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December 2011
Jack Tuttle, Williamsburg City Manager discussed the Riverside
development and its impact on the Williamsburg battle ground.
Teresina Toepke presented "Civil War Christmas: In
The Field and On The Home Front". She shared excerpts from letters,
diaries, and newspapers of the period, along with quotes and
illustrations from popular magazines of the time. The presentation will
trace attitudes, hopes, and customs as they evolve from Christmas, 1860,
through New Year’s, 1866.
Teri Toepke attended the College of William and
Mary where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in elementary
education and then went on to receive a Master’s in Education as well as
completing additional coursework toward a doctorate in special
education. In addition to teaching in elementary and special education
classrooms, Teri has taught GED classes for the state prison system and
was an assistant professor of education at Hampton University for two
years. She moved to museum education in February, 2000, taking a
position at Endview Plantation in Newport News before going to the
Hampton History Museum in November, 2002. In the summer of 2006, she
became Director of Elderhostel Road Scholar programs at the College of
William and Mary.
Outside of her work at the College, Teri is
actively involved in several historical organizations. She is past
president of the Williamsburg Civil War Roundtable, participates as a
civilian reenactor with the 44th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and
volunteers with the Longstreet Memorial Fund to maintain the sites of
the North Carolina and Longstreet monuments at Gettysburg National
Military Park. Joining with two fellow Civil War reenactors in The
Ladies’ Historical Review, she conducts living history programs at
fairs, schools, and museums, often appearing as her alter ego, Miss
Sallie. She is also a member of the National Council for History
Education and the Virginia Association of Museums.
November 2011 David Corlette discussed "The Improbable
Invasion: The Confederate New Mexican Campaign 1862." Mr. Corlette graduated from Gonzaga University in 1994 with a degree in
history, after writing a thesis on Civil War chaplains After serving in
the military, he worked on his graduate studies at William and Mary,
writing a Master's thesis on early American warfare and then a Ph.D.
dissertation on early Indian Wars in New England. David has published
several dozen articles in the Encyclopedia of North American Conflict to
1775, Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War, and Encyclopedia
of American Military History. He is currently editing a book manuscript,
Steadfast in their Ways: New England Colonists, Indian Wars, and the
Persistence of Culture, 1675-1715.
Mr. Corlette is currently the Assistant Director of the National
Institute of American History and Democracy, an organization dedicated
to teaching American history through a multidisciplinary approach of
history, archaeology, anthropology, and public history. Since 2002, he
has taught colonial American, Atlantic World, and modern US Military
History for NIAHD, William and Mary, and the University of Virginia. Of
particular note is a course David teaches with NIAHD, From the
Revolution through the Civil War, which analyzes trends in American
history by teaching on historic sites and at museums. Over one third of
the course is devoted to the Civil War in Virginia, and he can
frequently be found leading classes over regional battlefields, along
the canals of Richmond, or through the ramparts of Fort Monroe.
October 2011 Art Grant discussed "The Military Genius of U. S.
Grant."
Art graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1966 with a
Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and was commissioned in the
Armor Branch. His military service included tours with combat arms units
both overseas and in the Continental United States including two combat
tours in the Republic of Vietnam. He has held staff positions at all
levels of command from squadron through the Department of the Army. Art
retired from the Army at the rank of Colonel in May 1991. Following
retirement from the Army, he joined the staff of the U.S. Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence.
He has been a member of the faculty of the U.S. Army Infantry School and
was an Assistant Professor of History at the U.S. Military Academy, an
Adjunct Professor of History at George Washington University, and a
Professor of Military Strategy at the National War College. He has
authored several books and articles on the American Civil War and on
current military strategy.
