake VA. Mr. Floyd has a large collection of Sharps Rifles. They will be displayed and Mr. Floyd will be doing a presentation on the design, development and employment of the Sharps. Afterward we will be allowed to handle the many fine specimens in his collection.

Our Feb. 17th 2009 meeting featured one of our favorite speakers. RT member Scott Dawson will doing a presentation on the Hunley. This I am sure will be as good as his other presentations.

Our March 10th 2009 meeting featured Mr. Al Stone. Here is a little something Mr. Stone emailed me about his appearances. The best thing to do though is to visit his website.

My name is Al Stone and for the past 13 years I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of offering an impression of the late, great General Robert E. Lee. I have offered my impression to schools, colleges, SCV and UDC camps, Civil War Roundtables, festivals, reenactments, living history events, at Lee Chapel in Lexington, VA, and many other venues to include Stratford Hall where I have the privilege of being their “Lee”. On the occasion of the General’s 200^th birthday at Stratford, I enjoyed the company of Robert E. Lee IV and other immediate members of the Lee family and was told that of all the Lee impressionists, I offer what they deemed to be the most accurate. I have spoken to crowds ranging in size from a few to on one occasion over 14,000 and televised nationally.
I portrayed the General in the two hour History Channel documentary “April 1865” and have portrayed him in segments filmed for the Discovery Channel and Travel Channel as well as in two full length feature movies and numerous other documentaries to include two with the late Shelby Foote.
... I will be at Stratford Hall (General Lee’s birthplace) January 16/17 and leaving on the 18^th. ...
http://www.generalrelee.com/

Our April 14th meeting will feature Randy Watkins. Randy is a US Park Ranger at the Petersburg National Battlefield. Park. He is a member of the 12th Va Reenactment group. Randy is the park ranger that gave the Rt the tour of the Petersburg and Five Forks Battlefield. He is a walking encyclopedia with a good personality. We were very impressed with him and at that time suggested he come down and give a presentation to us. He is going to go in depth on the Battle of Five Forks. He walks that site every day. You will also pick up the amazing amount of respect Randy has for those who fought and those who died on all of these battlefields. I and all of the people on the tour know you will be impressed.

Our May 19th 2009 meeting will feature John V. Quarstein is an award-winning historian, author, and preservationist. He has served as an adjunct professor at several universities including the College of William and Mary and after 30 years, he is the Director Emertius of the Virginia War Museum. John is now the Historian for the City of Hampton, Virginia. He also serves as a museum consultant and historian for various cities and counties, such as Poquoson and Gloucester. Furthermore, he provides leadership and project management for the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, The Mariners’ Museum, Rebecca Vaughan House, and T.C. Walker House. During his 32-year career he has created or revitalized 16 museums and preserved 9 historic sites, such as Lee Hall Mansion, Endview Plantation, Warwick Court House and portions of the Williamsburg Battlefield.

An avid duck hunter and decoy collector, John V. Quarstein lives on Buckroe Beach in Hampton, Virginia and on his Eastern Shore farm.

Mr. Quarstein will be doing a presentation on the Battle of Williamsburg.

Our June 16 2009 will be Stacy Humphreys

Stacy Humphreys grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia and is the daughter of Max and Kitty Humphreys. While growing up she always had a love and passion for History. Her interest in the American Civil War sparked at the age of 4 when her parents took her on a trip to the battlefield in New Market, Virginia. Upon graduating from University High School in 1996, she entered West Virginia University as a Freshman that Fall. Stacy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000 in History with a Business Administration minor and Master of Arts in 2002 in History with emphasis in Public History, 19^{th Century American
History and Parks and Recreation. She graduated a member of Phi Alpha Theta (History Honorary) and Phi Beta Kappa.
Stacy started her career with the National Park Service in the summer
of 2000 at Gettysburg National Military Park. After working at Gettysburg for two summers, she got her first permanent job
at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA, and after a short time there moved to the National Mall in Washington
DC. In September of 2003, she started as a Park Ranger/Historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
With this move, Stacy fulfilled a life-long dream of working at a Civil War Park. At Fredericksburg, her duties include leading
tours of the battlefields, Fredericksburg Visitors Center Building Supervisor, Assistant Education Coordinator, and also serves
as the Park’s NPS-certified Historic Weapons Supervisor, where her specialty is Civil War artillery. She has been able
to obtain a working 12pdr. Napoleon Cannon that the park uses during living history demonstrations and the all-volunteer detachment
portrays her favorite unit, the Washington Artillery of New Orleans. Stacy began studying the Washington Artillery five years
ago and has conducted extensive research on the unit, obtaining information from as far away as Louisiana and Colorado, and
has presented programs on the unit at the park as well as at Civil War Round Tables and conferences. Her first article appears
in the 2006 edition of the Fredericksburg: History and Biography Journal entitled, "Francis Dunbar Ruggles: A Massachusetts
Yankee in the Washington Artillery."}

Program Title: "Memories of ‘Try Us!’": The Washington Artillery of New Orleans

^{Scott Dawson will appear at the July 21st 2009 meeting of the Outer Banks Civil War Round
Table. Mr. Dawson is a native of Hatteras Island and author of two books; Hagan of Hatteras and Croatoan Birthplace
of America. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and currently resides on Hatteras Island where he operates
a museum and motel in Buxton called the Croatoan Inn. Mr. Dawson was previously engaged as a historical interpreter
at the History Center at Festival Park in Manteo. He has given two well-received presentations to the Outer Banks Civil
War Round Table regarding the Confederate submarine the Hunley and also a presentation on the clash between the Monitor and
the Merrimac at Hampton Roads, Virginia.}

^{Mr. Dawson will speak on the CSS Florida, a Confederate privateer that operated during the
War Between the States.}

Harry Thompson will appear at the August 18^{th meeting of the Outer Banks Civil War
Round Table. Mr. Thompson is the Curator of the Port O’Plymouth Civil War Museum. He is a member of the North Carolina
Maritime History Council, the Governor’s Historic Murfreesboro Commission, Past-President of the Historic Hope Foundation
and a history teacher at Martin Community College. Mr. Thompson is also the author of five historical books.}

Mr. Thompson will speak on John Taylor Wood who served as an officer in the Confederate Navy and became one of the most historic figures of the Confederacy.

Our Sept. 15 2009 meeting will feature Wallace Abernathy doing a presentation on Confederate Spies and the "Confederate Secret Service". Wallace will also have with him some examples of some of the items 19th century spies used.

Wallace Abernethy: Life Long Resident of Nash County. Retired Mechanical Project Engineer. A student of The American Civil War History for more than 40 years. Participates as Exhibitor in several Civil War Events a year and also Confederate Memorials

Our Oct. 20th 2009 meeting will Feature Henry Kidd. Here is Mr. Kidd's info. My name is Henry Kidd. I have written a novel on the Battle of the Crater called, Petersburg, War on the Doorsteps. I have given lectures to several Historical Societies many SCV and UDC Chapters. On the 145th Anniversary of the Crater, I gave a lecture for Petersburg National Battlefield at the site of the Crater.

