Southport Magazine

During the past 12 years, Brunswick Civil War Round Table monthly audiences have been informed, entertained, and fascinated about Civil War actions and events as presented by renowned historians, authors, and college professors. These guest speakers offered unique and interesting topics, always including both North and South points-of-view. Their goal was to attract everyone, from Civil War enthusiasts to those men and women, young and old, who simply want to learn more about this period in our country’s history. This combination of topics and speakers is the main reason this non-profit organization has earned its enviable reputation as “the largest Civil War round table in the country!” The upcoming season of monthly meetings continues that tradition.

Tuesday, Sept. 6: “The letters of General Gabriel Wharton and his Wife Nannie: 1863 – 1865.” The 524 letters discovered in an attic candidly discuss life, marriage, slavery, the Confederacy, and the war. Guest presenter is William C. (Jack) Davis, popular Civil War speaker, an award-winning American historian, and author of more than 40 books on the Civil War.

Tuesday, Oct. 4: “A Tale of Two Artillerymen: Robert Beckham and Justin Dimick at Chancellorsville.” Though on opposing sides, their stories remind us that history is about people, and this takes a closer look at the common threads connecting their stories on the battlefield. Guest presenter is Sarah Kay Bierle, managing editor of Emerging Civil War, author, speaker, and researcher on turning points of the Civil War.

Monday, Oct. 31: Civil War Ladies’ Forum (Sponsored by BCWRT): “Origins and Traditions of Christmas Celebrations in the mid-1800’s,” a PowerPoint presentation on the traditions of Christmas during the Civil War. Guest presenter Betty Vaughn is the author of four award-winning historical novels set in Eastern North Carolina during 1842 – 1868. This is a meeting for women about women, and will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in Southport. 

Tuesday, Nov. 1: “Unlike anything that ever floated: The USS Monitor, and the Battle of Hampton Roads.” This presentation takes the USS Monitor from her inception through the dramatic first clash of ironclads at Hampton Roads. Guest presenter is Dwight Hughes, an historian, author, and speaker in Civil War naval history. He has an impressive 20-year career in the U.S. Navy. 

Tuesday, Dec. 6: “The Legacy of Appomattox.” Appomattox signaled the end of the war and the beginning of Reconstruction in Virginia. So how did the surrender set the terms for the nation to come back together? Guest presenter Beth Parnicza is the Chief of Education and Visitor Services at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: “Defending the Arteries of Rebellion.” During the Mississippi River’s Civil War operations, the Confederacy continually challenged the North’s control of the Mississippi River valley via innovations; i.e., ironclad warships, joint operations, reintroduction of the ram, and underwater torpedoes. Guest presenter Neil P. Chatelain is a teaching historian, a frequent speaker at conferences, historical groups and museums, and author of books, articles, and prestigious journals.

Feb. 7: “Slogging to Richmond: Environmental Influences on the Union Failed Peninsula Campaign, 1862.” Union General George McClellan’s campaign to capture Richmond, Virginia failed. Why? Environmental issues such as weather, disease, animals, terrain, and nutrition all played significant roles. It’s a different and rather unique insight into how and why battles are won or lost. Guest presenter Judkin Browning is Professor of Environmental History at Appalachian State University.

March 7: “The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies.” Soldiers on both sides faced enormous personal issues to survive – marching, fighting, boredom, idealism, exhaustion, punishment, and being away from their families. Guest presenter Peter Carmichael, Ph.D., is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the American Civil War, and is now an American historian and Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College.

April 4: “Grant’s Next Chapter: Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and the Rise of Ulysses S. Grant.” Grant finished one volume of his memoirs after Vicksburg, and began the second volume with Chattanooga which became the turning point of his career. Guest presenter: Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War, a prolific award-winning author, and serves on the Board for the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust and the Civil War Roundtable Congress.

May 2: “Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell: Impressed Labor and the Wilmington Fortifications.” Starting in 1862, the subject is slavery. In 1864, a key moment in our history involved the need for planters on the home front despite freed slaves. Guest presenter Jaime Amanda Martinez is a Professor and Chair in the Department of History at UNC Pembroke. She is frequent speaker about the role of enslaved, free black, and American Indian men, and in building Wilmington’s fortifications. 

The start of the new season on Sept. 6at Hatch Auditorium on Caswell Beach promises to be both informative and festive. Everyone is welcome to join our more than 1,100 members in what promises to be an extraordinary series of upcoming meetings. To be part of this experience, the visitor fee is $10 for any meeting, and that fee can be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues. For more information, email president John Butler at Brunswickcwrt@gmail.com. Or call him at (404) 229-9425.