New Bedford Civil War Roundtable

Just a repeat of last week’s reminder. Please mark your calendar for next week. We very much hope you will try to be at the picnic. Great fun!! June 25 , a Tuesday, is just around the corner. To Members and Friends of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table,. We remind you of our Annual Picnic on Tuesday June 25 at 6:00 at the Low Tide Yacht Club. Please see the attached flyer for details. Bring a dessert to share with all. And please bring a book for the “book raffle table”. We are serving, buffet style, a take-out dinner from Riccardi’s of New Bedford. Cost will be $15 per person, payable at the door. Consider bringing a guest. While we have not asked for RSVP, or sold tickets , we’d like to know if you plan to attend. Why do we ask? Did we buy enough food? We believe we did, but it would be nice to hear from you. We usually have this meal catered, but this year we are doing it ourselves. Did we plan it right? We hope so but help us out with telling us if you plan to attend. Thanks, Bob Lytle

Did you miss the May meeting of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. It is now posted on our YouTube Channel, thanks to our Outreach Director, Don Brown. Simply click on the link below. What was the May meeting about? Our speaker was Chuck Veit, a good friend of our Round Table. His topic was , The Battle of Fort Butler, in Donaldson, Louisiana. Chuck’s latest book is titled “ A Lively Little Battle”, and this book will draw you into the battle scenes at Fort Butler. If you wish to purchase this book , email Chuck chuckveitbooks.com Best regards, Bob Lytle

https://youtu.be/Hox6vvJynm4?si=sxY221LlIxM2NJTq

NBCWRT May 2024 meeting With guest speaker Chuck Veit Chuck discusses his latest book " A lively little battle". The battle of FortButler at Donaldson, LA in June 1863. Based on eye eyewitness accounts.

Summer may have arrived , - finally. You know that must mean it’s time for the New Bedford Civil War Round Table picnic. It will be at the Low Tide Yacht Club, Fort Taber Park, Tuesday June 25, at 6:00 p.m. Please see the attached flyer for details. All we ask is that you bring a dessert to share with all, and a book for the book raffle table. No reservations are needed, but, in years past we have had 45 to 50 people in attendance. And so , we have purchased, from Riccardi’s Italian Restaurant, New Bedford, food for 50 people. The Round Table officers will set up and serve the buffet. We will provide the coffee and water, along with place settings and paper goods. Why the change? The cost of a fully catered dinner has increased, as you might suspect. For this picnic we are charging $15 pp. for a wonderful Riccardi’s meal. For your $15 we will serve Lasagna, antipasto, Chicken with Ziti, meatballs, and rolls. Dessert is what you bring. Pretty good value. Mark your calendar and please come out to the Round Table picnic, seaside views are free at the Low Tide Yacht Club in Fort Taber Park. Guests are welcome.

Did you miss Megan Kate Nelson last Sunday at the Ft Taber~Ft Rodman Military Museum? Her talk covered the creation of Yellowstone National Park. I have placed a You Tube link below for you. If you cannot make this link work , simply open up You Tube and look for the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. This filming and editing credit goes to Don Brown.

NB Civil War Round Table Saving Yellowstone May 2024 Megan Kate Nelson discusses the exploration of the Yellowstone Inthe 1870's

This is a reminder that Tuesday May 28th is our regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. The speaker will be Chuck Veit, a well-respected naval expert on the Civil War, but more than that, he is an excellent presenter. Plan on attending , you won’t be disappointed. Doors open at the Low Tide Yacht Club at 5:15 for coffee and pastries. Bring a guest. The meeting will include a book raffle as always.

We’re getting set up!

Join us in 45 minutes at Rural Cemetery for our annual Memorial Day Service!