My novel has been nominated by Waite Rawles, CEO of the Museum of the Confederacy, for the Michael Shaara Award that is given out by Gettysburg College. Here is what Mr. Rawles said about my novel, "There are a lot of Civil War novels that are beginning to come out, but I don't read most of them. I prefer the real stuff. If you are like me, you should make an exception for Henry Kidd's book because he makes history come alive -- doing for ordinary soldiers in the ranks what Michael Shaara did for the generals in The Killer Angels. His book is extraordinarily well-researched, and the dialogue smacks of reality. He gives Col. Pleasants and his Pennsylvania coal miners the same depth as the Petersburg boys in Mahone's Brigade, defending their own Cockade City. It's a great read. "

Here is a link to my website about my novel and artwork. http://henrykiddart.com/novel.htm

Our Nov. 17 2009 meeting will feature Wayne Ritchie. Wayne Ritchie has been proudly portraying Mathew B. Brady for over 6 years. He has been averaging 20 re-enactments each year. Giving talks on the man and the legion that during the 1840’s and 1850’s was known as The Brady of Broadway. The famous portrait photographer of the rich and famous as well as the presidential photographer. The only photographer in Washington City that had an open door policy to the Whitehouse. His studio was six blocks away and countless presidents made the journey to sit for their turn as an image to photographical history.

Wayne has also given talks at schools in North Carolina and Virginia. At the Gettysburg re-enactment event of 2007 he proudly accepted the pleasure to give a talk on the Wet Plate Process of Photography. In front of a crowd that numbered well over 500 people he kept the spectators sitting on his every word. After the question and answer conclusion to his talk he received a standing ovation.

Wayne is affiliated with a group of re-enactors called Lee’s Lieutenants. He has been portraying Mr. Brady for 5 years with this group and at their event called “The Gathering of Eagles” he has given talks on Mathew Brady at the historical museum in Winchester Virginia. He has also appeared at the living history event held in Bedford Virginia. You can find more information about this group by going on the web site for Lee’s Lieutenants.

www.leeslieutenants.com

Our Jan. 19 2010 speaker will be Drew Pullen doing a presentation on the Battle of New Bern. More details to come.

Our Feb. 15 2010 speaker will be Chris Fonvielle. Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr. was born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended local schools, graduating from New Hanover High and UNC Wilmington, where he received a B.A. in Anthropology. He served as the last curator of the Blockade Runners of the Confederacy Museum before going on to graduate school. He earned his M.A. in American history from East Carolina University and his Ph.D. in Civil War studies at the University of South Carolina. That makes Chris a Wildcat, Seahawk, Pirate, and Gamecock. After a brief teaching stint at East Carolina, Chris returned to his undergraduate alma mater where, since 1996, he has taught in the Dept. of History. He is the author of several articles and books on the Civil War and Cape Fear history, including The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope and Louis Froelich: Arms-Maker to the Confederacy.

Our March 16th 2010 meeting will feature Jimmy Hardison for Plymouth NC. Mr. Hardison has been doing the tours for the Battle of Plymouth Reenactment for years. He will be doing a presentation on The Battle of Plymouth.

Our April 20th 2010 meeting we will be having a presentation by Ronnie Woolard

Ronnie Woolard is a native of Washington, North Carolina and a Timothy of the Rosemary Church of Christ. He graduated from Washington High School in 1968 with a record of leadership in athletics and academics. He attended Mid-Atlantic Christian University (formerly Roanoke Bible College) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina graduating summa cum laude in 1972 as valedictorian of his class. While a student there, he held youth ministries in Ohio and North Carolina.



            Ronnie and his wife Trish moved to Illinois where he entered graduate study at Lincoln Christian Seminary and ministered to the Lake Fork Christian Church. He graduated from Lincoln in 1974 with a Master of Arts in Old Testament. He returned to North Carolina that year to join the faculty at MACU. Continuing his education in summer school, Ronnie completed a Master of Divinity in Theology from Cincinnati Christian Seminary in 1985.

            Versatility has characterized Ronnie's ministry in the classroom at MACU as the university’s needs over the last four decades have necessitated his teaching a wide range of courses. Currently, he teaches an assortment of Old and New Testament courses. In addition to his academic load, Ronnie served as Chairman of the Bible/Theology Department for twenty years. He still serves on a number of administrative committees. He has also been involved in cross-cultural work having taught in India, served on the Board of Central India Christian Mission, and taught in Venezuela where his daughter served as a Team Expansion missionary. He and his wife are Forwarding Agents for their daughter.

Since joining the faculty in 1974, Ronnie and his family have been actively involved in the local church as well including week-end ministries and supply preaching. He has conducted workshops and extension classes in area churches. In September of 1988, in partnership with several other staff members of MACU, he led in the establishment of the Towne South Church of Christ where he served as senior minister until the church occupied its first building in 1999 and secured its first full-time minister in 2004. He continued to serve there as an Elder and teacher until September 2008 when he rotated off the leadership team as the church celebrated its twentieth anniversary.

            His wife, the former Patricia Hitch, also graduated from MACU and has served with Ronnie on the staff at the university in several different roles. Currently, she is a private educational therapist for children with learning disabilities. She has worked tirelessly beside her husband both at the university and in the church throughout the years serving as Christian Education Director in each of the churches where they have ministered. They have two children: Tara is on the staff of Team Expansion International Services at the headquarters in Louisville, KY. Eric is Associate Minister with the Macedonia Christian Church in Williamston, NC.

            When not working at the university or the church, Ronnie enjoys participating in or watching sports, working on his house, visiting historic sites, reading books about history, and participating in Civil War reenactments. Mr. Woolard will be doing a presentation on Chaplains During the Civil War and Their Impact.

May 18th meeting will feature

Taught to sew as a child, Liz Watkins set fabric aside in favor of charcoal and paint while studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Longwood University. Degree obtained; work force entered; immediately BORED. Liz’s father, a retired police officer and long-time history buff, joined the 12^th Virginia Infantry, Co B, a local reenacting group and asked her to join him. With the challenge of creating an impression, or persona, of someone living 150 years ago placed in front of her Liz was hooked-- and at a loss. How does one recreate the clothing of the Victorian era and not look like she walked off the set of Gone with the Wind? Liz began to attend conferences and lectures, to take classes on period clothing reproduction and look at examples of original clothing. From there it was a natural leap to study the people of the 19^th century and gain further understanding of their mindset. What physical and economic conditions do they face? Why would they make certain choices? How do these decisions impact their clothing?

The quality of her own impression much improved; her interest in the accurate portrayal of 19^th century persons obvious, fellow reenactors asked Liz to make their reproduction clothing and Halloway House was born. Since 1999, Halloway House has grown to include a full repertoire of civilian clothing (1855-1865), a limited selection of Confederate military uniforms (1860-1865) and military and civil flags. In addition to clothing reproduction, Liz has been asked to speak on 19^th century women’s clothing for the Museum of the Confederacy and multiple local historic organizations. Examples of her work are currently on display at the Petersburg National Battlefield and Five Forks Visitor Centers.

In a rare instance of a mother following in a daughter’s footsteps, Sherry Graves began reenacting in 1999. A long time member of the UDC, she is the current Chaplin of Richmond Stonewall Jackson Chapter 1705 and a member of the finance committee. Her organizational skills quickly came to bear within the 12^th Virginia where she has held the position of Civilian Coordinator for the past 6 years. In contrast to her daughter’s interest in clothing, Sherry has concentrated on less material aspects of everyday living, presenting her program “Shortages and Substitutions” to school children in the classroom and living history programs at the Chesterfield County Fair and State Fair of Virginia. She also volunteers at Petersburg National Battlefield presenting park-initiated and independent living history programs. The rest of her time is occupied with technical writing and an active membership in Tomahawk Baptist Church.

