From the Brigade Commander ~ June 2026

I invite each of you to attend our June meeting dinner, annually dedicated to our organization’s founding father, George Seligman. It was George who molded a small group of then-mostly youngsters and taught them to become self-determined learners of the American Civil War and active supporters of related preservation and conservation activities. Visit page 2 of our June Newsletter for sign-up information.

Board members are mulling the possibility of hosting a second popup museum in Bethlehem—this time, during the summer months and, likely, Saturdays only. It’s still early days, but the building’s owners have already indicated willingness to donate the space. There’s plenty of discussion ahead, but I wanted you to know of this potential opportunity now. Expect more details soon.

We recently received an interesting request from Les Rolston, an author of three books about the Civil War—and a fourth in the works. His new book will be based on the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and he has asked for help regarding letters or diaries from members of the 13th you may have—or known to exist. He has promised to acknowledge all individuals who provide him with material he can use. Les can be reached by phone or email: 401 408 6472 or lesrol2@gmail.com.

Program chair Laura Kleinschmidt has nearly filled our speaker lineup for Campaign 49, which you’ll find on page 2 of the June Newsletter. Feel free to share this newsletter with friends or neighbors you think may have an interest in joining our Round Table in Campaign 49.

BARRY

Request for Info about the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry

Our CWRT recently received a request for any information you may have about the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. The request is as follows….

May 12, 2026

Hi. I am the author of three Civil War books (see at right for one) and currently working on a fourth.  The book is based on the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. 

I'm hoping some your members could suggest any extant letters or diaries from the regiment.  They will be duly noted in the acknowledgements section of the book. 

I can be reached at lesrol2@gmail.com
or by phone : 401 408 6472.

Les Rolston

Warwick, Rhode Island

June 2 Program Details Announced ~ Ken Serfass

General Grant and Civil War Rail Roads

The successful military commander wins because he is able to adapt to changing situations, and so it was during the Civil War and the developments in railroad technology and utility. General Grant enjoys a reputation as a fine horseman, but it’s not just flesh and blood horses, but the Iron Horse as well that Grant appreciates.

In this meeting with Lincoln’s General in Chief, he will give some background on the development of rail roads in America during his own formative years and will describe how the nation and its rail roads grew up together, in those tumultuous years of the American Civil War. Gen. Grant will relate his own experiences with trains and railroading from his youth through becoming the victor of the Civil War through stories and artifacts from the period.

If you are a fan of US history, no matter a student of the Civil War, or America’s rail roads, or life in the 1800’s, this encounter will engage and cross over to many areas of interest.

Bio: Kenneth J. Serfass, Gunnery Sgt USMC, retired

Gunnery Sgt Kenneth J. Serfass is from Bethlehem, PA, born in June 1966 and a career US Marine from 1984 to 2004 serving his final tour with the First Marine Division Band during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon retirement Ken became a music teacher in San Diego.

Ken is a former reenactor and now a first-person impressionist with 52 years studying his hero, US Grant. As a full-time living history story-teller he presents from 11 to 20 programs monthly, February through December. His first appearance as General Grant was in 2009, in Southern California and since 2014, now back East, he presents at schools, living history, reenacting and roundtable events, public libraries, and annually back in Southern California at Huntington Beach’s Civil War Days over Labor Day weekend.

In 2023 the state of California recognized his contributions “to continued education of the public as to our national history” with coincidental certificates from the state assembly and senate in recognition of his efforts, presenting these to him at the Huntington Beach event.

Firmly established on both coasts, there is no other “Grant impressionist” with his reach, presenting in fifteen states annually. He jokes that the history talks and as the leader of his Civil War era Marine Band, requires that all this work is dependent on time travel.

His repertoire covers programs on Grant’s war campaigns, interactions with Lincoln, Sherman, and Lee, and most importantly, the Grant family, and the two terms as 18th US President. His knowledge of Grant’s life led to being cast as President Grant and tech advisor for a documentary on Fox Nation, debuting October 10, 2021.

He has appeared at Pamplin Park and NPS sites during the “Civil War 150”. In 2015 he was invited by The Federal Generals Corps, to be their “Ulysses S. Grant” until the group disbanded in 2020. In May of 2025, he debuted as a guest speaker aboard  American Cruise Line’s Mississippi Riverboat Civil War cruises, making Tennessee his newest host state. At the 2025 California trip to the Huntington Beach Civil War Days,

Ken participated in filming of “Storage Wars’ and is seen in an upcoming episode in Season 14 as General Grant. And in April, appeared as President Grant for the reenactment of the unveiling of the Emancipation Memorial in Washington DC. In 2020, he crafted a YouTube series, “How the War Was Won in the West”, 9 episodes covering the campaigns of Grant in Tennessee and Mississippi.

