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Meeting: December 8, 2015
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Our speaker this month will be
Mr. Bernie Siler. He will
speak on the July 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens,
the only time Washington D.C. came under direct
attack during the Civil War.
NOTE: To accommodate Mr. Siler's schedule, we will begin with his presentation at the beginning of the meeting. Bernie Siler is a former prosecutor for the District of Columbia, currently a criminal defense lawyer in private practice and a Civil War Historian. He is originally from Washington, D.C. and received undergraduate and law degrees from the Universities of Dayton and Cincinnati respectively. He teaches at Montgomery College in the areas of Real Property Law and Civil Litigation. You can see some of his historical presentations brought to life in various Civil War reenactments that his 54th Massachusetts Volunteers participates in as well as roles in the motion pictures "JOHN ADAMS", "GLORY", -"TAD", "APRIL,1865" and the TNT production "ANDERSONVILLE". Mr. Siler was also featured as an expert in the documentary that accompanied the motion picture, "The Conspirator". |
C.S. Gen. Jubal
Early led the attack on Fort Stevens
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Meeting: November 24, 2015
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Our speakers this month will be our own members
Robert Ford (President) and
Wayne Wolf. They will discuss
American Civil War Reenacting. American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known as Civil War reenactors or living historians. Although most common in the United States, there are also American Civil War reenactors in Canada, The United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Reenacting the American Civil War began even before the real fighting had ended. Civil War veterans recreated battles as a way to remember their fallen comrades and to teach others what the war was all about. The Gettysburg Reunion of 1913 was attended by more than 50,000 Union and Confederate veterans, and included reenactments of elements of the battle, including Pickett's Charge. Modern reenacting is thought to have begun during the 1961–1965 Civil War Centennial commemorations. Motion picture and television producers often turn to reenactment groups for support; films like Gettysburg, Glory and Gods and Generals benefited greatly from the input of reenactors, who arrived on set fully equipped and steeped in knowledge of military procedures, camp life, and tactics. “I think we're really fortunate to have those people involved. In fact, they couldn't be making this picture without them; there's no question about that. These guys come with their wardrobe, they come with their weaponry. They come with all the accoutrements, but they also come with the stuff in their head and the stuff in their heart.” – Sam Elliott |
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Meeting: October 27, 2015
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Our speaker will be Professor Jean H.
Baker. She will discuss Mary Todd Lincoln. Unlike most women of her time, Mary Todd Lincoln looked at her life in terms of wins and losses and scored them both in bold relief. Unfortunately for her and those around her, the defeats greatly outnumbered the victories. An exceptional woman of many aspirations and one who enjoyed being different, Mary Lincoln became a victim of a series of personal tragedies or "abandonments" and an array of "destructive conventions of Victorian domesticity" Jean H. Baker tells the story of Mary Todd Lincoln's life in an honest but sympathetic manner. Besides emphasizing her subject's genuine interest in politics, the author also portrays Mary Todd Lincoln as a loving, often indulgent, mother; and, once in the White House, as "full of the smiles and lively conversation that were her hallmark" Baker has written a fascinating study of a difficult woman. It successfully combines the usual elements of political biography with newer themes in social history. Discussions of such topics as nineteenth century childbirth practices, domesticity, mourning customs, spiritualism, and mental illness interwoven with heartbreaking episodes in Mary Lincoln's life provide for a strikingly perceptive biography of a maligned First Lady. Jean H. Baker is the Bennett-Harwood Professor of History at Goucher College. She received a B.A.from Goucher College in1960, M.A.from The John Hopkins University in1964 and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University in 1970. She is the author of: Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biograph, James Buchanan, Sisters: The American Suffragists, Votes for women: The Struggle for Suffrage Revisited and Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion. |
Mary Todd Lincoln – Photo Library of Congress
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Meeting: September 22, 2015
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Our speaker will be John Michael (Mike)
Priest. John Michael “Mike” Priest has
been studying the Civil War since he was in
grade school when his parents took him and his
brother to Gettysburg every weekend. A
specialist in small unit tactics, referred to by
Ed Bearss as the “Ernie Pyle of the Civil War
soldier”, he has authored or edited about 12
books on the Civil War. He retired from teaching high school after serving 30.5 years. Since that time, he has traveled to Australia, and to various round tables on the East Coast to speak about topics ranging from the West woods at Antietam to Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Currently, as a certified guide at Antietam, he has routinely taken visitors on tours of the battlefield. In addition to the standard 2.5 hour tours he has also given specialized walks of the West woods, the Bloody Lane and nearby South Mountain. He and his wife reside in Clear Spring, Maryland. Mike's presentation, based upon his book "Stand to It and Give Them Hell" (Ten Roads Publishing, Gettysburg, PA), will concentrate upon the action of July 2, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg. |
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Meeting: August 25, 2015
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Our speaker will be
Dr. Tom Clemens. He will discuss
the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam). Tom Clemens received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in History from Salisbury University. He was awarded a Doctorate of Arts from George Mason University. Tom taught History at Salisbury University and, since 1986, he has been a fulltime faculty member at Hagerstown Community College. He currently teaches U.S. and World History, as well as courses on the American Civil War plus History and Hollywood. A number of Tom’s articles on the American Civil War have been published. The Maryland Historical Magazine included his Master’s thesis in one of its issues. Tom has been giving tours of Antietam for over 15 years and has volunteered as a costumed interpreter for nearly 30 years at Antietam, Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg and many other historic sites. Dr. Clemens is an ardent Civil War preservationist. He is a founding member of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation, a non-profit battlefield preservation organization. Tom has been the President of this organization since 1989. He and his two daughters live in Keedysville, in close proximity to the Antietam Battlefield. |
Tom Clemens |
Meeting: July 28, 2015
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Our
speaker will be Dr.
