Welcome to
the Most important Round Table, in the Most important small town,
at the most important battlefield,
in the most important country
in the world.
Joe Mieczkowski, Past President
May 23 - The Nameless & Faceless of the Civil War in Poetry
Presented by Lisa Samia
The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War, Gettysburg, Manassas & More is the third book in the Nameless and Faceless series. The prior two books are The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War and The Nameless and the Faceless Women of the Civil War. Both books earned me Artist in Residence through the National Parks Arts Foundation-National Park Service, Gettysburg Poetry September 2020, and Artist in Residence-National Park Service Manassas Poetry October 2021.
The books are a collection of 28 poems and 28 historical essays on the Civil War. We know that not everyone who witnessed and experienced the Civil War made it into the history books. What about all those who rest in Civil War Battlefield Cemeteries with only the word Unknown to note their final resting place? So many of them still without a name or a face. By combining the rhyme and narrative of poetry with Civil War History a lost voice of history comes forth to share their experiences and their suffering. A place where their humanity and the songs of their soul come together to create a voice to tell their story of compassion, life, death, agony, and grief as a reminder to the world that they did not die in vain.
There is no North or South in these collections. No border states. No governance or politics. For in the voices of the lost and unknowns, it is to remember that suffering has no boundaries.
About the Speaker
Lisa G. Samia is an Award-Winning Poet & Author who researches, writes, and lectures on American Civil War History. Her latest accomplishments are being selected as the National Parks Arts Foundation’s Artist in Residence for Gettysburg National Battlefield Park 2020 & National Parks Service’s Artist in Residence for Manassas National Battlefield Park 2021, both for her Civil War Poetry.
Her works include “The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War,” a collection of 28 poems and 28 essays on the historical representations of Civil War events through the rhyme and narrative of poetry. It was released in April 2018 and endorsed by Eric Swanson, the NYT best-selling co-author of “The Joy of Living.” “The Nameless and the Faceless Women of the Civil War,” a collection of 28 poems and 28 essays, was released in April 2021 and also endorsed by Eric Swanson. Lisa's latest book released May 2023 "The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War Gettysburg, Manassas & More" is a captivating addition following the success of the first two books in The Nameless and Faceless series. Also, “The Man with the Ice Blue Eyes,” A Romantic Poetry Collection of Love and Heartache, debuted at number one on Amazon.com for Women’s Poetry in July 2016. Included in the collection are two award-winning poems from the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
Lisa is also an avid author and speaker on John Wilkes Booth and his sister Asia Booth Clarke. She has appeared multiple times at Tudor Hall Bel Air, MD, the Booth family home. Her recent discovery of a set of archived letters written by Asia Booth Clarke while residing in Europe provides a deeper reveal of Asia Booth Clarke. Also, a future biography of Asia Booth Clarke, her life, and her letters is Lisa's next project.
Lisa frequently lectures at literary and historical venues, notably The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House & Museum, The Civil War Interpretive Center Blenheim, The Civil War Round Table Congress, a virtual as well as in-person presentation with The American Civil War Museum, The Gettysburg Heritage Center, The Southern MD Civil War Round Table, and multiple Barnes & Noble locations.
She is currently working on a fourth CW poetry/essay book under The Nameless and Faceless of the Civil War.
Lisa will introduce a new unpublished poem to the May 23, presentation.
Lisa is also working on a biography of the life of Asia Booth Clarke, sister to John Wilkes Booth, A Woman of the Civil War.
Next meeting June 8 (Saturday)
Fred Hawthorne discusses Places Every Guide Should Know: Hancock Avenue Edition (In the field 9:30-noon)
Our meetings are the Fourth Thursday of each month.
We meet at ACHS Battlefield Overlook Events Center, 625 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg PA
The doors open at 6:30 pm. Meeting starts at 7:00 pm.
The meeting will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/CivilWarRoundTableOfGettysburg/live/
You can view videos of past meeting at the same location. You do not need to be a member of FaceBook to view the videos.
June 6 - Places Every Guide Should Know: Hancock Ave Edition
Presented by Fred Hawthorne
The program is the background of the mythical “140 places every guide should know” Hancock Avenue Edition. We will meet at 9:30 at the west front of the Pennsylvania Memorial. I will explain how this list came about, who can be blamed for its creation, and discuss some of the places and how they came to be on the list as we proceed north along Hancock Avenue. Be prepared for the weather with hats, sunscreen, water, umbrellas, snow shovels etc. to be completely prepared for typical June weather! The walk will conclude in Ziegler’s Grove.
I would suggest parking at the Cemetery Lot then walk to the meeting point. Parking at the Memorial is limited and you will have to walk back.
About the Speaker
Fred Hawthorne has close ties to the American Civil War having ancestors fighting on both sides of the conflict. He served four years as an intelligence analyst with the United States Air Force during the latter stages of the Vietnam War. Leaving active service to pursue his long time love of history Fred earned degrees in American History and another in Secondary Education. He went on to acquire advanced degrees in Colonial American History, Historical Archaeology and Educational Technology. His graduate research and dissertation was in the field of the French and Indian War and specifically the involvement of the Native American tribe - the Lenni Lenape - in that war. After graduation Fred spent sixteen years teaching history and economics on both the university and secondary school level before transitioning into assisting in the installation and integration of a 300-station educational computer network. In Fred's "spare time" he pursued his interest in his family genealogy and his family's role in the Civil War. Living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the very field of one of the climactic battles of that war led Fred to sit for the battlefield guide qualifying examination administered by the National Park Service. He earned his federal license in 1981 to serve as a Licensed Battlefield Guide. Over the past four decades as a professional battlefield guide Fred has conducted more than 10,000 tours encompassing every major battle site of the American Civil War. In that time more than 100,000 people have participated in a Hawthorne-led battlefield tour experience.
Fred has served the Civil War Routable of Gettysburg as a President, Vice-President and Board Member. His is currently a life-time member.
This is a members only tour. If you would like to participate, we welcome your membership at the meeting, or a donation to the CWRT of Gettysburg.