NC Military History Round Table

On Tuesday 18 May 2010, Norm Taflinger will give a presentation on the Revolutionary War Battle of Guilford Courthouse.  Most people consider this battle the most significant Revolutionary War battle to take place in North Carolina.  Lt. General Lord Cornwallis and his 1500 British Regulars fought Maj. General Nathaniel Greene and his 3500 Colonial Militia and 1000 Regulars.  At the end of the battle, the British held the field but had lost a quarter of their men and all their supplies.  Norm gave a great talk on the War of 1812 at sea and we are looking forward to this lecture.

Tuesday 15 June 2010, Kirt Jarrett will bring his working Civil War era forge to the Wayne County Museum for an actual demonstration.  This type of wagon was essential to Civil War armies on each side.  In the North one wagon would be attached to an artillery battery.  Cavalry units of both sides needed these wagons to repair horseshoes, swords and other metal items.  Traditionally, infantry brigades on both sides would have at least one of these wagons.  Kirt is a favorite at Civil War re-enactments and living history sites.  This will be a fun and informative evening.

On Tuesday 20 July 2010, Johnny Joiner will present a lecture titled, “Slipping into the Boiling Cauldrons of War.”  This quote by British Prime Minister Lloyd George explains his feeling about the beginning of World War I.  Johnny will set the scene before the war, including the political and military situation as it existed before the beginning of the war and plans for future war.  He then discusses the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the July Crisis.  Time permitting, he will end with the German invasion of Belgium and the British entry into the war.  How and why World War I began is one of the great topics in military history so this will be a thought provoking evening.  Johnny Joiner is a Historical Interpreter at The Governor Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site, so we eagerly anticipate his analysis of the start of World War I.