September 25, 2024

Topic: SEARCHING FOR IRVIN MCDOWELL

Speaker: Gene Scmiel

At the outbreak of the Civil War, on May 14, 1861, Irvin McDowell was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General as a result of political connections to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase.  Although he had never before commanded troops in combat, McDowell, facing political pressure, attacked Confederate forces at the First Battle of Manassas where he was consequently defeated.  After the defeat, General George B. McClellan was made commander of the newly formed Army of the Potomac, and McDowell was detached from the army to protect Washington, DC.  McDowell would later command a corps at the Second Battle of Manassas, which resulted in another defeat.  On July 1, 1864, McDowell was put in command of the Department of the Pacific and was relatively inactive for the remainder of the war.

October 23, 2024

Topic: CONFEDERATE GUERILLAS AND UNION REPRISALS

Speaker: Clay Mountcastle

Through widespread and relentless surprise attacks and ambushes, Confederate guerrillas drove Union soldiers and their leaders to desperation. Confederate cavalrymen engaged in hit-and-run tactics; autonomous partisan rangers preyed on Federal railroads, telegraph lines, and supply wagons; and civilian bushwhackers waylaid Union pickets. Together, all of these actions persuaded the Union to wage an increasingly punitive war.

 

November 20, 2024

Topic: THE MILITARY CAREER OF AMBROSE BURNSIDE

Speaker: Frank O’Reilly

Ambrose E. Burnside: Too Honest to Command?

Ambrose Burnside comes down through history as a failed and inept leader, but why is that?  More importantly, is it true?  What do we know about the general who commanded the Army of the Potomac for only 11 weeks?  We will explore the life of one of the most controversial Federal generals, who was arguably too nice and too honest to be an effective commander.

January 22, 2025

Topic: WITNESS TO HISTORY: THE SENTRY BOX HOUSE

Speaker: Charlie McDaniel

Perched above the Rappahannock River, the Sentry Box has witnessed history spanning several of America’s most tumultuous eras.  Built in 1786 by Brigadier General George Weedon of the Continental Army, the view is striking.  Directly across the river is Ferry Farm, childhood home of George Washington.  A Confederate general was born at the Sentry Box and a famous World War II general traced his family origins to the house.  The Sentry Box was involved in the Civil War from the very beginning until the end.  During McDowell’s occupation a bridge was built below the Sentry Box and Lincoln crossed there.  During the Fredericksburg Campaign the house saw intense infantry combat with the Confederates controlling the crossing and the home suffered extensive damage from artillery fire. The owner of the Sentry Box wrote first person accounts of what happened there, and the area saw the first urban warfare with Union soldiers sacking houses in the area of the Sentry Box. 

February 26, 2025

Topic: A REPUBLIC IN THE RANKS: LOYALTY AND DISSENT IN THE AMY OF THE REPUBLIC

Speaker: Zachery Fry

The Army of the Potomac was a hotbed of political activity during the Civil War. As a source of dissent widely understood as a frustration for Abraham Lincoln, its onetime commander, George B. McClellan, secured the Democratic nomination for president in 1864. Dr. Zachery Fry argues that the war was an intense political education for its common soldiers. He examines several key crisis points to show how enlisted men developed political awareness that went beyond personal loyalties. By studying the struggle between Republicans and Democrats for political allegiance among the army's rank and file, Dr. Fry reveals how captains, majors, and colonels spurred a pro-Republican political awakening among the enlisted men, culminating in the army's resounding Republican voice in state and national elections in 1864.

March 26, 2025

Topic: AN OFFICER OF SIX NAVIES: THE “HARD MESSY UNEASY LIFE” OF HUNTER DAVIDSON

Speaker: John Coski

Hunter Davidson (1826-1913) may be the most accomplished Civil War naval officer of whom you’ve never heard. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1841 and enjoyed a distinguished 20-year career in blue before resigning in 1861 to join the Virginia State Navy. Commander of a gun section on the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) at the Battle of Hampton Roads, Davidson succeeded Spotsylvania’s own Cdr. Matthew Fontaine Maury in charge of the Confederacy’s Submarine Battery Service. After the war, he served with the Chilean Navy, was captain of the Maryland State Oyster Police, and commanded the Argentine Navy’s torpedo and hydrographic department before retiring to Paraguay. Davidson’s historical reputation rests primarily on his role as a pioneer of electrical “torpedoes” (mines).  

April 23, 2025

Topic: THE BATTLE FOR BRISTOE STATION

Speaker: Kevin Pawlak

On October 14, 1863, A.P. Hill's corps stumbled upon two corps of the retreating Union army at Bristoe Station and attacked without proper reconnaissance. Union soldiers of the II Corps, posted behind the Orange & Alexandria Railroad embankment, mauled two brigades of Henry Heth's division and captured a battery of artillery. Hill reinforced his line but could make little headway against the determined defenders. After this victory, the Federals continued their withdrawal to Centreville unmolested. Lee's Bristoe offensive sputtered to a premature halt. After minor skirmishing near Manassas and Centreville, the Confederates retired slowly to Rappahannock River destroying the Orange & Alexandria Railroad as they went. At Bristoe Station, Hill lost standing in the eyes of Lee, who angrily ordered him to bury his dead and say no more about it. In his presentation, historian Kevin Pawlak will explore the details of this significant campaign,

May 28, 2025

Topic: THE GRAND OLD MAN OF THE ARMY: GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT’S UNIONISM AND THE SECESSION CRISIS

Speaker: Barton Myers

General Winfield Scott, the General in Chief of the U.S. Army, is an important but often overlooked figure of the late antebellum period. He played a crucial role in the American government for two decades before the Civil War. This raises questions about how his stance on slavery, abolition, and unionism influenced his decisions between 1860 and 1861. To explore his personal loyalty, our speaker will analyze his relationships with notable figures like James Buchanan, John B. Floyd, Abraham Lincoln, and Robert E. Lee, among others, during the sectional crisis.

June 18, 2025

Topic: FORGOTTEN FRIDAY: THE APRIL 7, 1865 ACTIONS IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, VA

Speaker: Patrick Schroeder

Historians often overlook the multiple engagements that occurred in Cumberland County near Sailor’s Creek (April 6) and at Appomattox (April 9). These battles resulted in the death, wounding, or capture of three generals, the near capture of General Robert E. Lee, and a “Lee to the rear” incident. The battles near Cumberland Church were both fascinating and horrific, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Join Patrick Schroeder, Historian of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, to discover more about these often-forgotten events.