September 28, 2022

Topic: CIVIL WAR MEDICENE

Speaker: Paige Gibbons

A native of Wisconsin, Paige Gibbons Backus graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation and George Mason University with a master’s degree in Applied History. She has been in the public history field for close to ten years focusing on educational programming and operations working at several historic sites throughout Northern Virginia including Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, Sully Historic Site, and Ben Lomond Historic Site. She currently serves Prince William County as the Historic Site Manager at Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre (a 19th century courthouse and jail complex with a lot of Civil War history) and Lucasville School (a one-room African American schoolhouse).

When out of the office, Paige spends her time serving on the board of the Virginia Association of Museums, exploring, being outdoors, or researching her interests which include women’s history, as well as the more morbid side of history such as death, disease, medicine, murder, or scandal. Her published works include Witness to Peace and Strife: The History of Ben Lomond in Manassas, Virginia, as well as well as numerous articles published for a variety of publications such as Emerging Civil War, Virginia Association of Museum’s Voice Magazine, Civil War Traveler, and Prince William Living. She currently lives in Manassas, Virginia, with her husband, Bill, and dog, Bernard.

October 26, 2022

Topic: STAFFORD COUNTY MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER

Speaker: Sue Henderson & Jane Conner

For over a half century, Stafford County residents desired a museum to share their rich history.  Around 11 years ago, a committee was formed to explore options.  Two members from of the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center committee will join us to give the evening presentation.  Sue Henderson will talk about the details of the proposed museum, while CWRTF member, Jane Conner, will part her knowledge of the county’s history.  

November 16, 2022

Topic: TRACKING DOWN A CONFEDERATE DESERTER AFTER GETTYSBURG: THE STORY OF NORTH CAROLINA'S JOHN FUTCH

Speaker: Dr. Peter Carmichael

On August 20, 1863, one day before Jefferson Davis called upon the Confederacy to renew itself through public fasting and prayer, thirteen veteran soldiers from the 3rd North Carolina decided that God had other intentions. That evening, in the blackness of night, they picked up their rifles, slung on their cartridge belts, and escaped into the woods. From that point on, there was no turning back on a trek of some three hundred perilous miles that would eventually take them to their North Carolina homes. Earlier that same day, Lee had ordered his corps commanders to organize armed parties to hunt down runaways while calling for the president to back immediate enforcement of the death penalty against deserters. For the men who left the 3rd North Carolina’s camp that night, the impact of Lee's orders would be felt with surprising swiftness.

Carmichael’s talk will use the experiences of one of these soldiers, Pvt. John Futch, to examine different facets of desertion in Lee's army after Gettysburg, including the use of violence in Confederate ranks and the role of fake news in suppressing dissent among Confederate soldiers and civilians. The program will draw heavily on Futch’s letters, which Carmichael and the audience will read and discuss together.