Our June 15th 2010 meeting will feature Stan Clardy. He has written and performs a one-man play, “Soldiers in Gray, A Musical Journey”, about a soldier's life through the war, based on facts and letters of that period. Stan wrote all songs, music and play. Stan has cd's and tapes of the music that is performed in the play, plus "Southern Stars", "God Save The South", "Wayfaring Stranger" and his book "TimeLight, a journey into the past", available at the program, through his web site, www.stanclardy.com, or when he performs at events.

http://www.stanclardy.com/

Our July 20 2010 meeting will feature Peter Rascoe's current War Between the States program is a lecture/powerpoint presentation entitled: The History and Preservation of the Company Colors of Company L, 17^th Regiment, NC Troops (the Defenders of Fort Bartow). Peter Rascoe

·         Town Manager, Town of Southern Shores

·         Board of Directors, Museum of Albemarle

·         Former Chairman, Edenton Historical Commission

·         Former Board member, Outer Banks History Center

·         Former Director, Northeast NC Regional Office, NC Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.

Our Aug. 17 2010 meeting will feature Charles Knight. Mr. Knight will be doing a presentation on the Battle of New Market. Charles R. Knight's Valley Thunder is the first full-length account in nearly four decades to examine the sweeping combat at New Market, on May 15, 1864 - the battle that opened the pivotal 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

http://www.newmarketbattle.com/index.html

Our Sept. 21st 2010 meeting will feature Professor Lawrence E. Babits. Here is a quick bio on Professor Babits.

From Wikipedia: Lawrence E. Babits (born June 22, 1943) is an American archaeologist with specific interests in military history, material culture, and battlefield and maritime archaeology. Babits is credited with highly accurate accounts of soldiers' combat experience during the 18th century^{[citation needed]}, specifically during the Battle of Cowpens, a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. This is illustrated in his books Long, Obstinate and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (coauthored with Joshua B. Howard) and A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Babits is currently a George Washington Distinguished Professor of Maritime Archaeology and History at East Carolina University.^[1] More info below.

Wikipedia link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Babits

Professor Babits will be speaking on either the Battle of Cowpens or The Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Our Oct. 19 2010 meeting will feature Colonel Black Jack Travis. Col. Travis lives in Wilmington where

he enjoys his hobby as a professional re-enactor

of the War Between the States, as well as lecturing

about muzzle loading artillery, cannoneers, and

artillery tactics of the Civil War. As a re-enactor, in

his role as chief of artillery for Longstreet's Corps, he

held the ranks of Colonel and Brigadier General and

became known as Colonel "Black Jack" Travis.

Through re-enacting and research of the Civil War,

Jack has just published his book, Men of God,

Angels of Death. This narrative is about the

Rowan Artillery, a famous NC artillery battery in the

Army of Northern Virginia.

The battery was commanded by Major James E.

Reilly; and later by Captain John A. Ramsay. This

story brings to life the alliance between Ramsay and

Reilly. Ramsay was a descendant of a North

Carolina farm family of Scottish origin, a surveyor,

and a devout Presbyterian. Reilly was an Irish

immigrant, a career artilleryman in the US Army, and

a devout Catholic who found himself stationed in

Wilmington when the war began.

Together these Men of God ~ one whose southern

roots reached back to colonial times, and the other a

newcomer who grew to love the South ~ shaped and

led the Rowan Artillery, one of the premier units to

serve in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Follow their

footsteps from the start of the war to the fall of Fort

Fisher through the words of an experienced reenactor.

Colonel "Black Jack" Travis will also bring to life the

artillery of the ANV. Some unusual and unknown

facts will be revealed by answering the following:

Where was the first cannon shot fired?

Who fired that cannon?

Was there a nutritional value in nails?

What was Stonewall Jackson's Folly at Malvern Hill?

What was Major Reilly's dilemma?

What artillery tactics were used at Gettysburg?

In what special way was General P. G. T.

Beauregard used at Gettysburg?

What was the secret component in the Union

gunpowder?

Who were the rascals of Fort Fisher?

Who really surrendered Fort Fisher?

Our Nov. 16 2010 meeting will feature Gilbert "Skip" Riddle

Topics: "And the Ninth New Jersey their Laurels have won!

Skip Riddle received his BA degree in history from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He currently resides in Greenville, NC and divides his time between work, recreation and research. He is the author of a host of articles and research materials related to military topics spanning the War of American Independence and the Civil War and the role of Genealogy in historical research. His areas of expertise primarily focus on the social aspects of military service. His core focus of the Civil War centers on three New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiments – the 8^{th, 9th and 15th. He has spoken numerous times
at such Civil War Round Tables as the George Taylor CWRT, Clinton, NJ and more recently at the New Bern CWRT. His primary
focus since relocating to North Carolina has been on the Battle of New Bern, with special focus on the 9th New Jersey and
the role and activities of the Federal and North Carolina regiments who were engaged in the battle.}

From Trenton, Camp Olden to the eastern areas of North Carolina. New Jersey’s first regiment to see combat in the great struggle. From the rolling countryside of the State, what made this regiment unique in the annuals of New Jersey Volunteers will be the primary focus of the evening’s presentation.

He has appeared repeatedly as a Guest Speaker at the David Library of the American Revolution, Washington Crossing, and Pa. His speaking range has also included first person impressions in the "Lunch and Learn" program offered by the New Bern Historical Society. He also was President of "Historical Presentations Limited," while resident in Pennsylvania, which delivered School Assembly Programs to public and private schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania related to of American Independence and the Civil War. He has spoken at various county Historical Societies’ concerning the recruitment and activities of locally raised Civil War regiments. Further, he has been a keynote speaker for both the Sons of the American Revolution & Daughters of the American Revolution and the prestigious Descendents of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. He is an active Genealogist and been a repeated guest speaker at the Church of Latter Day Saints with focus on mining Military Pension Records for family information.

He is an active New Bern Battlefield Guide and Member of the New Bern

^{Charlie Andrews will be our Jan. 12th 2011 speaker. The presentation will be about Stonewall Jackson with emphsis on his last
batte at Chancellorsville.}

^{Here's a bio: "Charlie
Andrews grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia, as the son of a man reared in Prince Edward County, near Appomattox. Graduated from
Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia....somewhat of a historical center for the post-Civil War South. Served
as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam War. Earned a master's degree in procurement & contracting from George Washington
University. Built a career around buying, selling, leasing, contracting, and negotiating everything from oil exploration contracts
for the North Slope of Alaska to internet service provider contracts throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Spent the last twenty
years in the field of international data telecommunications, working for a division of France Telecom. Retired in April, 2010.
Charlie has always been interested in the Civil War era and has remained an avid student of the period.}

^{Our Feb. 9th 2011 meeting will feature Spotswood Graves}Spottswood Graves was born in Orange Co., Virginia, and lived about 20 miles from the Chancellorsville and Wilderness Battlefields. He grew up hearing about General Lee worshipping during the winters of 1862 & 1863 in the church Spottswood worshipped in. He is a graduate of Va Tech in Business Administration and of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. He served a minister of the Outer Banks Presbyterian Church from 1978 -2003. He has read Civil War history for much of his adult life and has visited many of the Virginia battlefields, Gettysburg, Antietam, and Vicksburg, and Atlanta. He has long been interested in the time leading up to the firing on Fort Sumter. His interest is mainly in understanding the political dynamics of the time.   At the February meeting, which takes place exactly 150 years after the Montgomery organization of the Confederate States of America, he will talk about the political decisions, economic conditions, and important events of the period 1820 – 1860 spending most his time on events during 1850 to 1860

Our Tuesday March 15th 2011 speaker will be Bob Smith who is a professor of History at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. He and his family have lived in Elizabeth City since 2003. His PhD was earned at Miami University in Oxford Ohio. His research interests are primarily focused on the historical and cultural context of the Ancient Near East. He is the Assistant Director of the Abila of the Decapolis Archaeological Expedition in Jordan where he has been excavating since 1984. There in the 2010 season at Abila a well preserved mosaic floor of a Byzantine era church was exposed. His presentation on Commodore Lynch has come about in part because of the connection Lynch had with the inauguration of American scientific exploration of the Levant.

