BGES Members Making A Difference: Bob Jenkins

Bob Jenkins is a whirlwind of activity. As Len Riedel says, “Bob is a ball of fire.” He’s a practicing attorney who has played a role in the Whitfield County and the City of Dalton’s battlefield preservation efforts. At a time when statues were being torn down, he carefully negotiated between the folks who wanted … Read more

Tour Talk: Between the Fourths, with Gary Ecelbarger

Gary Ecelbarger, an award-winning author of several books about 19th-century American personalities and events, has also established himself as a leading authority on George Washington’s 1777–1778 campaign of the American Revolution. He has formally presented and led tours on the topic for over 15 years and has published several journal articles on the subject within … Read more

Len’s Book Review: Hymns of the Republic

Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War By Samuel C. Gwynne (Scribner Press, 2019, 325 pages) A couple of years ago I was given Rebel Yell, a new biography on Stonewall Jackson that was very highly regarded. I set it aside, having read Bud Robertson’s definitive biography on Jackson. … Read more

Tour Talk: Red River Campaign, with Parker Hills

BGES returns to Cajun Country in May 2022 to examine the last decisive Confederate victory of the Civil War. A major part of the discussion involves Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, whom historians claim floundered. We are honored to be led by Parker Hills,a retired brigadier general who is an expert on Mississippi Battlefields. We caught … Read more

BGES Members Making a Difference: Lee White

Lee White serves as a park ranger at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, where he gives tours and offers other programs. He’s written several books, including The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864, as well as articles and essays, and he has spoken to many groups, including roundtables and historical societies. He also … Read more

Tour Talk: The 1862 Peninsula and Seven Days Campaigns, with Len Riedel

It’s not often that BGES extraordinaire Len Riedel, Founder and Executive Director of the organization, steps out into the field as a tour leader. We have that honor with the upcoming tour, “The 1862 Peninsula and Seven Days Campaigns,” which he will be presenting with Paul Severance on March 20 to 26, 2022. Len, of … Read more

BGES Members Making a Difference: Paul Severance

This month we honor Paul Severance, a retired senior instructor for the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for the construction of staff rides that challenged and instructed cabinet-level and other senior civilian and military leadership, and is now instructing on leadership for both the College of William and … Read more

BGES Members Making A Difference: Brian Mattingly

This month’s BGES Member Making a Difference features Brian Mattingly, who is also a member of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF). Brian has commissioned artist Keith Rocco to depict a lesser-known aspect of the Battle of New Market, which features the VMI cadets manning two artillery pieces. A limited-edition canvas of the painting will be … Read more

Len’s Book Review: Articles of War: Winners, Losers, and Some Who Were Both in the Civil War

  Articles of War: Winners, Losers, and Some Who Were Both in the Civil War By Albert Castel (Stackpole Books, 2001, 244 pages) With a personal library of more than 5,000 books, I have more books than I will ever read in my life. And so, in selecting “unread” books, I went to my various … Read more