September 2011 Robbie Smith of the National Park Service. Robbie discussed "Fruits of Leadership: Vicksburg and Chancellorsville." Robbie Smith is a graduate of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics. She has been with the National Park Service for eleven years and during that period has worked at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Vicksburg National Military Park and the Yorktown Battlefield site of Colonial National Park
May 2011 George Wunderlick discussed “Civil War Medicine in the 21st century”. The battle of Antietam may be the single bloodiest day in our nation's history, but few know it for an even deeper meaning to those alive today. It is also the birthplace of modern emergency medicine. George Wonderlick is the director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Fredericksburg, MD.
April 2011 John Bray presented "Counter-espionage and Law Enforcement during the Civil War". The discussion focused on the women who were spies during the war. John presented some interesting accounts of ladies spying, being captured and then released because "ladies" would not do anything of the sort.
March 2011 Will Molineux presented “A Young Virginia Boatman Navigates the Civil War”. The journals of a boatman who plied the waters of Virginia during the Civil War. George Randolph Wood, who was 14½ in 1861, spent much of the next three years aboard river boats and barges in the service of the Confederacy. His recollections of his experiences delivering supplies – shot and shell, hay and wood – present a rare glimpse of life aboard quartermaster vessels, often “arks” of various description that were pulled by tugs, or propelled by polls and floated with tide and current. His waterborne platform gave him opportunities to witness cruelty and compassion, to visit compatriots posted as lookouts, to observe Robert E. Lee in the field, to attend the theater in Richmond. In order to care for his widowed mother, he sneaked through the lines and, after taking an Oath of Allegiance to the United States, returned to Hampton.
February 2011 Jeff Toalson presented from his newest book, "Send Me a Pair of Old Boots & Kiss My Little Girls - The Civil War Letters of Richard and Mary Watkins, 1861-1865". The book resulted when he discovered the previously unpublished letters held by the Virginia Historical Society. He performed a reading of selected letters in character as Richard Watkins.
January 2011 George Callis presented "Union and Confederate Cavalry: Myths & Facts I Didn't Know". Some of the items to be discussed include Bugle Calls, Weapons, Flags and Jeb Stuart at Gettysburg. Mr. Callis retired from the Xerox Corporation. He is a member of the Company of Military Historians. He collects Union & Confederate Cavalry Sabers and regimental histories. George also teaches cavalry courses at Christopher Wren.
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December 2010 Feather Foster a local author and member of our Roundtable discussed "The Civil War Divas: A Personal Look at Mary Lincoln, Julia Grant and Varina Davis". She has been an independent presidential historian for nearly four decades, with a personal library of more than 1,500 president and president-related volumes. Her first book, LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities was published in 2003, and she began lecturing about the “old” First Ladies at various venues in New Jersey, her native state, including historical societies, libraries, woman’s clubs and senior organizations. She has made more than 300 personal appearances, including dozens of radio and television interviews. Recently moved to Williamsburg, she now lectures about the “old” First Ladies at adult education venues associated with both the College of William and Mary and Christopher Newport University. The First Ladies, due to be released in February, 2011, is her fourth book.
November 2010 Robbie Smith of the National Park Service. Robbie discussed the importance of the City Class gunboats on the western waters and contributions to the Union war effort in that theater in a program entitled, “City Class Ironclad Gunboats: Essentials to Union Victory.” Robbie Smith is a graduate of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics. She has been with the National Park Service for eleven years and during that period has worked at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Vicksburg National Military Park and the Yorktown Battlefield site of Colonial National Park
October 2010 Charles Knight discussed the battle of New Market called "Valley Thunder: The Battle of New Market and the Opening of Shenandoah Valley Campaign, May 1864". Mr. Knight is Curator of the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk. He's written a book about He will be speaking on this topic. The book was released in early May 2010. He spent several years working at the New Market Battlefield as an historical interpreter and lived in one of the outbuildings on the Bushong Farm there one summer.
September 2010 Carson Hudson discussed "Civil War Williamsburg". Carson Hudson is a Civil War living historian; author of publications on the Civil War in the Williamsburg area; Civil War music interpreter; frequent lecturer on a wide variety of topics from the colonial through the Civil War eras including the Battle of Williamsburg; and a group guide for battlefield tours.