Dr. Bob Smith will be bringing a visual presentation entitled “Commodore William F. Lynch before the Mosquito Fleet.”   This presentation will consider why Commodore Lynch was selected to take authority over the North Carolina Navy as it was folded into the Confederate States’ Navy following the fall of Hatteras to the Federal forces in 1861. Many influential North Carolinians, like Governor Zeb Vance have held a dim view of Lynch and have questioned the Confederate High Command’s decision in assigning him to North Carolina. Dr. Smith will demonstrate that Lynch was one of the best known, well connected and most highly accomplished sailors of the Confederate Navy.

^{Our April 19th 2011 will feature Catherine M. Wright was born in Kansas City,
Missouri, and grew up there and in Norfolk, Virginia. She received bachelors degrees in English and History from Truman
State University (2003), and a masters degree in American History with a concentration in museum studies from
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2006). She is the editor of Lee’s Last Casualty: The Life and Letters
of Sgt. Robert W. Parker, Second Virginia Cavalry (University of Tennessee Press, 2008) and is a contributing historian
to the online Encyclopedia of Virginia. She was formerly the curator at the Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington, VA, and
is currently the collections manager at The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.}

^{Ms. Wright will be speaking on the letters of Sgt. Robert W. Parker. These provide a window
into the daily life of an enlisted cavalryman, as well as highlight the unique story of the soldier believed to be the last
man killed in action in the Army of Northern Virginia. In many ways, Parker was representative of
the average Confederate soldier: a modest farmer in the antebellum years, his patriotic fervor spurred him at the beginning
of the war to enlist in the Confederate cavalry. His letters reveal how home front and battlefront were closely intertwined,
and the importance of correspondence in sustaining that connection and the will to fight. The role of the cavalry and Parker's
tragic death are also highlighted in the program.}

For our May 17th 2011 presentation Drew Pullen will be doing a Power Point presentation on the Civil War On Roanoke Island ^{and also, Dennis Schurr will highlight several items from our
"Flags Over Hatteras" website.}

^{Drew Pullen is
the author of two books:}^{The Civil War On Hatteras Island}^and^{The Civil War On Roanoke Island.}^{He received a B.A in History from Houghton College and did graduate studies at SUNY at Geneseo. He is a
former history teacher and is presently retired after 27 years in banking. His wife JoAnne is a native to Hatteras Island.
Her g,g,grandfather Oliver Oneal Barnett served in the 1st N.C. Regiment at Forts Clark and Hatteras. It was interest
in researching her family history that prompted him to write these books. Drew serves on the Board of Directors of The
Friends Of The Graveyard Of The Atlantic Museum and as Chair of the "Flags Over Hatteras" Civil War On The Outer Banks
Committee.}

^{Our June 2011 meeting featured local historian Alex Leary doing a presentation
on The Battle of South Mills.}

Our July 19th 2011 speaker will be Scott Dawson. Scott Dawson runs the Hatteras Histories and Mysteries Museum in Avon and has written two books.Croatoan Birthplace of America and Hagan of Hatteras. He helped organize and participated in 3 archaeological digs on Hatteras and uncovered thousands of artifacts. He is a 10th generation native of the OBX and graduated from the University of Tennessee. On July 19th he will be doing a presentation on the Battles of Hampton Roads and Drewery's Bluff. The famous USS Monitor participated in both of these battles as well as famous Civil War Artist, Charles Hasker who is remembered most for sinking 42 feet with the Confederate submarine Hunley and living to tell about it. Dawson has spoken all around NC and Va on a variety of historic topics and always delivers an entertaining and educational program that will leave you amazed.

Our August 16th 2011 speaker is Randy Watkins. Randy is a US Park Ranger at the Petersburg National Battlfield. Park. He is a member of the 12th Va Reenactment group. Randy is the park ranger that gave the Rt the tour of the Petersburg and Five Forks Battlefield. He is a walking encyclopedia with a good personality. We were very impreessed with him and at that time suggested he come down and give a presentation to us.

September 2011 Whole hog BBQ at the SS Marina with presenters, period music and a period shooting demonstration.

Anthony F. Radd will appear at the October 18^th 2011 meeting of the Outer Banks Civil War Round Table. Mr. Radd is a partner and director of the Wolcott Rivers Gates Law Firm in Virginia Beach, Virginia where he specializes in banking,

bankruptcy business and commercial law. He is a native of Virginia having graduated from Granby

High School, attended Princeton University where

he obtained his undergraduate degree in 1972. He graduated from the William and Mary Law School

in 1975. Mr. Radd is a member of the Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach Bar Associations.

He has been a student of the American Civil War

for more than 30 years. Mr. Radd is currently

serving on the Executive Committee of the

Hampton Roads Civil War Round Table.

Mr. Radd is the author of a published

article entitled “Was There A Right of Succession

in 1861” and will speak on this topic at the

October meeting.

Our January 11th 2012 presentation

My talk will be on "Handguns of the Civil War". Larry Floyd Born and raised in South Norfolk, Va A resident the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake Retired 33 years with the Va. State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation as Deputy Asst. Director 50 year vet. North South Skirmish Asso. Director Williamsburg Film Festival

Collector of Antique Firearms and Civil War Books among lots of other stuff. (16 "period" handguns were displayed and a quick description and story told about each. At the end of the presentation everyone was allowed to handle each pistol.)

Our Feb. 8th 2012 presentation will be by Jim Mayo. Here is what Jim wrote about his topic and bio. The talk will be a description of what remained at Gettysburg after the battle. It will be told using eye witness accounts of various people who wrote what they saw. It will be a little macabre since the part of the program deals with describing the carnage, ridding the field of dead horses and the burial of the bodies. That part is not for the faint of heart as it is somewhat graphic. Other subjects covered will be the appearance of the battlefield, care of the wounded and the return of the Confederate dead.

As for a bio: I was born at an early age. Just kidding! I grew up in Norfolk County (Va.) and now live in Portsmouth. I served in the USAF from 66 to 70. Graduated from Old Dominion University and went to work in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where I have been since 1974. I was raised in the shadow of Civil War soldiers who were in the family. My Grandmother etched the name of all the Civil War Soldiers in the family *(except one, see below) in one of the glass panes of her bedroom window using her diamond wedding ring. Family story was that my GGGrandfather was shot off of a white horse at Gettysburg. When I got smarter I learned he walked with the other Colonels of Pickett’s Division in the charge and was wounded and died along he banks of Marsh Creek in Gettysburg that night. Read my first CW book while working the night shift at the shipyard about 1976. It was Bruce Cattons “Glory Road”. That got the CW hook set and I have been pulling on the line ever since. Relic hunted for about 30 years until the relics ran out. Participated in my first reenactment in 1982. It was at Gettysburg. I was an extra in the movies Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.

