CWRTDC'S NEXT MEETING

AT FORT MYER AND VIA ZOOM


"The Grand Review of 1861" 

presentation by

KIM HOLIEN

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

in the Abrams/Chaffee Room

at Patton Hall Officers' Club / Community Club at Fort Myer,

214 Buffalo Soldier Avenue

(formerly at 214 Jackson Avenue)

Arlington, VA  22211

(take the elevator to the right as you enter the building and press Floor 2 or

take the stairs to up two levels) 


(See Below for Schedule for Zoom Attendees)
5:45 pm ET: Social Period at Club for In-Person Attendees (cash bar)
6:30 pm ET: Start of Meeting/Introductions
6:45 pm ET: Start of Mini-Presentation with John Sower
7:00 pm ET: Start of Speaker Presentation and Q&A
8:30 pm ET: Meeting Adjourned

TO MAKE AND PAY FOR RESERVATIONS,

USE THE MODULE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS WEBPAGE

https://cwrtdc-meetings.blogspot.com/ 


 

If you have any problems making reservations online or would like to know about alternatives to making reservations or payments online, please email admin@cwrtdc.org.

Non-CWRTDC members must make reservations and remit payment online

 

Unfortunately, cancellations after the due date are non-refundable, as the CWRTDC must pay for the number of dinners ordered regardless of the actual attendance)

 

Attendees will need to enter For Myer by following the instructions  available by clicking HERE

(also see directions here) or (download them in pdf here)

Interactive Public Transportation Options are HERE


OR JOIN US VIA ZOOM

Schedule for Zoom/Remote Attendees:
6:00 pm ET: Zoom Platform Opens for Remote Social Period (Optional)
6:30 pm ET: Start of Meeting/Introductions
6:45 pm ET: Start of Mini-Presentation with John Sower
7:00 pm ET: Start of Speaker Presentation and Q&A
8:30 pm ET: Meeting Adjourned

Any questions or problems, contact paul.mazzuca@gmail.com    

Zoom Meeting URL: 
Or point your browser to the following link and use the Meeting ID and passcode shown below:
Zoom "Join A Meeting" Page: https://zoom.us/join
Zoom Meeting ID: 834 1270 9960
Zoom Passcode: Zoom1861

Or dial in by your location:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Phone Meeting ID: 834 1270 9960
Phone Passcode: 81302104

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdSroe6qvY
For a cheat sheet on how to use Zoom's control features click HERE

About the Topic:

Following the rout of the Union Army at Bull Run on July 21, 1861, the Confederate Army advanced far into Northern Virginia planting the Stars and Bars flag atop Munson's Hill just west of Bailey's Crossroads. Just six miles away, President Lincoln could see the flag by going to the roof of the White House using a high powered naval telescope. In addition, the Confederates had blockaded the Potomac River for a stretch of 35 miles! Then came the Union army disaster on October 21st, at Ball's Bluff, just 35 miles upriver from Washington. This was shortly followed by the Trent Affair, which caused some 10,000 British Regulars to sail to Canada. At the same time France was preparing to send an expeditionary force to take over Mexico. Luckily for President Lincoln, the Confederate General Joe Johnson retreated, and the Union forces took over Munson's Hill. 

On November  20, 1861, General George McClellan held a Grand Review of the newly christened Army of the Potomac consisting of some 70,000 Soldiers. In attendance were President Lincoln, the Diplomatic Corps, some 30,000 spectators from Washington, and a lady named Julia Ward Howe. It is the largest review ever held in the Western Hemisphere. From it, and a smaller dry run held a few days earlier near present day 7 Corners, came "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." As General William Averill would write: "In the realization of all observers, the Army was born that day."


About the Speaker:

Kim Bernard Holien was born in an Army Hospital and raised in an old Army family. From 1975-87 he was an active member of the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia, serving as President from 1986-7, during which he integrated the Round Table for women to join, which created great hostility from certain members.