To our members and friends of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table, just another reminder that one of our biggest events of the year will take place this coming Saturday, May 25 at 9:00 a.m. at Rural Cemetery, 149 Dartmouth St, New Bedford. We are conducting our annual Memorial Day dedication to our fallen veterans, especially the Civil War veterans at the Civil War Section at Rural Cemetery. It is a 45 minute, moving ceremony, we read General Logan’s Order #11 establishing the decoration of the Civil War veteran’s graves, we read the Gettysburg address, a Massachusetts National Guard bugler will do taps, a soloist will sing “Tenting Tonight” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, the 1850’s Ladies from the NPS will present the wreath, and the Mayor of New Bedford, Jon Mitchell, will deliver the keynote address. Refreshments will be served after the service. Please support us with your presence. Start your Memorial Day weekend on Saturday morning with your friends at the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. You will come away feeling better about the world as a result of this ceremony. Bob Lytle

Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Society Lecture Series continues! This is a reminder that our Friend of the Civil War Round Table, Megan Kate Nelson, will be the featured speaker this coming Sunday May 19th , 2:00 p.m. in the main room at the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum. Please tell the main gate personnel that you are attending the lecture at the Museum. Ms. Nelson’s presentation will feature her book Saving Yellowstone . This book is one of Smithsonian Magazine’s Top Ten Books in History for 2023.

From our friends at the New Bedford Historical Society: The National Society of the Daughters of the Union will be visiting New Bedford for two days and hosting their annual conference. Join the Society for a ceremony honoring Sgt. Carney at his gravesite, May 17 at 2 PM at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Our next talk will be TUESDAY MAY 28, 2024, 6:00 P.M. At the Low Tide Yacht Club, 1000 Rodney French Blvd, Fort Taber Park, South End of New Bedford. Ample well-lit parking, no fees. Please consider inviting a friend to the meeting. Doors open at 5:15. Coffee and pastries will be served. Open to the public. Our speaker is CHUCK VEIT, the author of a growing number of books. He focuses on “almost lost” or undiscovered episodes in American naval and maritime history, and has turned up evidence of a secret rocket torpedo program in 1862; detailed in the development of Alligator, the Navy’s first submarine; and told the story of the largest salvage operation in history in the harbor of Sevastopol (1857-62). His latest book, A Lively Little Battle, analyzes the little-known Battle of Fort Butler in Donaldsonville, Louisiana in the pre-dawn darkness of 28 June 1863. It is based on multiple eyewitness accounts—including newly discovered letters and actual plans of the fort—and brings to light a number of outstanding versions of the engagement. In January 2024 the book won a Special Merit for Scholarly Research award from IPNE, the Independent Publishers of New England. Chuck is a frequent speaker on 19th century naval topics at area historical societies and Civil War Roundtables, as well as the Naval War College in Newport R.I. Other venues have included the NOAA Maritime Heritage Edu-cation Conference, Mariners’ Museum Civil War Navy Conference, the Naval Order of the United States in St. Petersburg, FL, the 10th Maritime Heritage Conference, and the Portsmouth Navy Yard’s 238th Anniversary Ball. Chuck has written several articles for Naval History Magazine, Historical Diving Times, Civil War Navy, the American Historical Print Collector Society’s Newsletter, and the Company of Military Historian’s Journal.

Save the date—Our Annual Summer Picnic at the Low Tide Yacht Club will be June 25th. We will continue the tradition of Peter Rioux’s Trivia Pursuit and a book raffle. Bring a book to put on the raffle table. Please see the flyer in this month's Flagbearer.

New Bedford Civil War Round Table
Memorial Day Service May 25, 2024 9:00 a.m.
Rural Cemetery, 149 Dartmouth Street, New Bedford, MA
Drive to the Civil War section in the back of the Cemetery
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Welcome Remarks by Mark Mello, President of the NBCWRT
Raising of the American flag—Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation– Father Michael Racine, Pastor, Whaling City Catholic Community
General John A. Logan’s Order #11, May 5, 1868 - Joseph Michaud
Keynote address by The Honorable Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford
Gettysburg Address, - Jack Richer, Board of Directors, NBCWRT
Tenting Tonight by Caroline Blais
Laying of floral wreath by the 1850’s Ladies, Ruth and Abby, New Bedford Whaling
National Historical Park
Sounding of Taps, 215th Army Band, Massachusetts Army National Guard
Sergeant First Class Robert Sousa
Gun salute—Led by Stephen Pacheco, Squad Leader
Moment of Silence—Mark Mello, pres. NB Civil War Round Table
Battle Hymn of the Republic by Caroline Blais, accompanied by Larry Roy
Benediction—Peter Rioux, V.P. NBCWRT

Reminder that the New Bedford Civil War Round Table will meet in person Tuesday night April 23rd, at 6:00 pm at the Low Tide Yacht Club. We hope that you can be there for this meeting. Please consider asking a friend to join you. Coffee and pastries at 5:15 when the doors open. The speaker will be Judge Robert J. Kane, his topic, Abraham Lincoln and the War Powers.