*My GGGrandfather on the Mayo side was a Yankee. Everybody makes mistakes now and then so I can’t hold that against him. That is it in a nutshell.

Our Tuesday April 17th 2012 meeting will feature Chris Mackowski. Chris is an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University. He also works as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died. He's the author of books on the battles of Wilderness and Chancellorsville, and with Kris White, co-author of "The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson" and monograph-length articles on Spotsylvania. Mackowski and White have also written for Civil War Times, America's Civil War, and Blue & Gray. CMACKOWS@sbu.edu

The title of Chris's talk will be "Crossroads of Fire".

http://emergingcivilwar.com/author-biographies/chris-mackowski/

Our June 19 2012 presentation will feature Col. Erik Buckland. “Broken Hearts, Severed Limbs, Millionaires and a Lost Raincoat – Stories of Mosby’s Men”. http://www.mosbymen.com/

I was born in Kansas City, KS. My family moved shortly after my birth to Connecticut and that is where I was raised. After graduating from the Hotchkiss School in 1973, I attended the University of Kansas from which I graduated in 1977 with a B.A. in English and a commission as a 2LT in the United States Army.

Following an initial assignment as a Platoon Leader in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), I began my career in Special Forces. With the exception of commanding a company in the 82nd Airborne Division and the aforementioned time with the "Screaming Eagles", my entire 22-year military career was spent in Special Operations (Special Forces, Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs). I had multiple deployments to Panama, Honduras and El Salvador back when things were "interesting" in those countries. I retired in 1999 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Some of my awards include the Ranger and Special Forces Tabs, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Combat Diver Badge and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. My interest in Mosby's Rangers began when I was a young boy and increased during my time in the military. My first book, Mosby's Keydet Rangers, began as a tribute to both the Rangers and my youngest son, who was then a Rat at VMI. While working on that book, I constantly found bits and pieces of information on other Rangers (not affiliated with VMI) and all of those became the genesis for my next books. I have absolutely no interest in waving the "bloody shirt", continuing to fight the war or defending anyone or any cause. War is an ugly thing and becomes even uglier when fought between people who were once united. What fascinates me about the War Between the States are the stories about the men who fought in it. Since I was young, I have had an affinity for the men who fought for the South. I don't know why. I feel no need to explain it to myself or to any other person. Maybe I was one of them. What I do know is that the stories I have found about the men who rode with Mosby have put a "face" to the war and to the America that developed after it.

Our July 17th 2012 2012 Subject: George H Thomas, the “Rock of Chickamauga”, was born and raised in Southampton Co., Virginia, about 100 miles from Dare Co. He and his family owned slaves and experienced the Nat Turner rebellion. He took the unpopular stand of remaining in the United States Army instead of resigning to fight for Virginia. He was disowned by his family and ignored by the side he served. He served in every major battle in the Western theater except Forts Donelson and Henry, Shiloh, and Vicksburg. He is not well-known because he was a Virginian serving against Virginia, served in the Western theater of the war and because of his complicated relationship with General Grant. He is coming to be recognized as one of the top six generals of the Civil War and has been called by some “the father of the modern army.”

Our presenter will be L. Spottswood Graves. Spottswood Graves is a native of Orange, Virginia. He grew up within 15 miles of the Wilderness Battlefield and went to high school about 2 miles from General Robert E. Lee’s winter encampment in 1863 – 64. Spottswood has been studying the Civil War since he was 13 years old. He has visited battlefields of the Eastern and Western theaters. He is a graduate of VA Tech and Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. He and his wife Roberta have lived in Dare Co. since 1978. They have two grown children, Meredith and John and a granddaughter Genevieve. He is a retired Presbyterian minister who served the Outer Banks Presbyterian Church before his retirement. He now serves the Calvary Presbyterian Church in Swan Quarter, NC.

This meeting will be on the SECOND Tuesday this month instead of the usual third. Our Tuesday August 14th 2012 meeting will feature Chris Mackowski. Chris is an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University. He also works as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died. He's the author of books on the battles of Wilderness and Chancellorsville, and with Kris White, co-author of "The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson" and monograph-length articles on Spotsylvania. Mackowski and White have also written for Civil War Times, America's Civil War, and Blue & Gray. CMACKOWS@sbu.edu

The title of Chris's talk will be "The Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania".

http://emergingcivilwar.com/author-biographies/chris-mackowski/

Our Sept. 18 2012 presentation will be a departure from our usual subject. Scott Dawson… a distant relative by marriage to the famous Blackbeard… will be giving a presentation on “The Mysterious Life of Blackbeard the Pirate.”

Scott, a native of Hatteras Island whose genealogical records date back to the 1620s when his family shipwrecked on the sandy banks, has authored 2 historical novels: Croatoan: Birthplace of America, and Hagan of Hatteras: A Civil War Story. Scott is also a regular speaker and presenter for the Outer Banks Civil War Round Table, the North Carolina Association for the Advancement of Teachers, and many other local historical/archaeological societies in our region. Scott is the President and Co-Founder of the Croatoan Archaeological Society, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that has been conducting archaeological digs on Hatteras Island since 2009 in conjunction with the University of Bristol, England. In 2010, Scott opened the Hatteras Histories and Mysteries Museum in Buxton, where all of the artifacts from the CAS/UoB digs are stored and displayed for the community to see and experience. Scott earned his BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2002.

Note: Our Oct. meeting will be on the SECOND Tuesday instead of the usual third Tuesday.

Our Oct. 9 2012 presentation will feature COL (Ret) Wade Sokolosky is a native of Beaufort, North Carolina and a graduate of East Carolina University. Upon completing his undergraduate work in 1986, Wade received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Over the next 25 years Wade served in a variety of leadership and staff positions, culminating with his retirement in 2011 as Commander, 23^rd Quartermaster Brigade. Because of Beaufort's historic significance and close proximity to Fort Macon, he has always had an interest in the American Civil War. Wade’s great uncle, a Confederate artilleryman was captured at Fort Macon during the Union siege of April 1862. Ironically, 80 years later Wade’s father served at Fort Macon in the Army's Coastal Artillery, having deployed to the North Carolina coast immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Since early 2000 Wade has devoted much of Civil War research to studying Sherman's Carolinas Campaign of 1865, with a focus on logistics. His thesis, completed in 2002, "The Role of Union Logistics in the Carolinas Campaign of 1865" became the genesis for his first book, co-authored with Mark Smith "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar" Sherman's Carolinas Campaign: Fayetteville to Averasboro.

Currently, Wade is working on his next book which covers an often neglected aspect of the Carolinas Campaign, the Battle of Wyse Fork.

When not researching the Carolinas Campaign, he is active in reenacting, metal detecting and collecting Civil War artillery ordnance, specific to North Carolina battles. A member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Bentonville Battlefield Association, Wade devotes much of his free time to helping to preserve Eastern North Carolinas rich Civil War history.

The Col. will be doing a presentation on the battles of Wise's Fork and Bentonville.

Our Nov. 20 2012 meeting will feature

Randolph Hall Watkins (Randy) Native Virginian

·       Born in Richmond, VA

·       Raised on farms in western Hanover County

·       Ancestor: Robert Henry Watkins, sergeant, Company G, 46^th Virginia Infantry, Wise’s Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia

Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science

                      Virginia Commonwealth University, Class of 1971

United States Navy and Naval Reserve. 12 years active and reserve service.

