Howard Jones on “George Washington and the Battle of Yorktown”

Yorktown was the decisive battle of the war and it ultimately resulted in our independence.

The Revolutionary War was entering its fourth year. Somehow, General George Washington had managed to keep the Continental Army intact against superior British forces. Then in 1778, the Americans won a stunning victory at Saratoga. This victory was the War’s turning point.

The French had waited for such a victory before they would support the American cause. In 1780, some 6,000 French troops were landed at Newport, Rhode Island under the command of General Rochambeau. These forces would later unite with the Continental Army in New York. Washington had always believed that the War’s deciding battle would be fought in New York.

As the joint forces prepared to attack they received a message from the Marquis de Lafayette who commanded a small detachment of troops near Williamsburg, Virginia. General Lafayette told them that the army of General Charles Lord Cornwallis had gone into winter quarters in Yorktown. Lafayette believed that Cornwallis could be attacked and beaten at Yorktown. A victory at Yorktown might just end the war.

In 1781, Washington decided to attack! The presentation will detail the story of Washington’s 400 mile march from New York to Yorktown. It will describe the 20 day siege that ended with Cornwallis’ surrender. And finally, it will tell the story of the 1783 Treaty of Paris that guaranteed America’s freedom and independence.

Howard Jones is the immediate past Commander General of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. Several years ago he was asked make a presentation to a fifth grade class about the Revolutionary War. He dressed as a Continental Soldier for the presentation and the kids loved it. Since that time he has given the same presentation dozens of times to both elementary school children and adult heritage groups.

Walter Day hosts “Spotsylvania Courthouse: The Clash of Grant and Lee at the Crossroads”

Walter hosted the Wide Awake Films documentary. For nearly two weeks in 1864, the titans of the Civil War—Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant—clashed violently, for the first time, at the crossroads of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia. Recorded during the 140th anniversary reenactment of Spotsylvania, this film highlights thousands of reenactors in a variety of media formats, from the ultra high resolution of high-definition video to the authenticity of archival looking film. Utilizing Wide Awake Films signature Civil War Combat Cameraman footage, Spotsylvania Courthouse is the first documentary of its kind. Winner of 2006 Telly Award.

Arthur Henrick on “Stories from the Battlefield: The Henry Rifle or the 16-shooter during the Great Rebellion”

Major Henrick

Arthur’s talk concerned and displayed a modern reproduction Henry. He included quotes from actual accounts from enlisted men and officers on how they used and appreciated the expensive and treasured 16-shooters that Rebels called “that damn Yankee Rifle, loaded on Sunday and fired all week” and the resistance to its deployment in the Union Army.

Arthur also brought dummy modern rounds and an actual Henry round, and displayed the rapid cycling of a Henry. He also brought a fancy engraved 1866 Henry (also known Winchester Yellow Boy) that was introduced in 1867.

Arthur W. Henrick, a frequent presenter at the Peninsula Civil War Round Table, is a Civil War, Roman, and World War II reenactor.

Meg Groeling on “Lincoln on the Third Ballot!: The 1860 Republican Convention”

Meg Groeling just laughs at the antics of current politicians, knowing they pale when compared with folks from the past. One of the most famous “brokered” conventions was the one held in the Wigwam, in Chicago, in 1860. Champagne, oysters, promises made and hearts broken–all while Elmer Ellsworth’s Chicago Zouaves performed on the stage, keeping the doors open and giving David Davis and Ward Hill Lamon time to wheel and deal. We at least got Abraham Lincoln out of it! Who knows what will happen this time? Plus she is bringing Lincoln/Hamlin campaign ribbons! Maybe Harry’s Hofbrau will supply the champagne . . .

Jack Mather on “James Glasgow Farragut”

Admiral David Farragut

Farragut was raised in the south and married into a Virginia family that supported secession. When Virginia left the Union, Farragut and his wife had to decide within 24 hours which action to take. Farragut decided to support the Union; he and his wife went to New York. At the age of 60 Farragut brought 50 years of naval experience to the U.S. Navy. Jack’s presentation was the story of the man and his career.

Jack Mather is a long-time member of the PCWRT and is well read on broad historical topics. Jack is a retired teacher of history at both the high school and college level.

Joan Larrabee on “Lt. Vincent Scally’s WWII Memoirs of China-Burma-India”

Vincent Scally Sr. was born in 1916 in Honolulu, Hawaii, into a military family. He saw his first airplane as a child at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and knew that someday he too would fly. He enlisted as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces in October, 1941. He served as a B-25 Navigator in the China-Burma-India Theater from June, 1942, until October, 1943. He flew “The Hump” several times. The B-25 “The Spirit of ’76” carried a crew of six and flew two missions a day, providing there were sufficient bombs and fuel.

While he was in China, Vincent’s wife Betty kept a scrapbook of news articles, telegrams, photographs, and other materials. In later life Vince wrote about his World War II experiences in a memoir entitled “Hurry Up and Wait.” His experiences in China as a young man in his 20s were to have a profound impression on him and was to affect him and his family his entire life.

Joan Scally Larrabee sailing west up the Yangtze River to Chungking

Vince’s Number One Daughter, Joan Scally Larrabee, was born while he served in China. She grew up in Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, England, Georgia, Alabama, and Guam while her father continued his service in the US Air Force. She earned an A.B. Degree in history at Stanford University and a Masters in Urban Planning at San Jose State University. She began her career at the City of San Jose in 1974 at the San Jose Historical Museum (now History San Jose), and later worked for the City in the fields of community services and transportation. Joan first visited China in 1980 and again in 2000. Using her father’s memoir and her mother’s collection of historical materials, Joan presents a program on his WW II experiences.

Dana Lombardy on “1914: Firepower and Maneuver in the West”

Could Germany have won the Great War in 1914 or was their strategic plan doomed to failure?

Dana Lombardy

The popular impressions of World War One on the Western Front are usually of the stalemate of trench warfare. But it did not start that way. There was open warfare for the first two months, with German armies nearly reaching Paris before they were stopped. Trench warfare also earned more than one general the sobriquet of “donkey” who led lions, but in 1914 about one-third of the French and German generals were replaced or fired for failing to meet expectations. Why did the German armies nearly win, and why did they ultimately lose in 1914? Dana Lombardy presented a new look at the critical first 45 days of the war in the West.

Dana Lombardy was an Associate Online Editor for Armchair General magazine and now does research, writing and design through Lombardy Studios. Dana is best known for his nearly twenty television appearances, including multiple episodes of The History Channel’s “Tales of the Gun” series. He has contributed as an editor, cartographer, graphic artist and designer on many books, games, and magazines, and was Publisher of Napoleon Journal from 1996 to 2000.

Jack Mather on “Exorcising Demons”

Jack Mather

Jack presented a wide-ranging look at the issues of U.S. History and the teaching of same, starting with Parsin Weems, then Charles and Mary Beard, and ending with James McPherson and the Texas Board of Education. Jack will include themes such as “manifest destiny,” “no frontier,” “the melting pot,” “courses and results of the civil war,” and more.

Current issues include removal of statues, renaming of buildings, and activism on the college campus.

BYOB (bring your own bias!)