Most passing Civil War students are well-versed in both the old and new tomes outlining the history of the campaigns and their generals. It takes those with real interest, though, to dive deeper into the personal stories of the men who shouldered the musket and stood shoulder-to-shoulder trading Minié balls with the enemy. To satisfy...
The First Defenders will meet on Tuesday March 13th for their next program that will focus on the penultimate event of the three day Battle of Gettysburg: Pickett’s Charge. Meal selections are posted on-line under the “Events” tab, and the March newsletter can be viewed or downloaded from the “Newsletters” tab. The deadline for meal...
All First Defenders know the Round Table’s long and proud history of conducting book raffles to benefit preservation work. These raffles have been supported by the generous donations of members and friends. Now, in an effort to keep the growing book inventory under control, to provide members with an opportunity to acquire quality books and...
In September 2018, Bentonville Battlefield and the Friends of Bentonville Battlefield will host “Two Weeks of Fury” a symposium and whirlwind tour of the Carolinas Campaign. The schedule includes tours of Wise’s Forks, Civil War Fayetteville, Averasboro, Bentonville and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Monroe’s Crossroads battlefield on Fort Bragg. Historians taking part in...
The naval actions of the Civil War have long received short shrift along side the land actions of the conflict, and are often reduced to the Monitor v. Merrimack, Farragut’s taking of Mobile Bay, the Trent Affair and other high-profile events. However, as every buff knows, there is much more than the actions familiar to even the...
Our next program is scheduled for February 13th featuring Civil War jack-of-all-trades David Ward and his program highlighting “Schuylkill County’s Coal Heavers: The 96th Pennsylvania Volunteers.” Some of the original First Defenders served in the 96th which was originally commanded by Colonel Henry L. Cake, formerly of the National Light Infantry. The regiment spent its service...
It has often been said, tongue-in-cheek, the Central Intelligence Agency is a contradiction in terms. But, although is current-day activities are often veiled in secrecy, the CIA has recently turned out an interesting paper called Intelligence in the Civil War. This is a (comparatively) short overview, but the subject has been one of increased interest over...
The Hershey Civil War Round Table has passed along the sad information of the death of Edward H. Bonekemper, III, who died in Lancaster in December following a brief illness. Bonekemper presented a program based on his book The Myth of the Lost Cause which presented a compelling argument to contradict the romantic and still-cherished Southern...
Our next program is scheduled for January 9th, and our own Dale Kratzer will present something of a hodgepodge of “Naval Schemes, Plots and Interesting Tidbits.” Much Civil War focus has been on the land activities, a number of interesting events took place on the water, too. This program will cover events such as the “first” (?)...
The First Defenders Civil War Round Table celebrated the coming holiday season during its December program with a festive meal that included a birthday cake for former Preservation Committee chair Cate Kennedy. 54 First Defenders assembled at the Inn at Reading to hear our own Greg Stull talk about “The Battle that Wasn’t Supposed to...