Kim served 41 years in Federal Service in 6 agencies, 4 of which were Top Secret positions. From 1979-2013 he was an Army Historian. For his work there, he received personal commendations from President Reagan, Secretary of Defense Weinberger, Secretary of the Army Marsh, two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, three Chiefs of Staff of the Army. He also received over 140 awards. 

Kim was the civilian Historian for Helicopter Staff Rides for the Secretary of the Army and Army General Staff from the Pentagon to Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Cedar Creek, New Market, and 2nd Manassas. He participated in the CW Centennial and narrated the 125th anniversary reenactments of 1st Bull Run, Balls Bluff, Gettysburg, New Market, and Monocacy. He also narrated the 150th anniversary of 1st Manassas. 

Kim wrote the first book Battle at Balls Bluff which was used by Ed Bearss to assist Mrs. Reagan in preserving the battlefield from development. His work in battlefield preservation goes back to the 1970s and involves Manassas, Chantilly, Balls Bluff, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields, and Ft. Ward. Kim is a 1981 founding member of the Friends of Ft. Ward.         


________________________

 CWRTDC'S UPCOMING MEETING

co-hosted with
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S COTTAGE

IN-PERSON ONLY

"Dred Scott: Struggle for Freedom
and Continued Legacy"

by
LYNNE JACKSON

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

At President Lincoln's Cottage

140 Rock Creek Church Rd, NW 

Washington, DC  20011

Use the address above in your GPS to take you to the Eagle Guard Gate entrance, where the guard will ask for an ID.  Please let the guard know you are there for a meeting at President Lincoln's Cottage.  If driving, there is free parking to which the guard will direct you. The Visitor Center is just beyond the gate.


Agenda:
5:30 pm:  Social Period with light appetizers and refreshments at Visitor Center. 
6:15 pm:  Short walk to President Lincoln's Cottage for Program.
6:30 pm:  Presentation of the Ed Bearss Legacy Award to Loretta Neumann.
6:40 pm:  Start of Meeting with 
                Callie Hawkins, CEO of the Cottage & Eileen Bradner, VP, CWRTDC.
6:50 pm:  Presentation by Lynne Jackson.
7:15 pm:  Cottage Conversation and Q&A
8:00 pm:  Meeting Adjourned

THE PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL.

FREE TO MEMBERS OF THE 

CWRTDC AND PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S COTTAGE.

(NON-MEMBERS MAY PAY $10 OR BECOME MEMBERS)


PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIREDBY CLICKING HERE

(https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dred-scott-struggle-for-freedom-and-continued-legacy-tickets-1291607836809?aff=oddtdtcreator) 

Members will receive an email about how to register for free.


YOU MUST HAVE A VALID ID TO ENTER THE PREMISES.


About the Topic:

For our April 9, 2025 meeting, we are partnering with President Lincoln’s Cottage in northwest Washington, D.C., to hear from Lynne Jackson, President and Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and the great, great granddaughter of Dred Scott. 

Ms. Jackson will give a presentation on Dred and Harriet Scott's 11-year legal battle for freedom and the work of the foundation to promote commemoration, education and reconciliation in today’s fractured environment. 

The meeting will take place in the historic house where President Lincoln and his family lived for over a quarter of his Presidency, and where President Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Following Ms. Jackson’s presentation, there will be a moderated discussion and questions. The meeting will begin with a reception in the Visitor Education Center. 

About the Speaker:

Lynne Jackson is the great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, plaintiffs in the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision of 1857. Jackson founded the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation in 2006 with the goals of commemoration, education and reconciliation. Her primary motive is to share and continue the legacy of Dred Scott and his important role in changing the landscape of the United States through his 11-year legal battle for freedom. Her expertise is blending the personal and legal cases together and portraying a composite picture of what the Scott family’s struggle really meant.

