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
Thursday, April 23 7:00pm The Spangler Farm, Part 2
Presented by Ron Kirkwood
Author Ron Kirkwood returns to the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable with updates from his new book “Tell Mother Not to Worry”: Soldier Stories From Gettysburg’s George Spangler Farm.
Kirkwood has spent 10 years researching the farm and argues that militarily Spangler owned the most important farm in the Union victory in the Battle of Gettysburg with its location, roads, size and Powers Hill. Additionally, the farm was of critical importance medically with two major hospitals on the property caring for a total of almost 3,000 men. His presentation focuses on both aspects of the farm, including new stories of the men and women in the two hospitals plus their families back home.
Kirkwood received this roundtable’s 2025 Bachelder-Coddington Distinguished Book Award for “Tell Mother Not to Worry” while his first book “Too Much for Human Endurance” is on the Gettysburg National Military Park’s recommended reading list for anyone studying to be a Licensed Battlefield Guide.
Kirkwood is retired after a 40-year career in newspapers and magazines including USA TODAY, Baltimore Sun and Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News. Ron edited national magazines for USA TODAY Sports, was NFL editor for USA TODAY Sports Weekly and managed the Harrisburg copy desk when the newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012. He has returned to his alma mater Central Michigan University as guest speaker to journalism classes as part of the school’s Hearst Visiting Professionals series. He and his wife of 49 years, Barb, moved from York to Pittsburgh in 2023 to be closer to family.
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