He has spoken on the Vicksburg Campaign to the Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Association to develop broader civil war study among the guides and is the first Grant impressionist to present his own topics at the General Grant National Memorial, in New York City, presenting as General or as President, and developing Junior Ranger programs for NPS, bringing America’s youth closer to history.

Entertaining and educational, his performances include the sites above, as well as business groups seeking leadership training and inspiration, allowing for people to talk TO history and interact with US Grant.

Ken will say, there is nothing he is prouder of than his daughter Erin, who works in production in Los Angeles. He believes this work inspires her to make her own path.

It is with a profound honor that he tells the story of one of America’s greatest military leaders and Ken takes it very seriously to reaffirm Grant’s place of honor among the most respected people of our nation’s history. His passion for the subject is evident in his presentation, and it is hard not to be affected by his enthusiasm and believe that you’ve met US Grant in living history.

Help Needed for Roundtable Display on May 23rd at Heritage Center

History Expo 2026
Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut Street
Allentown, PA 18102

Our CWRT is looking for some help to talk to visitors about our CWRT & help with a raffle at the big history expo at the Heritage Center on May 23rd, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

Anyone able to come in period  dress, either military or civilian would be a real plus. 

As described in the May Meeting Highlights Kay Bagenstose spoke of her Bicentennial Covered Wagon ride bringing the Liberty Bell replica from Philadelphia to Allentown. As we approach the 250th, she talked about the Lehigh County Heritage Museum program on May 23, in which the period clothing from that ride will be featured on lifelike mannikins of her and her late husband.

Come, enjoy and help Kay and the CWRT on the 23rd. 

Enjoy FREE admission as more than 20 local history organizations, special guests Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson, colonial music, vintage cars, children’s activities, mini-tours of Trout Hall, and a new exhibit bring the past to life.

The day concludes with a free outdoor concert by the Allentown Band on the museum lawn.

Additional parking for the History Expo is available behind the Allentown School District building on 31 South Penn Street, a half block from the Heritage Museum.
FREE to everyone

May Meeting Highlights and Photos

Ed Root introduced Kay Bagenstose who spoke of her Bicentennial Covered Wagon ride bringing the Liberty Bell replica from Philadelphia to Allentown. As we approach the 250th, she talked about the Lehigh County Heritage Museum program on May 23, in which the period clothing from that ride will be featured on lifelike mannikins of her and her late husband. CWRT will also have a display on that day. More information at right —>

Ed also spoke of the possibility of reopening the Bethlehem pop-up museum this summer for visitors to the city. It woud be more low key and perhaps only one day a week.

Our presenter, Scott Hartwig, shared letters written by soldiers describing their battle experiences. Some were penned immediately after the fighting, some a few weeks later, and others after some time had passed.

He explained that depending on the recipient, the tone might be entirely different. A note to a worried mother might downplay the severely of the battle. A letter to a friend might be boastful, While a more distant reflection might want to give honot to his unit.

Reading these letters might give one flavors of reality or not. Checked against historical records, one can begin to dig deeper into the soldiers’ expereinces of the Civil War.

It was a fascinating look at the geography, progression, and location of fighting at Antietam.  

  Hartwig was the supervisory park historian at Gettysburg National Military Park and retired in 2014 after a 34-year career in the National Park Service, nearly all of it spent at Gettysburg.  He won the regional Freeman Tilden Award for excellence in interpretation in 1993, and was a key player for the design of all aspects of the current Gettysburg museum/visitor center. 

He is the author of To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign from September 3 to September 16, published in September 2012 by Johns Hopkins University Press, and of I Dread The Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and End of the Maryland Campaign.

We held the Preservation Book Raffle and the winners are pictured below.

From the Brigade Commander ~ May

As I briefly mentioned at the beginning of our last meeting, the main topic of the April Board of Directors’ meeting focused on a long-time issue: Monthly operating costs that regularly overrun revenue. Some Board members have been regularly kicking in personal funds to cover monthly shortfalls. Highly laudable, but beyond the scope of their responsibilities. Of course, we could take the easy way out and dip into revenue generated during last year’s Pop-up Museum. But that approach would conflict with the mission of our Roundtable, which is to raise funds to preserve battlefield land and the legacy of the Civil War. As we work through options, we pledge to keep you updated. But know that shutting down our Roundtable is NOT an option under consideration.

***

The May Newsletter, among other items of news, features two men awarded a Medal of Honor (MoH)—one of them for having captured a Confederate flag. A fair number of modern-day historians suggest it may have been best, at the outset of the war, to have created a unique award for this action. (Roughly 40 percent of Civil War MoH awards were awarded for enemy flag capture.) However, this approach would not have taken the sensibilities of the people living in the 19th century into consideration. Surprisingly, though, nothing much at all was done to tighten up Medal of Honor criteria until after World War I broke out. And even then, it took until 1963 before modified criteria for the Medal of Honor was finalized!

