[JAN. 8 DINNER MEETING] World War I and Rhode Island: The Centennial Remembered
Our speaker this month is Matthew Baldwin McCoy, State Coordinator for the Rhode Island World War I Centennial Commission. Matt will share with us our state’s relationship to the national observance and the role the Ocean State played during the war. Rhode Island made a significant contribution, not only in its role as a major […]
[DEC 11 DINNER MEETING] Maureen Taylor on her book “The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation”
Our December 11 Varnum Member Dinner Meeting will feature a discussion by the author of “The Last Muster”, a remarkable two-volume book (Amazon.com: Volume I || Volume II) by internationally known expert of photographic history, Maureen Taylor. Clients from around the world have sought her expertise in historic photograph identification, photo preservation, and family history […]
[NOV 13 DINNER MEETING] Dr. Maury Klein on Sumpter, Secession, and the Election of Abraham Lincoln as the Last Major Event Leading to the U.S. Civil War
On Monday, November 13, URI Professor Emeritus Maury Klein, a nationally-noted author and historian, will take us through the events preceding the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln. The president’s arrival in the White House marked the climax of a decade-long struggle that threatened to tear the nation apart, setting in motion a chain of events […]
[MAY 8 DINNER MEETING] Abductions in the American Revolution: Christian McBurney speaks about his latest book
At the Monday, May 8 Varnum Continentals Members’ Meeting, respected historian and author Christian McBurney will talk about his latest book, “Abductions in the American Revolution: Attempts to Kidnap George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Other Military and Civilian Leaders” (McFarland, 2016). This book covers more than thirty major attempted and successful abductions of military and […]
[APR. 10 DINNER MEETING] “My Poor Boys…ALL Are Gone!”: The First Rhode Island Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign
At the Varnum Members’ Meeting (on Monday, April 10, 2017), Varnum Memorial Armory Museum Curator Patrick Donovan tells the story of the First Rhode Island Cavalry and their important role in the Gettysburg Campaign of June 1863. As Confederate General Robert E. Lee began to execute his daring plan to invade the North with his […]
[MAR. 13 DINNER MEETING] Greenwich Bay Brass Performs at March Meeting
We’re in for a treat for the March 13th Varnum Continentals Members Meeting: a live performance by the Rhode Island-based Greenwich Bay Brass, a British-style brass ensemble. This all-volunteer group includes both professional and accomplished amateur musicians. The ensemble typically performs with 10 to 12 musicians, about half the size of a full British brass band, […]
[FEB. 20 DINNER MEETING] Speaker Brian Wallin: “Down to the Sea by Rail – Short Rail Lines of Rhode Island”
Unfortunately, the the Rhode Island-based Greenwich Bay Brass could not accommodate the new member dinner date (Monday, February 20). But we have a brilliant replacement speaker! Our February meeting will feature historian, author, lecturer and Varnum Trustee Brian L. Wallin, who will take us back in time for a richly illustrated, and sometimes humorous, ride “Down to the Sea […]
[JAN. 9 DINNER MEETING] Ernest Roberts Shares First-Hand Experiences from World War II
The Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive of World War II, was launched just over 73 years ago. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called it, “undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.” Our January speaker, Mr. Ernest Roberts, was a […]
[DEC. 12 DINNER MEETING] Women in Combat: From the American Revolution to the Modern Day
The presence of women on the battlefield caring for the wounded goes back centuries. Women today serve in front-line duties, but that wasn’t an accepted practice in the past. Many stories exist about women who donned uniforms and fought beside men on the battlefield. Countless other women provided nursing care and support services behind the […]
[NOV. 14 DINNER MEETING] The journey to publication of the diary and story of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, 2nd RI Volunteers
One of the finest Civil War soldier’s diaries ever written was compiled by Elisha Hunt Rhodes of Cranston, RI. First published in 1985 by Andrew Mowbray of Lincoln, RI, under the title of “A History of the 2nd RI Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Great Rebellion”, the remarkable story of Rhodes’ four years […]