BGES Member Making a Difference: Mike Green

Interview by Jeff Fioravanti   I would like to take pen in hand to introduce you to a retired history teacher, photographer, and longtime supporter of the Blue & Gray Education Society: Mike Green. Mike spent 41 years as a high school history teacher. During his teaching career, he obtained a Master’s in counseling from … Read more

The Fight to Preserve the Wyse Fork (Wise’s Forks) Civil War Battlefield

By early March 1865, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman was operating with nearly complete freedom in North Carolina on his way north to form a junction with Union forces in Virginia. The responsibility for ensuring a functioning railroad from New Bern to Goldsboro in support of Sherman’s movement rested with Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox. … Read more

An Interview with Chef Walter Staib

With more than four decades of culinary experience, Chef Staib is an author, an Emmy Award-winning TV host, James-Beard-nominated chef, and culinary historian. He has opened more than 650 restaurants worldwide and most recently headed Philadelphia’s City Tavern, an 18th-century tavern re-creation. He is also the driving force behind “The Taste of History,” a TV … Read more

In Their Own Words: The Preservation of a Civil War Statue

BGES Blog featured Bob Jenkins in the May issue as a BGES Member Making a Difference. One of the ways he has made a difference is by helping to preserve a controversial statue of Joseph E. Johnston in Dalton, Georgia. Amid the 2020 riots, he and others worked diligently to move it from the public … Read more

BGES Member Making a Difference: Kyle Sinisi

Kyle Sinisi is deeply embedded in history. He studied history at VMI and Kansas State University. He teaches history at The Citadel, with a focus on the Civil War, the World Wars, and the history of weaponry. And he has written several books about history, including The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition of 1864 … Read more

Tour Talk: Civil War 101: Chickamauga

Norman Dasinger, Jr.,  is a BGES tour-de-force. He frequently contributes to the BGES Dispatch, writing about little-known and intriguing aspects of the Civil War. He’s also a popular BGES tour leader, known for his in-depth knowledge and passion for history. The Civil War 101 concept is his brainchild, and he is a founding sponsor of … Read more

BGES Members Making A Difference: Bob Jenkins

Bob Jenkins is a whirlwind of activity. As Len Riedel says, “Bob is a ball of fire.” He’s a practicing attorney who has played a role in the Whitfield County and the City of Dalton’s battlefield preservation efforts. At a time when statues were being torn down, he carefully negotiated between the folks who wanted … Read more

Tour Talk: Between the Fourths, with Gary Ecelbarger

Gary Ecelbarger, an award-winning author of several books about 19th-century American personalities and events, has also established himself as a leading authority on George Washington’s 1777–1778 campaign of the American Revolution. He has formally presented and led tours on the topic for over 15 years and has published several journal articles on the subject within … Read more

Tour Talk: Red River Campaign, with Parker Hills

BGES returns to Cajun Country in May 2022 to examine the last decisive Confederate victory of the Civil War. A major part of the discussion involves Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, whom historians claim floundered. We are honored to be led by Parker Hills,a retired brigadier general who is an expert on Mississippi Battlefields. We caught … Read more