BARRY

May 5 Program Hartwig Details Announced

On Tuesday May 5th - Scott Hartwig will present “Antietam: The Soldiers’ Experience.”

While many who study the American Civil War have opinions about the generals and generalship of the war’s battles and campaigns, our idea of the soldiers’ experience in those battles is largely shaped by Hollywood.  We often imagine that somehow the Civil War was different than other wars America engaged in.  It was in certain respects, but our mental picture of a Civil War battle is often at odds with what the participants experienced. 

Through letters written in the immediate aftermath of the battle, when the memories of the engagement were still raw and fresh, and some outstanding post-war writing, we will try to strip away the nostalgia and myth and gain a greater understanding of what a battle like Antietam was really like for those who participated. 

  D. Scott Hartwig was the supervisory park historian at Gettysburg National Military Park and retired in 2014 after a 34-year career in the National Park Service, nearly all of it spent at Gettysburg.  He won the regional Freeman Tilden Award for excellence in interpretation in 1993, and was a key player for the design of all aspects of the current Gettysburg museum/visitor center. 

He is the author of To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign from September 3 to September 16, published in September 2012 by Johns Hopkins University Press, and of I Dread The Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and End of the Maryland Campaign, also published by Johns Hopkins in August 2023. The latter title won the 2024 Barksdale Award, Emerging Civil War Book Award, and was one of two books which received honorable mention for the American Battlefield Trust 2024 History Prize.

April Meeting Highlights and Photos

Barry opened the meeting with a comment that the Roundtable may see some changes in the fall in order to maintain our sustainability and our allow us to continue to make donation for battlefield preservation.

He also introduced our new treasurer, Bill Dax, and welcomed his services.

Chris Bryan presented “The Union XII Corps During the Maryland Campaign.” He gave a detailed account of the corps, its campaigns, and its challenges, which especially included casualties and leadership.

He spoke in details especially about Brig Gen George Greene, Lt Col Hector Tyndale, Col Henry Stainrook, and Col Willim Goodrich.

Bryan is a native of Greencastle, Pennsylvania. He earned degrees from the United States Naval Academy, St. John's College, Annapolis, and the University of Maryland, College Park. A former Naval Aviator, he works as a Cultural Resource Manager in Southern Maryland. Cedar Mountain to Antietam is his first book.

As always we held the month book raffle to support Preservation. Winners depicted below.

From the Brigade Commander ~ April

Our April meeting’s guest lecturer will focus on the 1862 trajectory of a two-division Corps referred to, according to many sources, as being a “crack regiment” and “excellent material.” However, some earlier writings describe the Corps using words such as “disrespected,” “foreigners” and “stepchild.” Speaker M. Chris Bryan will share a compelling story that puts a proper spotlight on any here-to-fore overlooked Corps’ actions at Antietam. Officially, these men were known as the Union’s XII Corps. You’ll find a summary of Mr. Bryan’s presentation on page 2 of the April newsletter. Hope you'll be able to join us.

On the lighter side, and just in time for opening day of the 2026 MLB season, inside you’ll find an “All Star” Civil War lineup, with each “player” described using baseball terminology. The piece was published in 1965 by a now-defunct magazine publisher and furnished by Round Table member Ed Root.

Among the approximately 150K to 180K Union soldiers who came to America from Ireland, you’ll find, in the April Newsletter, a summary of the action(s) that led to Medal of Honor awards. You’ll also find a recap of the Pop-up Museum expenses and a final tally for proceeds that our Round Table has received. You’ll also find a brief summary of the two remaining Campaign 48 lectures as well as April book launches related to the American Civil War.

Barry

April 7 Program Details Announced

M. Chris Bryan presents “The Union XII Corps During the Maryland Campaign”

The Union XII Corps formed in June 1862. The corps, which joined the Army of the Potomac only a week before Antietam was small, numbering just over 7,600 men. Easily overlooked, Army of the Potomac leadership and historians since have largely glossed over this corps’ contribution at Antietam. Nevertheless, this small corps ended Confederate attacks into the Miller Cornfield and East Woods, successfully defended the Dunker Church Plateau from Confederate assaults, and captured the West Woods, which had been the goal on the Federal right all morning.  

This talk will provide a brief overview of the period from the Battle of Cedar Mountain until the corps’ entry into Maryland, including its condition resulting from this period. The talk will then examine the XII Corps’ participation in the Maryland Campaign and its fighting at Antietam, including some new findings discovered through recent archival research.

Chris Bryan is a native of Greencastle, Pennsylvania. He earned a B.S. in History from the United States Naval Academy, an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College, Annapolis, and a Masters in Historic Preservation from the University of Maryland, College Park. The former Naval Aviator works as a Cultural Resource Manager in Southern Maryland. Cedar Mountain to Antietam is his first book. He has compiled and edited The Chancellorsville Campaign Papers, the first two volumes of which will be released in the coming weeks.