Quartermaster First Class (E-6)

United States Army Reserve 20 years reserve service. Retired as Sergeant Major (E-9)

       University of Virginia Police Department 1971-1976 Sergeant

Chesterfield County Virginia Police Department 1976-1995 Sergeant

National Park Service 1996-Present. Interpretive Park Ranger Historic Weapons Supervisor

The presentation will be on The Battle of Fort Stedman, Lee’s Last Offensive

            General John B. Gordon, an up and coming young infantry officer, was tasked by General Robert E. Lee to develop and execute a plan to commence the 1865 spring campaign by breaking out of the siege at Petersburg. Lee wanted to gain the initiative and turn the despair of the siege into a junction with Joe Johnston in North Carolina and hope for a negotiated peace.

            General Gordon did a masterful job of planning, but the execution was marred by the invocation of Murphy’s Law. Learn what lead up to the battle, how the plan was carried out, the problems Gordon encountered, the results, and how General Gordon explained the cause of the attack’s failure.

            Anecdotes will show the human side of war and how even a private soldier can have a material impact on the outcome of a major military operation. Generals may make the plans and give the orders, but in the end, it is how the private soldier carries them out that makes the difference.

Dec. 4 2012 will be our Christmas Party!!! That is the first Tuesday of the month.

Jan. 15th 2013 features Betty Vaugn author of Muddy Waters and Blue Waters. Ms. Vaughn did a presentation about women and the Civil War concentrating on the lessor known spies.

John V. Quarstein is an award-winning historian, preservationist, lecturer and author. He previously worked as the director of the Virginia War Museum for thirty years and as a consultant to The Mariners’ Museum’s MONITOR Center. He now serves as historian for the City of Newport News.

Quarstein has been involved in a wide variety of historic preservation initiatives including the creation of Civil War battlefield parks like Redoubt Park in Williamsburg or Lee’s Mill Park in Newport News, as well as historic house museums such as Lee Hall Mansion and Endview Plantation. His current preservation endeavors feature the Rebecca Vaughan House, Lee Hall Depot, Causey’s Mill and Big Bethel Battlefield. John Quarstein also serves on several boards and commissions including Virginia Civil War Trails and Virginia War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Advisory Council.

John Quarstein is the author of fifteen books, including FORT MONROE: THE KEY TO THE SOUTH; A HISTORY OF IRONCLADS: THE POWER OF IRON OVER WOOD; BIG BETHEL: THE FIRST BATTLE and CSS VIRGINIA: SINK BEFORE SURRENDER. His 2011 release, THE MONITOR BOYS: THE CREW OF THE UNION’S FIRST IRONCLAD received The Society for History in the Federal Government’s 2012 HENRY ADAMS PRIZE for excellence in historical literature. He is co-author of DRUMS ALONG THE WARWICK: YORKTOWN’S CIVIL WAR SEIGE, to be released this summer. Quarstein has also produced, narrated and written several PBS documentaries, such as JAMESTOWN: FOUNDATIONS OF FREEDOM and the film series CIVIL WAR IN HAMPTON ROADS, which was awarded a 2007 Silver Telly. His current film projects are PYRATES OF THE CHESAPEAKE and TREAD OF THE TYRANTS HEEL: VIRGINIA’S WAR OF 1812 EXPERIENCE.

The recipient of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 1993 President’s Award for Historic Preservation, Quarstein also received the Civil War Society’s Preservation Award in 1996; the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Jefferson Davis Gold Medal in 1999; and the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Gold Historians Medal in 2009. Besides his lifelong interest in Tidewater Virginia’s Civil War experience, Quarstein is an avid duck hunter and decoy collector. He lives on Old Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia, and on his family’s Eastern Shore farm near Chestertown, Maryland. The presentation was on the Battle of Williamsburg.

Our March 19th 2013 meeting will feature Stan Clardy. He has written and performs a one-man play, “Soldiers in Gray, A Musical Journey”, about a soldier's life through the war, based on facts and letters of that period. Stan wrote all songs, music and play. Stan has cd's and tapes of the music that is performed in the play, plus "Southern Stars", "God Save The South", "Wayfaring Stranger" and his book "TimeLight, a journey into the past", available at the program, through his web site, www.stanclardy.com, or when he performs at events.

Mr. Clardy will be doing the Flag and music program: It is a combination of the music program and the Confederate and Union flags of the time, with facts of each flag.

http://www.stanclardy.com/

Our Tuesday April 16th 2013 meeting will feature Tom Perry.   J. E. B. Stuart’s biographer, Emory Thomas, describes Tom Perry as "a fine and generous gentleman who grew up near Laurel Hill, where Stuart grew up, has founded J. E. B. Stuart Birthplace, and attracted considerable interest in the preservation of Laurel Hill. He has started a symposium series about aspects of Stuart’s life to sustain interest in Stuart beyond Ararat, Virginia" that is now held annually at the Bassett Historical Center in Henry County. Perry received a BA in History from Virginia Tech in 1983, where he studied under Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr. Recognized nationally as an authority on Stuart, Perry recently assisted Jeffrey Wert with his new biography Cavalryman of the Lost Cause A Life of J. E. B. Stuart.

           Tom started the J. E. B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, Inc. in 1990. The non-profit organization preserved 75 acres of the Stuart property including the house site where James Ewell Brown Stuart was born on February 6, 1833. Perry wrote the eight interpretive signs about Laurel Hill’s history along with the Virginia Civil War Trails sign and the new Virginia Historical Highway Marker in 2002. Perry served as President of the organization when it raised over $250,000. As Emeritus Board Member and President of the National Advisory Board until recently, Perry guided the direction of the organization and when you visit the site today there is not a single thing at the site that was not Perry’s idea. This is documented in his papers at Virginia Tech along with oral interviews and writings. Perry believes it is time for the site to become and state or national park. He continues his work to preserve Stuart’s Birthplace producing the Laurel Hill Teacher’s Guide for educators and the Laurel Hill Reference Guide for groups. He continues to share his lifetime of research on the only preserved site in the nation relating to the birthplace and boyhood home of James Ewell Brown Stuart.

           Tom Perry is the only child of Erie Meredith and Betty Hobbs Perry of Ararat, Virginia. He grew up in the same community as did J. E. B. Stuart and attended Blue Ridge Elementary School, where he had his father, a 28 year teacher and administrator in the Patrick County School System, as principal for one glorious year 1973-74. Tom graduated from Patrick County High School in 1979. He attended Surry Community College in Dobson, North Carolina for two years before transferring to Virginia Tech. Perry credits his mother with his love of history. She lived in Augusta, Georgia, before marrying his father stationed nearby at Fort Gordon in the U. S. Army. They came to Ararat, Virginia, in the late 1950s. Betty Perry worked at Cross Creek Apparel for 38 years.

           Tom Perry is chairman of the Henry County Heritage Book. Proceeds of the book go to the Bassett Historical Center as did the proceeds from his Images of America Henry County Virginia. Both books generated nearly $50,000 for the expansion of the Bassett Historical Center.

