Greetings. Our next meeting is to be a hybrid meeting on Wednesday, May 13. We will be meeting in person at the Mount Vernon Inn at 6 p.m. (social hour) and 6:40 p.m. (dinner) and speaker (about 7 p.m.). To attend in person, please fill out the attached dinner reservation form and mail it with a check written to "ARRT" to Richard Rankin at the address provided. Walk-ins and paying at the door are accepted too. Richard prefers checks written to "ARRT" for $35 (per person). Please also let us know if you prefer salmon or meatloaf for the main course.
If you can attend by Zoom, please respond to this email and let me know. I will email you a Zoom link to the meeting the day of the meeting. Feel free to share this email with a friend who or family member whom you think may be interested.
Our next speaker will be Bill Welsch, who will be speaking on the "Revolutionary Battle of Petersburg, Virginia." Eighty-three years before the Civil War battle of Petersburg, American and British armies clashed in this same town in 1781. Bill will examine the action between militia and regulars that included Benedict Arnold—as a British general. Bill will review the people, places, and the outcome and the current landscape. He will ask and answer the following question: Was this a turning point in the American Revolution or just an interesting side event?
William M. (we all know him as "Bill') Welsch is the current and founding President of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond. He is also the co-founder of Congress of American Revolution Round Tables. He is a frequent speaker on Revolutionary War topics, with a special interest in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the generals of the Continental Army (he spoke on the latter topic at our ARRT pre-Covid). He is a retired administrator at Montclair State University in New Jersey and former deputy mayor and president of the library board of Springfield, New Jersey. He is married and has two daughters and five grandchildren.
Three More Special Items for You:
I. National Army Museum Revolutionary War Symposium — May 29-30, 2025
The National Army Museum at Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia will present a full day symposium focusing on the first two years of the Revolutionary War to highlight the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s founding, and the opening of the Museum’s new special exhibit, “CALL TO Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War,” May 29-30
- May 29, Thursday, 7-8 p.m.: America at 250: A Nationwide Commemoration, a Panel Discussion with public historians Allison Wickens (George Washington's Mount Vernon), Beth Hill (Fort Ticonderoga) and Daniel Davis (American Battlefield Trust)
- May 30, Friday:
- 8-8:30 a.m. - Check-in and Late Registration. Army Historical Foundation Book Sale. Grab and go snacks in the Museum Cafe and complimentary coffee.
- 8:30-8:45 a.m. - Museum Director's Welcome, with Tammy E. Call
- 8:45-9:45 a.m. - The Roots of Conflict, with David L. Preston. What led to the violence at Lexington and Concord. Explore the contentious years between the French and Indian War and the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the “shot heard ‘round the world.”
- 10-11 a.m. - The Formation of the Continental Army, with Holly Mayer. In 1775, rebellious Americans had to form a standing army to protect their rights and defend themselves against occupying British forces. How did the Continental Army come to be? Who made up its ranks? What challenges did Congress, George Washington, and his generals face as they strived to create an effective fighting force?
- 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. – The Early War in the South, with Michael Cecere. Both the newly created American republic and Great Britain knew that the southern colonies were critical to any successful prosecution of the war by either side. Explore the often-overlooked southern theater of the Revolutionary War in 1775 and 1776, and the significance of several early battles in the South affected the war’s trajectory.
- 12:15-1:45 p.m. – Lunch on your own and gallery exploration. During the mid-day break, explore the Fighting for the Nation Galleries on the first floor. Enjoy a Simple & Fresh Lunch Box prepared by the Museum’s on-site caterer. These Lunch Box orders are $20 each and are delivered directly to participants in Veterans’ Hall. Orders must be completed no later than Thursday, May 22, 2025. The Museum Café also offers a variety of lunch options that may be purchased on-site.
- 1:45-2:45 p.m. – Revolutionary War Leadership, a panel discussion with Christian McBurney, Joyce Lee Malcolm, and Ricardo A. Herrera . Which commanders were effective? Which were not? Who emerged as the most successful field officers of the war? Join early American historians Christian McBurney, Joyce Lee Malcolm, and Ricardo A. Herrera for a discussion about key American leaders during the conflict’s first two years.