May 2010 Michael Moore presented "Jeb's ride around the Union Army a story of where he went, who chased him, and where he finished his famous 1862 excursion. Michael Moore is the curator and registrar for Lee Hall Mansion and Endview Plantation in Newport News. Moore received a bachelor or arts history from Christopher Newport University and a master of arts in history from Old Dominion University. While earning his graduate degree, he taught American history at ODU. During his tenure with the City of Newport News, Mr. Moore has curated several exhibits at local historic sites and lectured to various historical societies and civic groups. In addition, he has led battlefield tours throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Aside from his work with the City of Newport News, the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society, the Isle of Wright County Historic Recourses, and the York County Historical Museum retain him as a consultant. Moore is the co-author of The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: A Military Analysis. Michael has also served as editor and photographic editor for eight books and written articles for Virginia Cavalcade, North & South, and Military Collector & Historian
April 2010 Dr. Bruce M. Venter presented "Myths, Misconceptions and Mistakes of the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid on Richmond." Over the years, myths and legends have grown up around one of the most controversial cavalry raids of the Civil War: the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid on Richmond in 1864. Similarly, our speaker has spent years trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding this raid and the colorful characters involved in it. Dr. Venter is a leading authority on the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid on Richmond in 1864. His interest is Union cavalry, with particular research emphasis on the career of General Judson Kilpatrick. He has lectured at numerous cavalry conferences and Civil War Round Tables on this controversial cavalry leader He is currently preparing a manuscript for book publication which expands the article he published in Blue & Gray magazine on the raid. Dr. Venter holds a B.A. in history from Manhattan College, and a doctorate in educational administration from the University at Albany.
March 2010 Dr. Jere Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the College of William and Mary presented "Landforms in the Virginia Peninsula Campaign". Dr. Johnson attended Purdue University and Indiana University, from which he received his bachelor's degree and Ph.D. in Geology. After several years at an Indiana geological agency, he came to W&M in 1965 and retired in 2001. He is well known for his energetic, humorous, and non-geologist-friendly talks.
February 2010 Richard Gillespie presented a talk on Colonel Mosby's valiant battle in the burned-out buildings of William & Mary College. Richard is the Director of Mosby Heritage Organization (www. Mosbyheritage. Org ). and a graduate of William & Mary.
January 2010 Jeff Toalson told stories of the last 16 months of the Confederacy from his first book - "No Soap, No Pay, Diarrhea, Dysentery & Desertion". These will be stories from the common soldiers and civilians as written in their diaries, letters and journals. Jeff Toalson has a B. S. in Business Management from Missouri State University is a 23 year resident of Williamsburg and a regular speaker at roundtables, historical societies, SCV Camps, UDC Chapters and National Park Battlefields. Jeff is the author of two books on the WBTS: Send Me a Pair of Old Boots & Kiss My Little Girls - The Civil War Letters of Richard and Mary Watkins, 1861-1865, which was published in 2009, and his first book No Soap, No Pay, Diarrhea, Dysentery & Desertion - A Composite Diary of the Last 16 Months of the Confederacy.
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December 2009 Cheryl Jackson has worked with the Virginia General Assembly for over 20 years. She is currently the Executive Director of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission, a legislative body charged with planning the statewide commemoration of thr 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Her duties include planning and implementation of Commission programs, activities, and meetings; oversight of a multi-million dollar budget and fundraising initiatives; serving as Commission liaison on the local, state, and national levels; and supervision of public relations and marketing. In addition, Cheryl staffs the House and Senate Rules committees during session and is a section manager at the Division of Legislative Services with oversight of the Legislative Reference Center and Capitol Tour Guide program. Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political science and Master of Public Administration, both from Virginia Commonwealth University.