Lester Brooks.
He will speak on the November 1863 Battle of
Chattanooga, Tennessee. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Brooks earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, a master's degree from Howard University, and his Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan. In 1982 he began teaching U.S. History, Civil War Era, and African American History at Anne Arundel Community College. Dr. Brooks is Program Coordinator of the Chesapeake Civil War Roundtable and also teaches continuing education classes on the Civil War that combine lectures with battlefield visits. Dr. Brooks is the author of several brief articles and a past recipient of the AACC Student Association Teacher of the Year award. |
Chattanooga, TN from Lookout Mountain |
Meeting: June 23, 2015
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Our speaker will be
Michael A. Hill, M.D.
The title of his talk is:
A Sable M.D.
Born in Washington, D.C., Dr Hill is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and is currently a staff physician with Concentra Medical Centers. He is the former Medical Director at Bethlehem Steel at Sparrow's Point Baltimore. Dr. Hill is a graduate of St. Andrew's School in Middletown, DE (1971). The school was the site of the filming of the movie "Dead Poets Society". He is also a graduate of Williams College, Williamstown Mass. (1975) and George Washington University Medical School Washington, D.C. (1979) A Civil War re-enactor since February, 1989, he participated in the filming of the movies "Glory" and "Somersby". For the past two years he has portrayed Brevet Lt. Col, Alexander T, Augusta, M.D. and has given multiple talks on the participation of African Americans in the Civil War in many venues. Alexander Thomas Augusta (March 8, 1825 – December 21, 1890) was a surgeon, veteran of the American Civil War, and the first black professor of medicine in the United States. After gaining his medical education in Toronto, Canada from 1850 to 1856, he set up a practice there. He returned to the United States shortly before the start of the American Civil War. Augusta offered his services to the United States Army and in 1863, he was commissioned as major and the Army's first African-American physician; he became the first black hospital administrator in U.S. history while serving in the army. He left the army in 1866 at the rank of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel. In 1868 Augusta was the first African American to be appointed to the faculty of Howard University and the first to any medical college in the United States. He died in Washington, DC on December 21, 1890, and was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. |
Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta |
Meeting: May 26, 2015
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Our speaker will be
Wayne Schaumberg. Born and raised in the
Waverly section of Baltimore, Wayne R.