- 3-4 p.m. – Washington’s Campaigns, 1776-77, with Mark E. Lender. After the British evacuated Boston in March 1776, the New York area became the main seat of the Revolutionary War. How did the defeats at Long Island, White Plains, and Fort Washington, lead to decisive victories at Trenton and Princeton? What did George Washington and his army learn from these early hardships?
- 4-5 p.m. – Exhibit Sneak Peek. Be the first to explore the Museum’s newest special exhibit, “CALL TO Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War.”
- Saturday, May 31, 9-11:30 a.m.. History Hike: General Washington's Alexandria: A Walking Tour. Free! Meet at the northwest corner of King and Fairfax Streets. [Registration is full]
You can attend in person or virtually. Here is the Symposium's webpage: https://www.thenmusa.org/symposium2025/
II. Fort Plain American Revolution 250 Conference – May 29-June 1, 2025
The annual Fort Plain American Revolution Conference will again be held at the Fulton-Montgomery Community College's Theater in Johnstown, New York, from May 29-June 1. Rick Atkinson is scheduled to appear at one of his first appearances after the release of his second book of his planned trilogy! Speakers and Topics Include:
- Pulitzer Prize Winner Rick Atkinson - The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
- Major General Jason Q. Bohm USMC (Ret) - The Birth and Early Operations of the Marine Corps: 250 Years in the Making
- Alexander R. Cain - We Stood Our Ground: 250th of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775
- Abby Chandler - Choosing Sides: North Carolina's Regulator Rebellion and the American Revolution
- Gary Ecelbarger - The Mammoth of Monmouth: George Washington's 1778 Campaign in New Jersey
- Michael P. Gabriel - Richard Montgomery and the Other Invasion of Canada
- Shirley L. Green - Integrating Enslaved and Free: Rhode Island’s Revolutionary Black Regiment
- Don N. Hagist - Marching from Peace into War: British Soldiers in 1775 America
- Patrick H. Hannum - The Virginia Campaign of 1775-76: Kemp's Landing & Great Bridge
- Wayne Lenig - The Mohawk Valley's Committee of Safety in 1775
- James L. Nelson - Bunker Hill: The First Battle of the American Revolution
- Eric H. Schnitzer - Breaking Convention: How a Fussy Detail about British Uniforms Doomed Burgoyne’s Army to Captivity The James F. Morrison Mohawk Valley Resident Historian - William P. Tatum III, Ph.D. - “To Quell, Suppress, and Bring Them to Reason by Force:” Combatting the Loyalist Threat in New York during 1775
- Bruce M. Venter - "It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones": Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys Take Fort Ticonderoga
Bus Tour - We Stood Our Ground: Touring the Battles of Lexington & Concord 250 Years Later - Led by Alexander R. Cain - Thursday, May 29, 2025 - Lunch and a Copy of Cain's Book are Included.
Click here to register online: https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/conference
Click here to register by mail: https://fortplainmuseum.org/content/2025%20Conference%20Registration%20Form1.pdf
Click here for lodging information: https://fortplainmuseum.org/content/2025%20Hotel-Lodging%20Information.pdf
III. My Day at the Battle of Lexington and Concord 250th Reenactment by Christian McBurney
I thought you might be interested in the link below to my article about my day last Saturday at the 250th reenactment at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. I started my wonderful day showing up at Lexington Green at 3:15 a.m. I saw that reenactment plus two others on Battle Road. My article has some great quotes from Don N. Hagist, who was a reenactor that day with the British 22nd Regiment, and Rob Orrison of the Emerging Rev War. At the end of the article are seven twelve-second YouTube videos spliced together that show the main action at Lexington Green.
After you go to the YouTube sight, there will be other links to videos of the event. You could search for Emerging Revolutionary War to find 30 videos done by Rob Orrison and his ERW friends. Enjoy!
My Day at the Battle of Lexington and Concord 250th Reenactment - Online Review of Rhode Island History 
My Day at the Battle of Lexington and Concord 250th Reenactment
I love history firsts. The American Revolutionary War definitely began on April 19, 1775, at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This was the sharp beginning of America on its road to independence from Great Britain and the Great Experiment in democracy and liberty.
smallstatebighistory.com
Thank you!
Christian McBurney
President, George Washington American Revolution Round Table of the District of Columbia