April 23 at 6pm: Lincoln and the War Powers by Guest Speaker Hon. Robert J. Kane. Judge Kane graduated from Fairfield University and has his law degree from Boston College Law School. He has served in the Bristol County District Attorney’s office, and as a defense attorney with the Massachusetts Defenders Committee, a District Court Judge, and as executive director of the Governor’s Committee on Criminal Justice under Governor Michael Dukakis. He was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court as an associate justice, by former Governor Paul Cellucci. Judge Kane retired in 2017. Location: Low Tide Yacht Club, 1000 Rodney French Blvd , Fort Taber Park , South End of New Bedford. Ample well-lit parking, no fees. Please consider inviting a friend to the meeting. Doors open at 5:15. Coffee and pastries will be served. Open to the public.

The March meeting with Joe Michaud's talk on General Ambrose Burnside is now up on our YouTube channel New Bedford Civil War Round Table. If you missed it in person make sure you tune in. It was an excellent presentation with a nice little bonus feature at the end. As always give it a like and subscribe if you haven't already.

Burnside Reconsidered Judge Joseph Mischad

Some of you are probably aware that the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Museum has been running a lecture series this winter. Last Sunday was the third in the series. John Wojtowicz, past president of the Photographic Historical Society of New England had a wonderful presentation on Civil War photography. Many of you may have seen some of these pictures in 2D but these were shown in 3D taking the viewing experience to a whole new level. He also explained the process of how the pictures were taken and developed, many of which were on the battlefields shortly after the battle had taken place. John's pictures were taken in the 19th century, shown on a 20th-century projector, and now video recorded with 21st-century technology. Unfortunately, the 21st-century video isn't able to do justice to the presentation but it is still well worth watching. This is available now on our YouTube channel at the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. Please remember to like and if you haven't done so already subscribe.

A reminder of two upcoming events: First, this Sunday March 24 at 2:30 , at the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum, John Wojtowicz will present his collection of Civil War 3-D photographs. Note the time to be 2:30. This presentation is the continuation of the very successful Winter Lecture Series at the Museum. While you are at the Museum you should check out the Civil War artifact display, which has been greatly expanded. The second event reminder is, of course, our monthly Civil War Round Table meeting. It will be Tuesday night, March 26, at 6:00 pm, doors open at 5:45. This will be at the Low Tide Yacht Club and is our first in-person meeting of the year. Round Table member Joe Michaud will present the life and times of Maj. General Ambrose Everett Burnside. When it comes to Gen’l Burnside, where do you start? Come to the meeting March 26th and find out.

Recently Mark Mello , our Round Table President, delivered a lecture at the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum, second in a Historical Lecture Series sponsored by the Military Museum. Mark’s presentation centered on the New Bedford’s Whaling industry during the American Civil War 1860-1865. 50 people were in the audience. His lecture is now available on YouTube. There are two ways to get to the lecture. First is to click on the link below. The second is to go to the New Bedford Civil War Round Table You Tube Channel. Looking ahead, the third lecture in the Museum’s Historical Lecture Series will be Sunday March 24th at 2:30, at the main room in the Museum. John Wojtowicz, photography expert, will present a 3D image slide presentation of the American Civil War.

New Bedford in the Civil War Mark Mello discusses the interaction between the New Bedford Whalers and the Confederate Navy during the Civil War.He also gives us details of the "Stone Fle...

