Please note: Optional Dinner will start at 6:00 PM. The Lecture will start at 7:00 PM. To make dinner reservations, email CvilleCWRT@gmail.com and indicate your entree choice: beef, salmon or chicken. Dinner includes salad and dessert. Cost is $24 for members and $30 for non-members.

LECTURE TOPIC: Prisoner of war camps were created in the North and South in mid-1863 when the cartel governing the paroling and exchanging of prisoners ended. The Point Lookout Civil War prisoner of war camp in Southern Maryland became the largest facility for Confederates in the North. Between 1863 and 1865 a total of 50,000 men were incarcerated in the two pens that totaled 30 acres. Dr. Brad Gottfried will explain how and why the camp was formed, life and death in the camp, and what it was like to be a prisoner there.

SPEAKER BIO: Bradley M. Gottfried is a Civil War historian, author, and educator whose career in higher education spanned more than four decades, culminating in his service as president of the College of Southern Maryland. Since retiring in 2017, he has become an Antietam Certified Battlefield Guide and a Licensed Gettysburg Town Guide. Brad is the author of 23 books on the Civil War, earning multiple honors including the U.S. Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award. Best known for his acclaimed campaign map series, he has also written extensively on Gettysburg’s brigades, artillery, and roads. Brad and his wife, Linda, are dedicated supporters of Gettysburg History.