San Francisco Civil War Round Table Meeting Thursday 19th May 2016 at the United Irish Cultural Center 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco ========================================================== The meeting commenced at 6:45pm with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Bob Lawhon.
The President announced Civil War reenactments to be held at Roaring Camp in Felton on May 28th - 30th and on Angel Island on June 4th - 5th.
Members were reminded that the election of officers for the Board will take place at the June meeting and that volunteers are encouraged.
President Emeritus Wayne Padgett and future Board member Bruce Castleman
Our guest speaker was the Pulitzer Prize winning author T.J Stiles who gave a riveting talk on George Armstrong Custer based on his latest book, "Custer's Trials." He revealed Custer as a volatile, contradictory person, capable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive. His brilliance as a cavalry officer contrasted heavily with his deficiencies as a manager. Custer finished at the bottom of his class at West Point and yet became a Brigadier General at the age of twenty-three. He played a key role in the Union victory at Gettysburg. Most of the spirited discussion that followed the presentation centered on the Battle of Little Big Horn, with several disparate views of Custer's role.
Speaker T.J. Stiles and guest Charles Fracchia Program Chair Bob Hubbs announced that the May speaker will be his good self, speaking on "Four Regiments and Four Privates."