News from the New Bedford Civil War Round Table: We continue to remind you that dues for 2024 should be paid soon. Our dues calendar year ends June 30. Are you current? We hope so as we would not want to drop you from our membership list. Please be alerted that Don Brown, Digital Outreach, will be emailing you and talking to you at our March meeting, about purchasing merchandise that has our Round Table logo imprinted; shirts and baseball hats. The shirts and caps come in a variety of colors and the quality is excellent. Follow us on Facebook, and don’t forget that we keep our website up-to-date, thanks to Following Sea Design web services. Find us at The New Bedford Civil War Round Table. Did you miss a meeting, check us on YouTube. Don Brown often records, edits, and links our meetings to YouTube. Weather alert. If the New Bedford School system cancels school on a day when we are scheduled to have a meeting , we will cancel also. Usually the New Bedford Mayor orders the Parks and Recreation Board to close the Fort Taber gates when weather is bad or is predicted to be bad. Our Annual Memorial Day weekend service will be Saturday morning May 25 at 9:00 a.m. at the Civil War Burial Section at Rural Cemetery, Dartmouth Street, New Bedford. The Round Table Memorial Day committee is well along in the planning stage. Last year we were impressed with the larger than normal turnout of citizens. It is a moving ceremony. We hope you will mark your calendar and be present in sup-port of the Round Table. Our Round Table is planning a day of headstone cleaning at the Civil War Section of Rural Cemetery on May 4th. You will hear more about this civic project in March—April. We are asking you to join us on the work detail. In partnership with the Round Table , we will be joined by local Scouts, and The New Bedford Historical Society.
The New Bedford Civil War Round Table Langlois Book Award Committee has started it’s 2024 search for area high school seniors who will qualify for this award. Congratulations to Larry Monastesse for doing an excellent job at scheduling speakers for our Round Ta-ble. Larry is, however, moving on, and will not be handling this Speaker Engagement duty. We hope one of you reading this will step forward and take up this task. You will receive assistance as you learn the assignment. The Round Table needs your help! Let us not forget to support our sister Civil War Round Tables. We have several members also active with the Rhode Island Civil War Round Table, Olde Colony Civil War Round Table, Boston Civil War Round Table , and East Bridgewater Civil War Round Table. Check their websites and follow them on Facebook. Often their meetings are Zoom and you can be included.

Plan Ahead: SPEAKER FOR MARCH 26TH, IN PERSON AT 6:00 P.M. Our very own, JUDGE JOSEPH MICHAUD, will present a program on Major General Ambrose Burnside. THIS WILL BE AN IN PERSON MEETING. DOORS OPEN AT 5:15. COFFEE AND PASTRIES AVAILABLE AT SOCIAL HOUR.

Haunted Battlefields of the South by Bryan S. Bush. February 27, 2024, 7:00 p.m. THIS WILL BE A ZOOM MEETING ONLY. The Zoom link will be sent to everyone on our email list 2 or 3 days before the meeting. You have probably seen YouTube videos on Civil War Battlefield ghosts, or you have done battlefield ghost walks with the guide holding the lantern at dusk or in the evening. So prepare yourself for a special presentation. This should be a fun evening.

Reminder: Our President, Mark Mello, will be giving a Civil War History presentation at the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum this Sunday , Feb 18th at 2:00. The public is invited. No charge. This lecture is in support of the Historical Museum.

You are receiving this email because you are a member or friend of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. As you know, our friends at the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum have been sponsoring a series of Winter Historical Lectures, at the Museum at Fort Taber Park. The next Lecture/Presentation will be Sunday February 18th, at 2:00 pm. The featured speaker will be Mark Mello, President of the New Bedford Civil War Round Table. He will present the story of the “Stone Fleet: New Bedford’s Contribution to the Civil War 1861-1865. We hope you will mark your calendar for February 18th and be present for Mark Mello’s excellent lecture. There will be NO fees or charges. There is ample parking. It is open to the public. Bring a friend!

