november 2024 guest speaker

Compatriot Bill Miller (L) is introduced as our November speaker by 1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry.  Bill's talk 

"Sideshows of the Big Show" featured a variety of stories and humorous anecdotes from the Peninsula, Stone's 

Mountain and Appomattox. 

1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry (L) and Commander Jeff Toalson (R) welcome Mr. Larry Floyd to the October meeting.  Larry related stories of the 1912 Hillsville Courthouse Shootout.  When the verdict was read the guilty party declared he would not go to prison.  Gunfire erupted.  57 shots were fired in 90 seconds, 5 people were killed, and many were wounded.  Larry brought samples of the various weapo

1st Lt. Cmdr. Ron Perry welcomes Jennifer England and Albert Burckard

to the September James City Cavalry meeting.  They gave a very interesting presentation on The Isle of Wight County in the WBTS.  Wel learned all kinds of interesting tidbits of local knowledge.

Captain Bob Kennedy, USN-Retired, spoke to the James City Cavalry on August 28 about the submarine H. L. Hunley.  His talk covered her development, rail transfer to Charleston, sea-trials, attack and sinking of the USS Housatonic, her loss, recovery and restoration.  Captain Kennedy is holding a replica signal lantern of the one used by the Hunley to signal 'mission complete headed home.'   Bob is

1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry (L) welcomes President Jefferson Davis, and his wife Varina, to the July meeting of the James City Cavalry.  Mrs. Cookie Batten and Mr. Sam Winkler provided a marvelous first-person presentation of the life of Jefferson Davis and their lives together during the most turbulent time in our nation's history.  

1st Lt Commander Ron Perry welcomes our guest speaker Mrs. Melody Bage.  Melody had our full attention as she gave a marvelous presentation on the lives of the wives of Generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J. E. B. Stuart and James Longstreet.  We learned many marvelous tidbits and were once again reminded how fragile life was in the mid-1800's with measles, smallpox, scarlet fever, typhoid 

Commander Jeff Toalson (L) welcomed Mrs. Billie Earnest to the April meeting.  Billie gave a marvelous talk on the life of William Mahone with emphasis on his railroading career, his move from the Democratic to Republican party post-war, and his interest in the education and encouragement of success for the Negroes.  

Commander Jeff Toalson (L) and 1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry (R) welcome Mrs Feather Foster as our speaker for the March meeting.  Heather provided a marvelous talk on First Ladies Mary Todd Lincoln and Julia Dent Grant.  She filled the talk with a wide variety of interesting tidbits about both ladies' lives, personalities and relationships with their husbands.   We left feeling sorry for Abe and ha

1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry (L) welcomes our February speaker, Dr. Eric Schweickart of the Colonial Williamsburg Archaeological Department.  Eric was joined by Crystal Castleberry who is a Public Archaeologist with C.W.  Eric gave an enthralling talk on the discovery and identification of the 4 C.S.A. soldiers all of whom probably died in the Union hospital in the Baptist Church next door to the M

Mr. Carson Hudson is welcomed to the James City Cavalry meeting by 1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry.  Carson gave a very educational and interesting talk on "Confederate Faces - A Photographic Study."  It is always a pleasure to host Carson as a speaker.   

L-R 1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry, Tom Campbell and Commander Jeff Toalson

Compatriot Campbell gave us a stimulating 45 minute review of WW2 in Italy and how the war impacted the 5 people who shared their memories, letters and  V-mails with him to assist him in telling their story in The Red Rebel of San Giovanni. 

1st Lt. Commander Ron Perry welcomed Mr. Henry Kidd of the Dearing-Beauregard Camp of Petersburg. Henry gave us a marvelous program on the summer efforts in 1864 by Union forces to try to capture Petersburg. These efforts came to a dramatic conclusion with the tunnel under the Confederate works, the huge explosion, and resulting fiasco in execution of the assault by the Union forces. 

September 2023 Guest Speaker - Mr. Butch Barringer (C) is welcomed by 1st Lt. Cmdr. Ron Perry (L) and Cmdr. Jeff Toalson.  Butch spoke on the animosity and running feud between Tom Rosser and Thomas Munford that spanned most of the war and continued until Rosser preceded Munford in death.    

August 2023 Guest Speaker Larry Floyd (far right) is welcomed by Commander Jeff Toalson (L) and Ron Perry 1st Lt. Commander (center). His talk totally focused on the conversion of pistols, post-war, from percussion to cartridge.   

1st. Lt. Commander Ron Perry welcomes Commander Kenny Bage of the Dearing-Beauregard Camp to our June meeting.     

Speakers Eric Richardson and Teresa Roane gave a talk on post-war pension systems in S.C., N.C., and Virginia.  Eric did his graduate research on this subject while earning his masters at North Carolina Central University. 

Compatriot Bill Miller regaled us with stories of Stonewall Jackson's 33 day Valley Campaign of 1862.  The 'Foot Cavalry' marched over 400 miles, fought 5 battles, defeated 3 armies and cleared the Valley of Union forces.  In the process they created consternation in Washington and prevented any reinforcements from going to McClellan near Richmond.

October 2022 Guest Speaker Compatriot Rob Glaser (L) and 1st Lt. Commander Jerry White  

Rob is a walking catalog of knowledge on the battle of Williamsburg, the troop movements, and other minutia.  He had three copies of this map set up in the room so everyone could have a good view of where things were happening.   

September 2022 Meeting - 1st Lt. Commander Jerry White welcoming J. Michael Moore for his talk on the Battle of Yorktown and the Warwick Line. 

September 2022 Meeting -Treasurer Ken Parsons presenting Compatriot Dennis Dasher with his Virginia Division Life Membership Certificate.