The Foundation raised funds to commission and install the first and only statue of Dred Scott including his wife, Harriet, which stands outside the historic Old Courthouse in St. Louis, MO, where the Scotts sued for their freedom. The Foundation also erected a new memorial for Dred Scott at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.  

Jackson has created signature panels, “

Jackson is a graduate of S. Illinois University at Edwardsville and the Alleda Ward Wells Piano Studio of St. Louis. She has had a career in law and business in St. Louis.  She has received numerous honors and awards for her heritage work including the Spirit of Justice Award from the St. Louis Bar Foundation and a Proclamation from the City of St. Louis.

Through its work, the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation aims to ensure that we never forget the struggle for freedom, citizenship and equality, with an eye towards helping to heal the wounds of the past.

Sources: https://www.thedredscottfoundation.org/dshf/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=86

https://thedredscottfoundation.org/dshf/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=156&Itemid=53

________________________

 CWRTDC'S PREVIOUS MEETING

 VIA ZOOM ONLY

with a presentation by

LEIGH FOUGHT

about

Women in the World of Frederick Douglass During the Civil War 

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

JOIN US VIA ZOOM

Schedule for Zoom/Remote Attendees:

6:00 pm ET: Zoom Platform Opens for Remote Social Period (Optional)
6:30 pm ET: Start of Meeting/Introductions
6:45 pm ET: Start of Mini-Presentation with John Anderson
7:00 pm ET: Start of Speaker Presentation and Q&A
8:30 pm ET: Meeting Adjourned

Any questions or problems, contact paul.mazzuca@gmail.com    

Zoom Meeting URL: 
Or point your browser to the following link and use the Meeting ID and passcode shown below:
Zoom "Join A Meeting" Page: https://zoom.us/join
Zoom Meeting ID: 834 1270 9960
Zoom Passcode: Zoom1861

Or dial in by your location:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Phone Meeting ID: 834 1270 9960
Phone Passcode: 81302104

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdSroe6qvY
For a cheat sheet on how to use Zoom's control features click HERE

About the Topic:

While Frederick Douglass is famed for campaigning for Emancipation and the recruitment of Black soldiers during the Civil War, how did this self-proclaimed "woman's rights man" address women's contributions? After decades of ensuring the survival of the abolitionist movement, how did women see themselves in relation to its culmination? Where did they fit in the subsequent debates about citizenship and voting? Prof. Fought will discuss Douglass's roles in the Civil War and the ways that the women who had supported him had to carve roles for themselves during the conflict.

Dr. Fought will discuss and debate these various issues.



About the Speaker: 

Leigh Fought is a professor of U.S. and women's history at Le Moyne College in New York.  She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Houston, a Master of Library Science from Simmons College in Boston, and many awards and honors, including:

  • 2020 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Research Stipend
  • 2018 Mary Kelly Book Prize, Society of Historians of the Early American Republic
  • 2018 Herbert Lehman Award for Best Book in New York History, History Academy
  • 2009 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Research Stipend

Dr. Fought appears regularly in the media and is the author of the book she will discuss on March 12, 2025, as well as several others, including Southern Womanhood and Slavery: A Biography of Louisa S. McCord and her latest: Sally Hemings; Given Her Time.

On LeMoyne's website, Dr. Fought writes:

The 1970s brought the American Bicentennial, the miniseries Roots, and the TV series Little House on the Prairie. My grandparents also took me to colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and more than one Civil War battlefield. This odd mix of patriotism, race, women’s history, and living history profoundly affected me as a little girl growing up in the South. I discovered that there were many different pasts and their stories conflict with and complement one another, fascinating me and dooming me from an early age to become a historian. The media of history in which I have worked has varied from documents editor, to archivist, to living history museum interpreter all in the process of finding my purpose in the academic world of teaching, research, and writing.  

