Author Steve French will join the Augusta County Civil War Roundtable June 15th at 7 p.m. to discuss his latest book, Imboden’s Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign.
French teaches history in Martinsburg, W.Va., and is a frequent contributor of historical articles and book reviews to the Washington Times. French has also written a number of articles for other publications including Gettysburg Magazine, North & South, the Southern Cavalry Review, and Crossfire, the magazine of the American Civil War Round Table of the United Kingdom.
Imboden’s Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign was the 2008 recipient of the Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award “for the most original and outstanding book on the Gettysburg Campaign” and is the first full-length treatment of Imboden’s activities during that time.
On June 7, 1863, Commanding Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden into Hardy and Hampshire counties (West) Virginia to threaten the B&O Railroad and prevent Union forces near Cumberland, Md., from marching south and attacking Confederate troops soon to be moving north through the Shenandoah Valley.
Over the next month and a half, Imboden’s men would sweep through the Potomac highlands and raid into Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. After collecting cattle and horses for the livestock-poor Army of Northern Virginia, the brigade arrived at Gettysburg just in time to escort a wagon train carrying 10,000 wounded Confederates back into Virginia. Despite surprise attacks by the Union cavalry, attacks by local civilians and torrential rains, Imboden got most of the wagons to the crossing at Williamsport, Md.
French will include a slide presentation of Imboden’s part in the retreat, and will have available copies of the book for sale.
The Augusta County Civil War Roundtable meets the third Monday of each month at the Waynesboro Heritage Museum. All ages are invited to attend this free event. For more information call 540.213.3725 or e-mail [email protected].
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