November 2009 John Fennell, a member of the Williamsburg Round Table retired from the Agricultural Chemical Division of the DuPont Company where he was in middle management in marketing and field research. He holds BS and MS degrees in Agronomy and Crop Science from Colorado State University and a Certificate of Environmental Studies from the University of Delaware. His interest in Civil War history has spanned more than 30 years. In addition to the Williamsburg round table, he also belongs to the Richardson CWRT of central coastal Maine, where he spends his summers. John is currently in the 5th year of research and writing of a manuscript on the lives of a very large, but specific group of Civil Wars soldiers. The 288 group members had all been West Point cadets who became Union or Confederate veterans of the Civil War. John discussed the Wilson-Kautz cavalry raid of June, 1864, part of the Petersburg campaign.
October 2009 Richard Rankin is a retiree from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, where he served as an administrator. He has a B.S. from the University of Kentucky, M.B.A. from George Washington University, and a doctorate in education from George Mason University. He has taught economics at Rappahannock Community College. He is a member of the Williamsburg CWRT and has recently taught a well-received course at the Christopher Wren Association on "Nathan Bedford Forrest" and his exploits in the western theatre of the Civil War. He was "that devil Forrest" to his Union foes and was "perhaps the South's greatest fighting man" according to Robert E. Lee. His topic is "Nathan Bedford Forrest".
September 2009 Henry Kidd a recognized author and historical artist presented "Petersburg; War on the doorstep". Born in 1950 in Petersburg, Virginia, Henry Kidd is a lifelong resident of Colonial Heights. He grew up playing on the battlefields surrounding Petersburg and has studied the war and its’ people extensively. He has a great passion for this period of American history. To him, it is more than mere history, it is family pride. Many of his ancestors followed General Robert E. Lee into battle. His fine art has appeared in documentaries on the History Channel and on covers of many books and magazines. He designed the Confederate Medal of Honor.
May 2009 Dr. Jimi Elizabeth Thomas will present "A Re-examination of the Legacy of James Longstreet, Lt. General, CSA." The purpose of this presentation is to reexamine the systematic process by which James Longstreet became the scapegoat for the defeat of the Battle of Gettysburg and thus faulted for the failure of the confederate States to become an independent nation. Dr. Thomas has a B.S. and M.S. in Elementary Education and a Ph.D. in Urban Services from Old Dominion University. She is a writer and recurrent speaker on "A re-examination of the Military Record and Legacy of James Longstreet". She has held a number of teaching positions in public schools and colleges from Hawaii to Italy. She currently lives in Virginia Beach where she has held various positions as an English, History, Civics teacher as well as a Teacher Mentor and Student Teacher Supervisor.
April 2009 Dr. Thomas A. Wheat's will speak on the subject of "Early Civil War Medicine on the Lower Peninsula". Dr. Wheat, is a retired Army Surgeon and has studied CW medicine for 30 or 40 years creating a wide demand for his lectures and consultations. He has founded several Civil War museums, works closely with the NPS and is writing a book on Confederate Surgeons. He lives in Yorktown with his wife Marla.
March 2009 Dr. Ludwell Johnson will speak on a subject, for which he is probably the foremost authority: "The Red River Campaign". For those of you who do not know Dr. Johnson’s Summer Enrichment class, "The Civil War In Virginia" resulted in a spin-off by class attendees forming this roundtable in 1976. The roundtable began meeting in Morton Hall on the campus at that time. It is a great honor to welcome Dr. Johnson as a speaker to this group.
February 2009 Mrs. Billie Earnest was born and reared in Franklin, VA. Her ancestral families were from the surrounding counties of Isle of Wight and Southamption, VA, Hertford and Gates Counties, NC. Her love of history and genealogy has grown over the years to include not only her family, but also the study of the life of Major General George Pickett and his third wife, Sallie Anne Corbell from Chuckatuck, VA. Due to her extensive research on George and Sallie, she has been contacted by Professor Richard Selcer of Fort Worth, TX, and is providing research material for their pending book. Because of her research, some membeers of the Corbell/Picket families have come together for the first time in fifty years.
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