Zoom Speaker for January 23, 2024, 7:00 p.m.
TY SEIDULE, PROFESSOR EMERITUS WEST POINT

Ty Seidule grew up revering Robert E. Lee. From his southern childhood to his service in the U.S. Army, every part of his life reinforced the Lost cause myth; that Lee was the greatest man who ever lived, and the Confederates were underdogs who lost the Civil War with honor. Now, as a retired brigadier general and Professor Emeritus of History at West Point, his view is radically changed. From a soldier, a scholar, and a southerner, Ty Seidule believes that American history demands a reckoning. Part history lecture, part meditation on the Civil War and its fallout, and part memoir, Robert E. Lee and Me challenges the deeply-held legends and myths of the Confederacy—and provides a surprising interpretation of essential truths that our country still has a difficult time articulating and accepting.

Please join us via Zoom on January 23rd. I will send you a link the day before the meeting. There will not be a password necessary to join us. Tell your friends that our speaker is nationally known and promises to deliver a very interesting lecture, - Zoom only.

As most of you know, I am active with the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Military Museum. The Museum has been sponsoring a Winter Lecture Series. The second in the series is scheduled for January 21, at the Museum, at 2:00 p.m. The speaker will be retired Navy submariner, Joe Degnan. His lecture will cover his time on board the first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN 571) as it transited the Artic Polar Icecap submerged and undetected. For this, the 116 member crew was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. It electrified the nation at a time when Russia launched Sputnik and America needed a win. Joe is a New Bedford resident and a member of the Civil War Round Table. We hope you will consider coming to the Museum on January 21 at 2:00 pm and support Joe and his very interesting story of his 23-year Navy career. By the way, Joe’s wife Dottie will be present, - she served as the White House Chief Floral Designer for 5 Presidents. Her story is equally interesting. Bob Lytle

Last minute opportunity for Holiday celebration. Our Round Table dinner in next Tuesday Dec 12, 6:00 pm at Century House. Has your schedule changed, and you can now attend? Email me or text me a reservation and I will handle the rest, it’s very simple. Hope I hear from you. Bob Lytle 508-542-7630

Reminder that we meet this Tuesday November 28th, at 6:00 , ( doors open at 5:15 for coffee and pastries). The location is the usual; - the Low Tide yacht Club at Fort Taber Park, south end of New Bedford. Our speaker will be Michael Murphy from Weymouth, MA and his topic will be the story of Company H of the 12th Mass Vol Regt. I look forward to seeing you all Tuesday night. If you haven’t made your Holiday Dinner reservations as yet, bring your reservation form and ticket money to the meeting. I will have tickets available. The dinner is great fun and we hope you will be there.

Did you miss the October New Bedford Civil War Round Table meeting? It featured Dave Prentiss on Catton's Grant. It is now loaded on our You Tube Channel, thanks to our Digital Outreach Director, Don Brown. For your convenience, I’ve provided the link above. Have a great day , and don’t forget to send in your Holiday Dinner reservation. Bob Lytle

NBCWRT October meeting 2023 David Prentiss discusses author/historian Bruce Catton's view and opinions of General U.S. Grant

Our speaker on November 28 will be Michael S. Murphy, whose presentation will tell the story of Company H of the 12th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, based on his book Webster’s Regiment: The Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. This regiment fought in every major battle in the Eastern Theater of Operations. The 12th Massachusetts suffered more than many regiments, but continued to demonstrate their bravery and valor right up to when they were pulled off the line in 1864. Michael’s book details their exploits and their leaders, Fletcher Webster, son of Daniel Webster, killed in his first big action, and James L. Bates, who took up the mantle of leadership and led the regiment through the balance of the war. Michael Murphy is a resident of Weymouth, MA and teaches history, American Civil War, and Political Affairs at Weymouth High School. He has worked as an Adjunct Professor of History and Education at the University of Phoenix and American International College. He has a B.A, in History with minors in Social Studies and Education, an MAT in Secondary Education with minors in History and geography, a MA in History with a concentration in Curriculum Development.
Location: The Low Tide Yacht Club, 1000 S. Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford. When: Tuesday November 28 at 6:00 pm. Doors open at 5:15 for coffee and pastries. Cost: Free. Please consider asking a guest to attend with you.

Also this weekend: On Saturday at 11:00 am the Ft Taber Military Museum will hold a “Ringing of the Bells” at 11:00 commemorating the cease fire in France that ends the fighting , 11:00 am, the 11th month. Refreshments will be provided both days at the Museum.