October 2026 Newsletter

Campaign 68, Skirmish 2 | October 9, 2026

Read the latest from the Harrisburg Civil War Round Table in our October edition. Inside you'll find:

Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln: Join us Friday, October 9, as noted historian Dr. Matthew Pinsker shares insights from his new book, exploring Lincoln not as the marble figure of memory, but as a working politician and coalition-builder whose party leadership set the foundation for emancipation and Union victory. The Wall Street Journal has called it a "landmark book," and New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie called it "extraordinarily relevant to our political moment." Dr. Pinsker holds the Brian Pohanka Chair of Civil War History at Dickinson College and directs the House Divided Project. Doors open at 5:30 pm at the Central Penn College Conference Center; dinner is $35 per person, with reservations due to Michael Margolius by noon on Sunday, September 27. Can't join us in person? The lecture and Q&A stream on Zoom — please join by 7:00 pm.

President's Pen: Rev. Rebecca S. Myers confesses she's never been much of a Civil War expert — what draws her in is the human side of history, how people respond to injustice, conflict, and extraordinary challenges. That's what she's looking forward to in Dr. Pinsker's portrait of Lincoln as a working politician holding a divided nation together. She also shares an idea from new member Bob Zick: bring back up to five brochures from any battlefield or Civil War site you visit, so the Round Table can build a shared take-home resource table for other members.

Don't Delay — Fall Field Trip to Manassas: On Saturday, October 24, we travel to Manassas, Virginia for War is No Picnic: The First Battle of Bull Run, guided by Dr. Bradley M. Gottfried. Cost is $95 per person — only four seats remained on the bus as this newsletter went to press. Contact Field Trip Reservationist Steve Williamson directly at 717-580-0443 or steve.williamson.WCCS@outlook.com and pay a $25 deposit to reserve a seat; payment in full is due by September 24.

Plus: The Round Table is still searching for a new Treasurer — contact Past President John West at 412-217-1234 or john@johnfwest.com if you're interested; a full roundup of regional Civil War events through mid-October, including the WWII Weekend at Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg CWRT's POW lecture, Hershey CWRT's Vermont Brigade talk, a National Civil War Museum author event, and the Mt. Zion Cemetery grave-marker cleaning; and the Campaign 68 meeting schedule through June 2027.

Download the full newsletter below for complete event details, RSVP information, and Zoom links. Click here to download the October 2026 Dispatch (PDF)