Join Mr. Robert Garnett who will present on September 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. to the Petersburg Civil War Roundtable. Mr. Garnett will share the “‘Victims for the Grave’: Elmira Prison Camp and the Confederate Dead of Woodlawn National Cemetery.”
‘Victims for the Grave’: Elmira Prison Camp and the Confederate Dead of Woodlawn National Cemetery” explores the life, death, and legacy of the speaker’s fourth great-grandfather, Corporal Robert Henry Gwynn of the 26th Virginia Infantry. When the Civil War erupted, Gwynn was one of roughly a thousand Gloucester men who rushed to Virginia’s defense. In June 1864, he was captured during the action around Petersburg. After a stint at Point Lookout, Gwynn was transferred to the deadliest Union-operated prisoner of war camp—Elmira. Nicknamed “Hellmira” for its miserable conditions, one-quarter of the camp’s detainees, Gwynn included, perished from exposure, malnutrition, and disease. Today, one can find Gwynn’s name engraved on Gloucester Courthouse’s Confederate Memorial.
Rob Garnett is a native of Gloucester, Virginia. He holds a master’s degree in English literature. In addition to working as a guide and historical interpreter in the museum field, Garnett has taught at the college-level for over a decade. A Walt Whitman-themed teaching assignment transformed Garnett’s lifelong fascination with the Civil War into an academic pursuit. Conversations with his grandmother inspired him to research his ancestry and share the findings.
The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except for the months of June, July and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.
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