I had a great time talking to the
Puget Sound Civil War Roundtable last week. Seattle is one of my favorite places, so when they contacted me about speaking, I jumped at the chance. My presentation covered the Petersburg Campaign with a focus on the battles in October 1864. The meeting was welcoming, informal, and, well, fun. The Q&A session demonstrated the depth of knowledge in the room.
Pat Brady, the program coordinator, kindly took me to lunch before the meeting. Among other things, we discussed his ongoing Cold Harbor campaign book project. From the sound of it, this should be a substantial, thorough work, backed by years of dogged research and thoughtful reflection. During our chat, we touched on Grant's expectations for the May 1864 campaign, Lee's offensive-defensive approach, Meade's strained relationship with Grant, and the challenges of writing a battle study. It was a great time and a great trip.
