Civil War Summer Lecture Series

Perry Jamieson earned a PhD and worked for about thirty years as a civilian historian for the U.S. Air Force. He retired as the senior historian of the Air Force in 2009 and he and his wife Stephanie have lived in Sharpsburg since then. He is the author of two books on Air Force history, one on the U.S. Army during the late 1800s, and four on the Civil War. His latest book, Spring 1865, includes a chapter on his topic for this year’s summer lecture series: the Battle of Bentonville.

In mid-March 1865 Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s enormous forces pinned Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia. More than 150 miles to the south, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman prepared to leave Fayetteville, North Carolina, join other Union commands east of him, and gain an insurmountable advantage in numbers. Desperate to stop this Federal concentration, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston determined to attack General Sherman during his march to Goldsboro. General Johnston’s plan led to the Battle of Bentonville—the South’s last gamble in the Carolinas.  On Wednesday, July 18th, Perry will discuss the Battle of Bentonville during his Summer Lecture Series talk.

Come join leading historians and Antietam Battlefield Guides as they discuss intriguing topics of the Maryland Campaign of 1862 and the Civil War during our Civil War Summer Lecture Series.

These outdoors programs will be held at the Jacob Rohrbach Inn on Wednesday evenings at 7:oo p.m.   To ensure adequate seating, please bring a chair.  In case of inclement weather, lectures will be held at the Sharpsburg Christ Reformed Church of Christ.  Parking is available on Main and Hall Streets.  For updates and a full schedule of presenters & topics check our Facebook page.