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Civil War Round Table Announces 2024–25 Program Schedule
September 3, 2024 @ 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm

Informative and entertaining monthly programs have been the main reasons for the Brunswick Civil War Round Table’s success this past season. Over 180 joined for the first time, and this non-profit organization maintained its envious reputation as the largest Civil War round table in the country with 1,088 members. The momentum will continue when the new season begins.
The scheduled programs include:
- Tuesday, September 3rd: “Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.” Popular and entertaining Civil War historian Chris Mackowski returns to our round table by popular demand. He will discuss the second major Civil War engagement in Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign. This major offensive was designed and executed to chase down Gen. Robert E. Lee, destroy his forces, and defeat the Confederacy. Chris’s dynamic presentation promises to “seize” your attention.
- Tuesday, October 1st: Award-winning Civil War historian and author of 21 books, Eric J. Wittenberg will bring to life the dramatic campaign of Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s “March to the Sea” in his presentation entitled, “Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign.” Sherman’s tactics devastated the South. The destruction of civilian property is still debated by historians today, although it undeniably played a crucial role in the Union’s final victory. Eric will state the facts and doesn’t take sides.
- Monday, October 14th: The Civil War Ladies’ Forum (sponsored by the BCWRT), is pleased to introduce to all the ladies in attendance, Mrs. Mary Duffy, tavern owner in Smithville. She will share a wealth of memories and stories about life during the “War of Southern Independence.” All of this will be shared by guest speaker Liz Fuller decked out in period dress. Liz is a popular speaker, and is current president of the Southport Historical Society.
- Tuesday, November 5th: Another popular returning guest to discuss cattle rustling is author, preservationist, and historian, Will Greene. His presentation is appropriately entitled, “The Beefsteak Raid at Petersburg.” The raid was a success, capturing over 2,000 cattle, along with some prisoners and wagons. The raid provided a much needed food source for Confederate soldiers defending Petersburg. However, without beef preservation capabilities in the intense summer heat, soldiers simply had to dine on steak every day while it lasted.
- Tuesday, December 3rd: The Round Table is honored to have award-winning “living historian” Curt Fields join us once again to portray Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, in military uniform and traditional cigar. Nationally recognized, Curt’s extensive research gives him permission to deliver an accurate persona of Grant, including quotes from Grant’s memoirs, articles and letters he wrote, and remarkable statements or decisions he made while Union troops were under his command. Whatever he decides to share with us, it will take us back into history.
- Tuesday, January 7, 2025: Always interesting and captivating, prolific author, frequent lecturer, and longtime Advisor to the BCWRT, Col. Wade Sokolosky (Ret.) will reveal, following years of careful research and archival sources, a most thought-provoking presentation about a forgotten phase of Civil War history. Entitled, “North Carolina Confederate Hospitals,” Wade will discuss his comprehensive study on how the losses from disease, sickness, and early operations in North Carolina and Virginia generated the requirement for military hospitals.
- Tuesday, February 4th: Licensed battlefield guide and historic site manager KevinPawlak will join us to discuss a major turning point in the Civil War entitled,“Never Such a Campaign: The Battle of Second Manassas.” In August, 1862, withflanking maneuvers, surprise attacks, and rapidly shifting battle lines, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s emboldened Confederate army forced the Federals’ retreat towardWashington. This led to Lee’s first successful invasion of the North, and shattered the North’s optimism of putting an early end to the war.
- Tuesday, March 4th: With over 60,000 books written to date about the Civil War, reasonable people may ask, “What’s left to reveal?” Ask Judkin Browning and Timothy Silver, two professors from Appalachian State University. Their presentation is entitled, “Weaponizing Food: From Antietam to Vicksburg.” They recognize that the Civil War was much more than a military conflict. It was also a time when environmental issues came into play; e.g., like food supplies, weather, topography, animals, disease, etc., all impacting the outcome of key battles from Antietam and Vicksburg.
- Tuesday, April 1st: Gen. Robert E. Lee called him “The Gallant Pelham.” Who is he? We’ll know when Sarah Bierle, researcher, author, and managing editor of Emerging Civil War tells us when she presents, “John Pelham: Trained at West Point but Aiming Artillery for the Confederacy.” As an artillery officer, he was instrumental in creating the concept of “horse artillery.” His troops could move quickly alongside the cavalry for surprise attacks and rapid deployment of firepower, earning him a commendation from Lee for “unflinching courage.”
- Tuesday, May 6th: “The Battle of Antietam Paintings of James Hope” will be discussed by Bradley M. Gottfried, Ph.D., an educator for over four decades, and Certified Antietam Battlefield Guide. His discussion about James Hope is fascinating. James Hope was a Civil War veteran and artist who created five large panoramic paintings of the Battle of Antietam between 1888 and 1892. These paintings are considered to be some of the most important and detailed depictions of the battle ever created.
The new season begins on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. Everyone is invited. Meetings are held at Hatch Auditorium on Caswell Beach. Registration begins at 6:15PM. Programs start at 7:00PM. The visitor fee is $10, and can be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues, which can include a spouse. For more information, please contact President John Butler at [email protected], or call him at (404) 229-9425. Or, visit the website at Brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com, or their Facebook page.