Additional information about Dr. Fought is available at https://www.lemoyne.edu/academics/faculty/leigh-fought/ 

_________________________


CWRTDC'S AND LGDC'S 
PREVIOUS JOINT MEETING

IN-PERSON AT "THE SQUARE" AND VIA ZOOM

 


 The CWRTDC and LGDC are delighted to again jointly host an in-person/hybrid meeting to celebrate Lincoln's Birthday week with the following activities scheduled for a meeting to be held the evening of Tuesday, February 25, 2025: 

  • An extended social period in the newly renovated "The Square;"
  • A presentation by renowned historian and author Sidney Blumenthal about Lincoln;
  • A celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the LGDC;
  • The announcement of CWRTDC's Ed Bearss Legacy Award to Loretta Neumann; Additional information about the Award is available by clicking HERE (https://cwrtdc-calendar.blogspot.com/); and
  • An expanded book raffle that practically guarantees you will be a winner!

 

 A COPY OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE MEETING

discusses

"The Better Angels: 

Lincoln's First Inaugural"


Tuesday, February 25, 2025

5:00 pm ET

No-Host Food Court and Bar at "The Square"

1850 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C 20006

Program Begins at 6:30 pm ET

 About the Event:

The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia (CWRTDC) and the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia (LGDC) are teaming up again to mark President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday with a special program on the evening of Tuesday, February 11, 2025, featuring a presentation by Lincoln biographer Sidney Blumenthal, a look back at the Lincoln Group’s 90-year history, and the announcement of CWRTDC’s annual Ed Bearss Legacy Award. 

The meeting will be held in a wonderful new, Tishman Speyer, Class A building: the Conference Center at International Square, 1850 K Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C., nicknamed “The Square” that is below a fabulously renovated gourmet food court and bar area. The Square is located at the corner of 18th and I and is easily accessible from four Metro lines (Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver) and has underground or nearby parking.  This venue will be something new for both groups’ members, and it will give everyone a chance to socialize, eat and drink what they choose, and then move to the conference center for what we know will be an enjoyable program. 

The event will start at 5 p.m., when members can gather in the food /bar area of the food court, which is in The Square’s spacious lobby atrium. We’ll then go downstairs to the conference center at around 6:15 p.m. ET for our program and discussion.  We plan to wrap up by 8:30 p.m. ET. 

Our costs involve the rental of the conference space (at a discount thanks to the CWRTDC) and the hiring of a professional videographer to help ensure the Zoom offering for members and guests around the country (and world) is flawless from our end. To recover those costs, we will be charging $20 per person to attend the program in person and $10 to watch via Zoom, including existing members of either the CWRTDC or LGDC. In-person attendees are responsible for the cost of their own food and drink. 

Information about The Square’s food court is available at https://www.dcthesquare.com/.  It offers a wide variety of delicious gourmet tastes from around the globe. 

About the Speaker:

Sidney Blumenthal is the acclaimed author (by, among others, Jon Meacham, Harold Holzer, and James McPherson) of the first three volumes of a projected five-volume biography of Lincoln.  Mr. Blumenthal's first volumes, listed below, have been resounding critical and popular successes. 

  • A Self-Made Man: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. I, 1809–1849 
  • Wrestling With His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. II, 1849-1856 
  • All the Powers of Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. III, 1856-1860 

Mr. Blumenthal is the former assistant and senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and senior adviser to Hillary Clinton. He has also been a national staff reporter for The Washington Post and Washington editor and writer for The New Yorker. His other books include the bestselling The Clinton Wars, The Rise of the Counter-Establishment, and The Permanent Campaign. 

Born and raised in Illinois, Mr. Blumenthal lives in Washington, DC. 


Sources: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sidney-Blumenthal/453035597 and

https://www.hnn.us/article/sidney-blumenthal----yes-that-sidney-blumenthal---

 

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW:

As noted above, to cover our venue and videographer costs, we must charge $20 per person to attend the program in person and $10 to watch via Zoom, even if you are an existing member to either group. We also encourage you to become a member of either our organizations, or both!

