Historic Happenings Blog

Tuesday, March 17 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the March Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on March 17, 2020, at 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, but donations appreciated. “History and Layout of Picatinny Arsenal prior to its start in 1880” by Jason Huggan.      U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal is located in the Highlands of northwestern Morris County. Picatinny is situated on approximately 5,853 acres and stretches northwards from Route 15 towards Green Pond. The Arsenal specializes in the research, development, acquisition, and lifecycle of advanced conventional weapon systems and ammunition. The Cultural Resources Program (CRP) located in the Environmental Affairs Division of the Directorate of Public Works manages the historic structures, buildings, districts, and archaeological sites located ac...

Tuesday, February 18 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the February Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on February 18, 2020, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated. “Six Pre-Civil War Moments that Could have Changed History,” a presentation by Jamie Malanowski     We usually think of the Civil War as an inevitable clash between two cultures. But America’s tragic sectional conflict was actually the outcome of dozens of turning points; had something changed about any of them, the war might have looked very different. This talk looks at six moments that occurred between 1859 and 1861 that could have dramatically changed history. Jamie Malanowski has had an interest in the Civil War since his boyhood in Maryland at the time of the centennial. A writer and editor by trade, Jamie has worked ...

CANCELLED: The Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table meeting that was scheduled for Jan 21st (Movie Night) has been cancelled. Tuesday, January 21 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the January MOVIE NIGHT Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on January 21, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.    MOVIE NIGHT – “Lincoln and Lee at Antietam – The Cost of Freedom” – A documentary movie narrated by Ronald Maxwell     It's September 17, 1862, and President Abraham Lincoln needs a victory in order to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. But Robert E. Lee has other plans - invade the North. When Lee's strategy falls into the hands of the Union Army, the result is the single bloodiest day in American history at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Battle of Antietam results in ...

Tuesday, November 19 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the November Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on November 19, 2019, at 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.     “Immortalized in Stone: The History of Confederate Monuments, Then and Now,”  a presentation by Dr. Heidi Amelia-Anne Weber.    In recent years, great attention has been given to the status of Confederate monuments. On many fronts, people have been debating as to if they should remain standing or not. These monuments have drawn great interest on a national front. There are many Confederate monuments standing all over the United States. What is the place of the Confederate monuments? In order for us to successfully engage in this riveting debate, we must investigate as to why these monuments w...

Tuesday, October 15 – Sussex County        Come and enjoy the October Meeting of the Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table on October 15, 2019, at 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.     “Farragut’s Passage of the Forts,” a presentation by Chuck Veit.    Most Americans would confidently answer “Gettysburg” if asked  what was the turning point of our Civil War . But the effect of another battle in far-off Louisiana more than a year before might with more justification lay claim to that laurel.     When Flag-Officer Farragut’s squadron fought its way past the forts that guarded New Orleans and captured the most important city in the South, European nations on the verge of recognizing the Confederacy pulled back – and never again came as close to joining the war in support of the ...

Saturday, October 5 – Trip to Battle of Hanover Dear Esteemed Members and Friends of the Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table,    Just sending out some advance notice of our Fall Round Table Tour!     This year our Fall Tour will entail a guided tour of the Battle of Hanover. Date: Saturday, October 5, 2019, 10 a.m. Meeting place to be determined. Guide: Gettysburg Tour Guide Joe Mieczkowski (who conducted our spring Lee's Retreat Tour).    As you know, war activities and the Battle of Hanover occurred in late June east of Gettysburg during the Gettysburg Campaign as the armies maneuvered in the Pennsylvania and Maryland area. The Battle of Hanover culminated in a clash between our Sussex County General Kilpatrick and General JEB Stuart. Hanover is located about 20 minutes east of Gettysburg.   So, make your room reservation now, since October is a busy month in the Gettysburg area with fall foli...

Tuesday, September 17 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the September Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on September 17, 2019, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.     “The Largest Prisoner of War Camp for Confederates: The Point Lookout Prison in Southern Maryland,” a presentation by Brad and Linda Gottfried.     Help us celebrate the start of our 16 th  year as a Round Table with the man who was the original organizer and first president of the Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table (and past president of the Sussex County Community College): our September speaker Dr. Brad Gottfried!     Brad will be talking about The Point Lookout Civil War Prisoner of War Camp for Confederates, which was the largest facility in the North. Over 5...

Register now for the dinner on May 21 THE COLONEL HENRY RYERSON CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Proudly Announces Its 15th ANNUAL ROUND TABLE DINNER!!! Location: The Lamp Post Inn, 1601 County Road 565, Glenwood Road, Vernon, NJ ( www.thelamppostinn.net  – 973-875-9134) Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2019, Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Come join the fun and enjoy a delicious dinner at  The Lamp Post Inn  in their private fireplace room! Relish the camaraderie of your fellow Civil War enthusiasts!  Our special dinner guest speaker will be nationally renowned Bruce Chadwick, who will be talking about “The Civil War Goes to the Movies.”  Mr. Chadwick spent 23 years as a journalist with the  New York Daily News  before earning a doctorate in American history at Rutgers University, where he now teaches, along with teaching at New Jersey City University. He is a professor, historian, lecturer, and author of over 28 books. His story will illuminate the impac...

Tuesday, April 16 – Sussex County     Come and enjoy the April Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on April 16, 2019, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.       “Six Pre-Civil War Moments that Could Have Changed History,” a presentation by Jamie Malanowski      We usually think of the Civil War as an inevitable clash between two cultures. But America’s tragic sectional conflict was actually the outcome of dozens of turning points; had something changed about any of them, the war might have looked very different. This talk looks at six moments that occurred between 1859 and 1861 that could have dramatically changed history.     Jamie Malanowski has had an interest in the Civil War since his boyhood in Maryland at the time of the centennial. A wri...

Saturday, April 13 trip to Gettysburg Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table SPRING TOUR – 2019 Lee’s Retreat and Meade’s Pursuit     Our Spring Tour this year will take place on  Saturday, April 13, starting at 9 A.M.   Mark your calendars! Make your room reservations now!  Defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee was left with the difficult task of having to withdraw his battered army back across the Potomac and to the relative safety of Virginia. In the ten days between July 4 th  and the 14 th , 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia made its way out of Pennsylvania and across Maryland, pursued by the Army of the Potomac. Several brisk skirmishes occurred as the Union Army sought to cut off the retreating rebels. Although Lee ultimately slipped away, it was not without further losses to his army and his supply train.       Join us as we follow in the path of Lee’s retreat after Gettysburg...

Tuesday, March 19 – Sussex County    Come and enjoy the March Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on March 19, 2019, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated.      “Drinking with the Civil War Veteran Presidents” – A Presentation by Mark Will-Weber Whether it was whiskey, wine, or a signature cocktail, alcohol has been a central figure throughout American presidencies. At our March meeting, we will be engrossed by Mr. Will-Weber and his discussion of the alcohol drinking proclivities of Civil War veterans who went on to become Presidents of the United States.     From 1869 to 1901, five U.S. Presidents were Civil War veterans who served in the Union armies: U.S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley. The story of these presidents a...

Tuesday, February 19 – Sussex County COLONEL HENRY RYERSON CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table Phone: 973-948-4724 days Email:  jbdamfino@gmail.com Come and enjoy the February Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on February 19, 2019, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated. The Hysterical Tyrannical Booth Family – A Presentation by Dr. Peter Lubrecht The assassin John Wilkes Booth was the most famous member of his theatrical family; however, the theatrical legacy of his brother lives on today. Edwin Booth voted for Lincoln and was an avid supporter of the Union, while his brother John was a self-proclaimed spy for the Confederacy who committed what was considered one of the most tragically criminal acts of the 19th Century. Dr. Lubrecht traces the family lineage, including the famous father Junius Brutus Boo...

Tuesday, November 20 -- Sussex County       Come and enjoy the November Meeting of the  Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table  on November 20, 2018, 7:30 pm, at the Bristol Glen facility, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, New Jersey, in the Town Hall room. Admission is free, donations appreciated. Presentation –  “Muskets and Applejack: Spirits, Soldiers, and the Civil War” by Mark Will-Weber.     Blood, gunfire, and whiskey: they are the three things that defined Civil War battlefields. In this fascinating history of the war that almost tore America apart, our speaker historian Mark Will-Weber weaves together lighthearted stories of drunken generals and out-of-control soldiers with the gritty reality of battlefields where whiskey was the only medicine - and sometimes the only food. His story will paint a full, complex picture of the surprisingly large role alcohol played in the Civil War: how it helped...