           Perry is the author of Ascent To Glory: The Genealogy of J. E. B. Stuart, The Free State Of Patrick: Patrick County Virginia in the Civil War, J. E. B. Stuart’s Birthplace: The History of the Laurel Hill Farm. The Patrick County Oral History Project: A Guide, J. E. B. Stuart’s Birthplace: A Guide for Educators and Visitors, Images of America: Patrick County Virginia, Images of America: Henry County Virginia, Then and Now: Patrick County Virginia, Images of Patrick County Virginia: Postcards, Images of Martinsville Virginia, Images of Mount Airy, North Carolina, A River Called Ararat: History and Memory Along A Mountain Stream, “North Carolina Has Done Nobly:” J. E. B. Stuart’s North Carolina Connections, Notes From the Free State Of Patrick: Patrick County, Virginia, and Regional History, Ararat, Virginia: A Guide From Willis Gap to Kibler Valley, and “God’s Will Be Done:” The Christian Life of J. E. B. Stuart.

           Perry received several awards for his writing and work in preserving history including the Hester Jackson Award from the Surry County North Carolina Civil War Round Table, John Divine Award from the Civil War Education Association, along with awards from the North Carolina Society of Historians, Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy and in 2009 the Bassett Historical Center honored him during a visit from his mentor James I. Robertson, Jr. of Virginia Tech.

           In 2010, Perry reached the one million dollar mark in funds raised for the J. E. B. Stuart Birthplace, Bassett Historical Center and other organizations he supported over the years. He started Laurel Hill Publishing to print and distribute his books and other local authors. His website www.freestateofpatrick.com continues to be hub he works from on the internet and his efforts to preserve, interpret, and promote the history of the region he calls home. http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/

In May we had a Whole Hog Pig Pickin' at the Southern Shores Marina. We had two reenactors who discussed their clothes and accuterments. One a soldier and another a civilian lady. We had loading and shooting demonstrations and Jim Mayo brought a few items out of his enormouse collection. It was great.

Our July 23 2013 meeting will feature Eric J. Wittenberg a noted Civil War Cavalry historian and author of a dozen books and two dozen articles on the Civil War. The presentation is on The Battle of Brandy Station.

His first book,  “Gettysburg’s Forgotten Calvary Actions”, won the 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award. The focus of most of his work has been on Union Cavalry operations in the eastern theatre of the Civil War with a special emphasis on the role played by horse soldiers in the Gettysburg Campaign. His newest book is due to be released in the Spring of 2006 and will be tilted “Plenty of Blame To Go Around: JEB Stewart’s Controversial Ride To Gettysburg”. Eric has spoken at numerous Round Tables across the country.

The following is a partial list of the books written or edited by Eric Wittenberg:

Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions (1998)

“We Have It Damn Hard Out Here”: The Civil War Letters of Sergeant Thomas W. Smith, Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry (1999)

One of Custer’s Wolverines: The Civil War Letters of Brevet Brig. Gen. James H. Kidd, 6th Michigan Cavalry (2000)

Under Custer’s Command: The Civil War Journal of James Henry Avery (2000)

Glory Enough for All: Sheridan’s Second Raid and the Battle of Brandy Station (2001)

At Custer’s Side: The Civil War Writings of James Harvey Kidd (2001)

With Sheridan in the Final Campaign Against Lee (2002)

Protecting the Flank: The Battles for Brinkerhoff’s Ridge and East Cavalry Field, Battle of Gettysburg, July 2-3, 1863 (2002)

Little Phil: A Reassessment of the Civil War Leadership of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan (2003)

The Union Cavalry Comes of Age: Hartwood Church to Brandy Station, 1863 (2003)

The Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads and the Civil War’s Final Campaign (2005)

One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg, July 4-13, 1863 (with J. David Petruzzi and Michael F. Nugent) (2006)

Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (with J. David Petruzzi) (2006)

Here is a link to the Raleigh Civil War Roundtable.

    http://www.raleighcwrt.org/Books%20by%20Eric.pdf

Our March 19th 2013 meeting will feature Stan Clardy. He has written and performs a one-man play, “Soldiers in Gray, A Musical Journey”, about a soldier's life through the war, based on facts and letters of that period. Stan wrote all songs, music and play. Stan has cd's and tapes of the music that is performed in the play, plus "Southern Stars", "God Save The South", "Wayfaring Stranger" and his book "TimeLight, a journey into the past", available at the program, through his web site, www.stanclardy.com, or when he performs at events.

Mr. Clardy will be doing the Flag and music program: It is a combination of the music program and the Confederate and Union flags of the time, with facts of each flag.

http://www.stanclardy.com/

Our Tuesday June 18th 2013 meeting will feature Les Rolson. Les Rolston was born in 1954 and has studied American history for most of his adult life. His greatest interest is in the lives of ordinary people, who in times of crisis go on to do extraordinary deeds.

            His first book, Lost Soul: A Confederate Soldier In New England (Mariner 2007 (second edition), described his efforts to preserve the unmarked grave site of a Confederate soldier buried in Rhode Island. As a result of this book Rolston gained national attention, telling his story through the Associated Press and television programs. He has received citations from the Rhode Island House of Representatives and a letter of commendation from former United States Senator Claiborne Pell. He was also awarded the Jefferson Davis Medal, the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s highest award.

THREE REVIEWS OF LOST SOUL: A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER IN NEW ENGLAND

A compelling read -- informative and fascinating., November 4, 1999

“Rolston writes of the experience of the ordinary Civil War soldier in a manner both compelling and informative. I found it hard to put the book down! By interweaving some of the clearest descriptions of major battles I've read with the fascinating story of Rolston's own quest to discover the story and resting place of a Confederate veteran near his home in Rhode Island, he becomes a character in the continuing of history of the Civil War. Rolston easily conveys the tragedy, the irony, and the terrible beauty wrapped up in a time in American history when men held honor dear enough to die for.” Amazon.com

“A journey worth taking.” The Providence Journal January 2000

“Combining an impressive amount of research with a compelling story line, Lost Soul is a must-read for any Civil War enthusiast or family historian.” The Baton Rouge Advocate May 2006



            In 1999, Rolston solved the mystery of the “soldier in the cane field” in Bayou Goula, Louisiana, when he identified Private David Ingraham, 3^rd Rhode Island Cavalry, as being buried in a makeshift grave there. This grave is now marked as a Louisiana Historic site.

            In 2000, after an inquiry by 91-year old Vera Harris, Les located the grave of Marzy Van Howland Lincoln, 11^th United States Heavy Artillery (Colored). In a modest ceremony, only months before her own death, Mrs. Harris visited her father’s grave for the first time.

            In 2001, Rolston secured a military burial for Harold Brown. Mr. Brown had been machine-gunned to death in a lifeboat eight miles off the coast of Virginia after his cargo ship was sunk by a German U-Boat during the opening days of World War II. After months of negotiations with the United States government, Brown, a merchant marine, was recognized as a war veteran. Acknowledging Rolston’s efforts was United States Senator Jack Reed (D) Rhode Island.

            In 2004, Les was instrumental in restoring and preserving the vandalized gravesite of General George Sears Greene, hero of Gettysburg.

            In addition to his writings, Les serves the City of Warwick, Rhode Island (pop. 85,000,) as its Building Inspector. Warwick has three Historic Districts and scores of Colonial era buildings and cemeteries. Under Rolston’s supervision these sites are protected and preserved.

            Long Time Gone: Neighbors Divided By Civil War, published by Mariner Publishing (April 2009), is his second book. Long Time Gone: Neighbors Divided By Civil War by author Les Rolston (Mariner Media) tells the story of two young boys from a sleepy New England seaside village who are raised as next-door neighbors, schoolmates and friends in the late 1840s. The story opens when Elisha Hunt Rhodes (of Ken Burns’ PBS series The Civil War) and James Rhodes Sheldon are about 8 years-old and playing a prank on their schoolteacher. By turning the schoolhouse bell upside down and filling it with water they hope it will freeze overnight, thus causing the cancellation of school. Their village, Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, is, as one historian claims, “a little seedy,” but full of interesting characters. Rolston takes the reader on a stroll through Pawtuxet in 1855 and the day-to-day lives of the people of the village are brought to life in the book’s early pages.



