May 7th Program Details Announced

Hell Comes To Southern Maryland; The Point Lookout Civil War Prisoner of War Camp

 Prisoner of war camps sprung up in the North and South in mid-1863 when the cartel governing the paroling and exchanging of prisoners ended. The Point Lookout Civil War prisoner of war camp in Southern Maryland became the largest facility for Confederates in the North. Over 50,000 men spent time in the two pens that totaled 30 acres. In this presentation, Dr. Brad Gottfried will explain how and why the camp was formed, life and death in the camp, and what it was like to be a prisoner of war there.

Brad Gottfried Bio

 Brad Gottfried retired in 2017 after servicing 40 years in higher education. After receiving his Ph.D., Brad taught full-time for eleven years at three colleges and then entered the ranks of the administration, rising to the role of President. He served as President for seventeen years at two colleges, and retired as President of the College of Southern Maryland.  He now devotes his time to writing and giving tours of the Antietam battlefield (he is an Antietam Certified Battlefield Guide) and the town of Gettysburg (he is a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide).

  Brad has a strong interest in the Civil War, having written nineteen books on the topic.  His best known works are probably his map studies of Civil War campaigns. The list is below. He regularly presents at Civil War Round Tables and Historical Societies.

 

List of published books:

Race to the Potomac: Lee’s Retreat and Meade’s Pursuit after the Battle of Gettysburg (Emerging Civil War Series)

The Maps of Spotsylvania Through Cold Harbor

The Antietam Paintings of James Hope

Lee Invades the North: A Comparison of the Antietam and Gettysburg Campaigns

The Brigades of Antietam (Editor)

Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg: The Story of the Formation of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and Lincoln’s Visit

Hell Comes to Southern Maryland: The History of the Point Lookout Prisoner of War Camp

Kearny’s Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade

Maps of First Bull Run

Maps of Antietam

Maps of the Fredericksburg

Maps of Gettysburg

Maps of the Cavalry at Gettysburg

Maps of Bristoe Station/Mine Run

Maps of the Wilderness Campaign

Roads to Gettysburg

Stopping Pickett: The History of the Philadelphia Brigade

The Artillery of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg: A Guided Tour

The Brigades of Gettysburg

 

Books coming out in 2024

The Overland Campaign (Casemate Campaign Series)

The Maps of Second Bull Run