Ray Bisio - Spellbinder
The February 21st meeting of the San Francisco Round Table was
privileged to hear Ray Bisio present his insightful take on "Lee's Retreat
from Gettysburg." Ray kept an enthusiastic crowd hanging on every word
as he highlighted the difficulties faced by General George Meade in the
aftermath of Gettysburg. Meade's biggest problem was that Lee had
planned and carried out a brilliant retreat, one that it made it next to
impossible for Meade to press any advantage he might have gained from
his victory in the battle. As Ray so eloquently pointed out, Meade's
perceived "failure" to pursue the retreating Confederates long outlived
and overshadowed his brief triumph at Gettysburg.
Ray Bisio himself should someday be the subject of a Round Table
presentation. A former marine, Ray is a veteran of Guadalcanal, Qing
Dao, and Mongolia in WWII, and later served eighteen months in Korea
during that conflict. He became addicted to the Civil War in 1963 and
has been a reenactor and commentator ever since. He spent six summers
as program interpreter and battlefield guide at Gettysburg. Anyone who
has heard Ray's stirring battle commentaries at reenactments in California
will not soon forget his knowledge of the subject and his superb oratory.
privileged to hear Ray Bisio present his insightful take on "Lee's Retreat
from Gettysburg." Ray kept an enthusiastic crowd hanging on every word
as he highlighted the difficulties faced by General George Meade in the
aftermath of Gettysburg. Meade's biggest problem was that Lee had
planned and carried out a brilliant retreat, one that it made it next to
impossible for Meade to press any advantage he might have gained from
his victory in the battle. As Ray so eloquently pointed out, Meade's
perceived "failure" to pursue the retreating Confederates long outlived
and overshadowed his brief triumph at Gettysburg.
Ray Bisio himself should someday be the subject of a Round Table
presentation. A former marine, Ray is a veteran of Guadalcanal, Qing
Dao, and Mongolia in WWII, and later served eighteen months in Korea
during that conflict. He became addicted to the Civil War in 1963 and
has been a reenactor and commentator ever since. He spent six summers
as program interpreter and battlefield guide at Gettysburg. Anyone who
has heard Ray's stirring battle commentaries at reenactments in California
will not soon forget his knowledge of the subject and his superb oratory.