             As teenagers these two friends will serve and fight in the Civil War. What makes this book truly unique is that they will serve in the war not as comrades, but as enemies.   James and Elisha will share the same field of battle as many as 11 times and will almost come face-to-face at the war’s final struggle at Saylor’s Creek. Using diaries, memoir, letters and official reports, Long Time Gone takes the reader along with these soldiers as they struggle through the fighting at Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, as well as the horrors of the Wilderness Campaign. Both men share the trenches of Petersburg and the bittersweet sadness of the surrender at Appomattox.

            The author takes us into as many as thirty battles and skirmishes; his tempo is quick and the results often unusual. Elisha watches a blind-drunk soldier walk unscathed across a battlefield through a hale of minie balls. A man in James’ regiment has a mental breakdown on the firing line. There are men laughing during battles and memory blackouts in these moments sometimes occur. A farmboy, pinned up against a rail fence and nearly out of ammunition, sees a chicken go running by and becomes overwhelmed by feelings of homesickness. The reader is there—smoke stings the eyes, dirt, and chips of wood and stone clip the face, flames spit from thousands of rifles and cannon—all amid, “one continuous roll of thunder.” Rolston takes us on the firing line, into the cold, mildewed tents, and on the hot, dusty marches where throats would clog with dirt. Mid-way through Long Time Gone the armies almost cease to exist in the mind of the reader as its becomes impossible to think of these characters as anything but men longing for peace and home.

            The soldiers share their disappointment with their chaplains and officers and often reveal their disillusionment with their own governments. The account of James Sheldon’s regiment’s silent night march before the Battle of Cedar Creek is chilling, as all that is heard along the march is a low voice murmuring, “Prepare to meet thy God.” At Malvern Hill, covered with thousands of Confederate dead and wounded, Rhodes is overwhelmed by the scene. “Oh, the horrors of this day’s work,” he mourns.

            The reader shares the exhilaration of riding the rooftops of boxcars as Sheldon journeys to Chattanooga: many stops are filled with pretty girls in blue dresses offering pies. A wide-eyed Rhodes is in awe as he lays eyes on Abraham Lincoln for the first time. Through Sheldon’s eyes we see Richmond in flames as bums drink the contents of broken whisky barrels from its gutters. The reader stands among the few remaining men of James’ 50^th Georgia as its colonel rips their flag to shreds and we get to meet and know James and Elisha’s fellow soldiers and fear for their lives. One such soldier is a skinny boy named Gus who stands well over six feet-tall. Gus watched his father die at the Wilderness and seems doomed to suffer the same fate.

            Rolston easily conveys the anticipation of starving Confederates as they await the Christmas Feast of 1864, put on by the Ladies of Richmond, “the largest barbeque in history,” only be disappointed. In a wind-blown tent three grown men cry, having waited all day they received only a few pieces of stale bread. “God bless the women of Richmond,” one man offers as grace. “It was the best they could do.”

            Long Time Gone also provides a glimpse of civilian life during a period of relative tranquility in late 1864, when the sun shone brightly on the soldiers in the Shenandoah Valley. The days are spent fishing or picnicking and horseback riding with pretty ladies. Evenings are filled with piano recitals and dinners in the homes of local civilians while the fragrance of pennyroyal spreads through the night air. When the war returns, it roars, as if in its own death throes. James and Elisha bury countless friends and comrades. On one occasion James watches a close friend be buried without a coffin; the only dignity the deceased can be afforded is a shirt to cover his face. Many times throughout this book we share James and Elisha’s struggle to remain civilized men. Chapels are built in the woods, only to be torn down by the enemy for firewood. Encounters with friendly enemy pickets are heartwarming, reminding the men of what they were before the war. But the patriotism and dedication to duty of James Sheldon and Elisha Rhodes never wavers and from their unique perspectives, Rhodes and Sheldon share their emotions with us at the war’s end.

            Other interesting factors are at work here. James played a contributing role in the founding of his adopted Southern home and the book has a present day ending. The mayors of Warwick, Rhode Island, and Thomasville, Georgia, acknowledge the historical significance of James and Elisha’s lives and honor them with “Sister City” proclamations. In addition, the book’s epilogue follows James and Elisha’s lives as civilians and their successful business and civic activities. James’ controversial return to Pawtuxet is chronicled and both men enjoyed dynamic lives into the 1920s.



            Although legend and fiction are full of tales such as these, Long Time Gone may be the first non-fiction book of its kind. The intended audience is a general one, although readers with an interest in the American Civil War will also be drawn to its basic theme. But what makes this book a must read is Rolston’s ability to see the war from both sides as he captures the soldiers’ vulnerability as well as the endurance of the human spirit in the face of unimaginably cruel circumstances.



            Les has recently completed Home Of The Brave: Selected Short Stories Of Immigrant Medal Of Honor Recipients Of The Civil War.

Mr. Rolston is a frequent contributor to the Providence Journal and his work has appeared in the South Reporter, Civil War Times Illustrated, Our Heritage, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and other publications.

Our August 20th 2013 meeting will feature local historian Alex Leary doing a presentation on "The Escape of the Maple Leaf".

Our Sept. 17th 2013 speaker will be John W. Guss, Site Manager

Bennett Place State Historic Site

Site of the Largest Surrender of the American Civil War

Our Oct. 15th 2013 speaker will feature Dr. Jay Peacock doing a presentation on Gen. Grimes.

Our Nov 19th 2013 presentation will feature Chris Mackowskie doing a presentation entitled. “The Dark, Close Wood”: The Battle of the Wilderness

A region of gloom...the shadow of death... one of the waste places of nature...a wilderness in the most forbidding sense of the word. The Battle of the Wilderness set a new standard for hellishness and opened a new chapter in the war: Lee vs. Grant.

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is a professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University. He also works as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died. He’s the author of books on the battles of Wilderness and Chancellorsville, and with Kris White, co-author of Season of Slaughter: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House; Simply Murder: The Battle of Fredericksburg; The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson; plus monograph-length articles on Spotsylvania. Mackowski and White have also written for Civil War Times, America’s Civil War, Hallowed Ground, and Blue & Gray.

http://emergingcivilwar.com/author-biographies/chris-mackowski/

January 21st. is our next meeting.

Charles Knight is a native of Richmond, Virginia, where he developed an interest in Civil War history. He holds a history degree from Bridgewater College in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and is currently working on a Masters Degree in Civil War Studies from American Military University. He is a former historical interpreter at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, and lived for a summer in the original ca. 1818 Jacob Bushong house on the park grounds. He also has been a reporter for a small weekly newspaper in Elkton, VA – The Valley Banner. He has worked at Norfolk’s MacArthur Memorial since 2001, and has been curator there since 2006.

Charlie has had articles published in Blue & Gray magazine, Classic Trains magazine, National Railway Historical Society Bulletin, and the Army Historical Foundation’s journal On Point. His first book, Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market and the Opening of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, May 1864, was published by Savas Beatie in May 2010. Charlie, will be doing a presentation on Gen. MacArthur's connections to the Civil War.