To make a reservation, please use the module available on the right of our website page at https://cwrtdc-meetings.blogspot.com/ or click HERE (https://cwrtdc-meetings.blogspot.com/p/cwrtdc-lgdc-joint-meeting-2025.html).  BUT SPACE IS LIMITED FOR BOTH IN-PERSON AND ZOOM ATTENDANCE, SO PLEASE MAKE A RESERVATION BY FEBRUARY 21 TO ENSURE WE HAVE A SPOT FOR YOU.  And please indicate your group affiliation, the full name of each in-person attendee (for the roster the security folks need to grant you access to the conference center), or the name you will use to attend via Zoom so that we can admit you to the Zoom meeting.   Because of the Security/access requirements, there can be no same-day registration.

 Also, cancellations after February 1 are non-refundable, as we must pay for the venue and videographer regardless of the actual attendance. If you cannot come after all, please consider your registration fee as a donation. Thank you.

If you have any problems making reservations online or would like to know about alternatives to making reservations or payments online, please email admin@cwrtdc.org

 

Schedule for In-Person Attendees:
5:00 pm ET: Dinner and Social Period at "The Square" (Optional)
6:30 pm ET: Celebration of LGDC's 90th Anniversary
6:45 pm ET: Announcement Regarding the CWRTDC's Ed Bearss Awards
7:00 pm ET: Start of Speaker Presentation and Q&A


Schedule for Zoom/Remote Attendees:
5:45 pm ET: Zoom Platform Opens for Remote Social Period (Optional)
6:30 pm ET: Celebration of LGDC's 90th Anniversary
6:45 pm ET: Announcement Regarding the CWRTDC's Ed Bearss Awards
7:00 pm ET: Start of Speaker Presentation and Q&A

Any questions or problems, contact paul.mazzuca@gmail.com


As noted above, to cover our costs, we must charge $10 per person to watch via Zoom. And when you register, don't forget to indicate the name you will use to attend via Zoom so that we can grant you access. 

CHANGED Zoom Meeting URL: 

Or point your browser to the link below and use the Meeting ID and passcode shown:
Zoom "Join A Meeting" Page: https://zoom.us/join
CHANGED Phone Meeting ID: 812 6077 6908
CHANGED Phone Passcode: 697805

One tap mobile:

+13017158592,,81260776908#,,,,*697805# US (Washington DC)

+13052241968,,81260776908#,,,,*697805# US


Or dial in by your location:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcZG7EOkvV
For a cheat sheet on how to use Zoom's control features click HERE

 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOINT MEETING

 LGDC's 90TH ANNIVERSARY

The Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia is turning 90 years young in 2025, quite an accomplishment for a small non-profit. To mark the anniversary, the LGDC will include vignettes from its long, notable history in its monthly programs. For more information, visit The Lincoln Group Is an Oldie but a Goodie.


ANNOUNCEMNENT OF THE EDWIN C. BEARSS LEGACY AWARD

The CWRTDC will also annouce an award to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Civil War historian Edwin Cole Bearss. The recipients of the CWRTDC Edwin C. Bearss Legacy Award is Loretta Neumann.  For more information, visit: https://cwrtdc-calendar.blogspot.com/

For additional information about Ed and the awards, see CWRTDC's News Release which will be available HERE or visit its website at www.cwrtdc.org.  

 

SPECIAL RAFFLE/GIVEAWAY (corrected)

If you did not get that Civil War history book you wanted this holiday season, this is your chance to make up for lost time. We will be holding a raffle at the meeting for in-person attendees only (hopefully like the ones our raffle host extraordinaire Gordon Berg used to run).  A $5.00 raffle ticket may win you not just one book, but also a second book (while supplies last)!  The collection of books Gordon has brought to our past meetings has been expansive, and at this meeting we plan on bringing some Lincoln-related books that are signed by their authors. Come early to socialize and check out the selection!  The money collected supports our speaker program!



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