Schaumburg graduated from Baltimore City College
in 1964. He attended Towson University where he
majored in both history and geography. Wayne
also has a Masters Degree in history from Morgan
State University, and a Masters of Liberal Arts
Degree from Johns Hopkins University. He taught social studies in the city school system for 39 years before retiring in June, 2007. Currently, Wayne teaches courses on Baltimore history part-time for Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Community College of Baltimore County, and the Roland Park Country School. He also maintains a web site on events relating to the city’s history (Google: Wayne’s Guide to Talks). Wayne has been giving tours and illustrated lectures on Baltimore history for over 30 years covering a variety of topics from architecture to the Great Baltimore Fire. For the last 29 years, he has led walking tours through one of his favorite Baltimore landmarks: Green Mount Cemetery. At the present time, Wayne lives in Perry Hall and serves on the boards of Baltimore Heritage, the Irish Railroad Workers Museum, the Friends of Perry Hall Mansion, and Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Wayne will provide a presentation titled: Baltimore and the Civil War….A City Divided |
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Meeting: April 28, 2015
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This month is the Baltimore Civil War
Roundtable Annual Dinner Meeting. >> Dinner Flyer << Our speaker will be Mary Ann Jung Mary Ann Jung is an award-winning actress and Smithsonian scholar. She has appeared on CNN, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and in newspapers around the world as famous women from history. She has been a lead actress and Director of Renaissance History and Shakespearean Language at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for thirty-two years. She performed as queen and was a Director with the Florida Renaissance Festival from 1994-2006. She was Director of Street Theater and Family Performances for ArtScape (Baltimore, MD's city arts festival) for ten years and in 1998 was awarded a citation from the Mayor of Baltimore for her work at that event. In 2002, Ms. Jung's Clara Barton show won top honors for Solo Theatrical Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council. Since 2005, the Smithsonian Institution has presented Ms. Jung's historical women for several conferences. Ms. Jung researches and writes her own scripts, and performs in the authentic costumes, accents, and attitudes for her characters’ eras. Her shows are very energetic, interactive, and fun so they fit into many different venues. Mary Ann Jung’s amazing portraits of famous ladies and their times encourage a love of history, drama, and literature - in young and old alike! Mary Ann’s unique portrayals have been featured at the National Theatre of Washington, Smithsonian Institution, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. |
Mary Ann Jung as Clara Barton |
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Our speaker will be Jari Villanueva. Jari Villanueva is a graduate of the Baltimore Public School system and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1978 from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. In 1984 he received a Master of Music degree from Kent State University, Ohio. He is also a 2006 graduate of the Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. Jari Villanueva retired from the United States Air Force where he spent 23 years with The USAF Band in Washington DC. He is considered the country’s foremost expert on military bugle calls, particularly the call of Taps which is sounded at military funerals. As a ceremonial trumpeter, Villanueva participated in well over 5,000 ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, served as an assistant drum major leading The USAF Ceremonial Brass in funerals at Arlington. In 2007 he was inducted into the Buglers Hall of Fame, the first active duty military bugler to be so honored. Since 2008, Villanueva has worked for the Maryland Military Department, serving as the Director of Veterans Affairs, Maryland National Guard Honor Guard (MDNGHG). In 2011, he planned, coordinated and oversaw the funeral services for former Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer. He also provided the military funeral honors for Paul J. Wiedorfer, the last living Maryland Medal of Honor recipient. A Civil War historian and reenactor, Villanueva is Artistic Director of the National Association for Civil War Brass Music, Inc., where he directs and leads The Federal City Brass Band and the 26th North Carolina Regimental Band, In addition, he is music director for the National Civil War Field Music School where students learn to play fife, drum and bugle. He is married to Heather Faust and resides in Catonsville, Maryland. Jari Villanueva will discuss The Bugle in the Civil War. |
JARI VILLANUEVA |
Meeting: February 24, 2015
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The speaker for tonight's Baltimore
Civil War Roundtable meeting has been
changed. Unfortunately, Wayne Schaumburg
will not be able to appear.
Gettysburg Battlefield Guide DAVE
BOOZ has graciously offered to fill in with
a presentation on Culp's Hill.
Our speaker will be Wayne Schaumberg. Born and raised in the Waverly section of Baltimore, Wayne R. Schaumburg graduated from Baltimore City College in 1964. He attended Towson University where he majored in both history and geography. Wayne also has a Masters Degree in history from Morgan State University, and a Masters of Liberal Arts Degree from Johns Hopkins University. He taught social studies in the city school system for 39 years before retiring in June, 2007. Currently, Wayne teaches courses on Baltimore history part-time for Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Community College of Baltimore County, and the Roland Park Country School. He also maintains a web site on events relating to the city’s history (Google: Wayne’s Guide to Talks). Wayne has been giving tours and illustrated lectures on Baltimore history for over 30 years covering a variety of topics from architecture to the Great Baltimore Fire. For the last 29 years, he has led walking tours through one of his favorite Baltimore landmarks: Green Mount Cemetery. At the present time, Wayne lives in Perry Hall and serves on the boards of Baltimore Heritage, the Irish Railroad Workers Museum, the Friends of Perry Hall Mansion, and Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Wayne will provide a presentation titled: Baltimore and the Civil War….A City Divided |
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Our speaker will be the Director of the
Ralph Vincent. Baltimore Civil War Museum
(President Street Station). He will
talk on the April 19, 1861 Conflict in the
Streets of Baltimore. Ralph Vincent was born in Cumberland in Western Maryland and graduated from Allegany High School in 1957. After one year each at Western Maryland College and Frostburg State he spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a Guided Missile Technician at the Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, Virginia. He worked as a service Representative at Dictaphone Corp. for eight years after leaving the Navy and subsequently was an Electronics Technician at Westinghouse and Northrop Grumann until retirement. He has been active with the Friends of President Street Station since 1987. |
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