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December 11th Regular Meeting at the Blossom Cafe
Stuart Dempsey on "'So outrageously and so persistently misrepresented': The 11th Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg"

"In 15 minutes we were all cut to pieces. There was no place left us but to flee for our lives which we did with a right good grace." Thomas Evans, soldier of the 11th Corps at Chancellorsville.
The Army of the Potomac's 11th Corps became an easily ridiculed and often mocked unit in blue. Because the corps contained a high number of German-born immigrant soldiers (and was led in part by German-born politicians like Carl Schurz), biased contemporary northern newspapers and critics frequently scapegoated the unit. They were called "the Flying Dutchmen," among other inglorious names. They were blamed for failure at Chancellorsville, scorned for not holding an impossible position against overwhelming numbers at Gettysburg. Admittedly, incompetant Non-German leadership played a large part in these debacles.
History has not been generous to the memory of the Army of the Potomac's 11th Corps. Derided by their fellow soldiers and by the press, made scapegoats by army command, and almost uniquely unlucky, the officers and men of the corps endured not only the usual hardships of soldiering, but also the opprobrium of those they fought alongside and for. We will look further into their story, examining facts and misrepresentations, and casting light on the honor and sacrifice that marked the 11th’s Civil War.
Stuart Dempsey has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2004. He had two relatives in the Eleventh Corps (73rd Ohio Infantry Regiment) and both were killed/mortally wounded at Gettysburg. Both are buried in the National Cemetery.
Stuart leads not only Civil War tours, but also leads historic tours all over North America and in Europe. His tour website is www.battlegroundhistorytours.com.

For our 2026-2027 program year, we proudly welcome these outstanding speakers:

Sept. 11th: James Marten on "The Sixth Wisconsin and the Long War"
Oct. 9th: Joshua Lindamood on "Black Thursday: the Battle of Sailor's Creek"
Nov. 13th: Bob Miller on "Angels of the Battlefield: Catholic Nuns in the Civil War"
Dec. 11th: Stuart Dempsey on "'So outrageously and so persistently misrepresented': The 11th Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg"
Jan. 8th, 2027: Dan Masters on "Hell By the Half Acre: The Stones River Campaign"
Feb. 12th: Rob Girardi on "Gouverneur K. Warren in the Gettysburg Campaign"
March 12th: Doug Dammann, Nevins-Freeman Address: "Stories from the Kenosha Civil War Museum"
April 9th: Dave Powell on "Who Won the Battle of Chickamauga?"
May 14th: Lucas Wilder on "Longstreet's East Tennessee Campaign"
June 11th: Kevin Donovan on "The Court Martial of Fitz John Porter: Fair or Fixed?"

Our meetings are usually held at: