The Civil War Round Table, held at Camp Hill Methodist Church, Harpers Ferry, welcomes William S. Connery as the speaker at the Wednesday, Oct. 8 dinner and program.

Connery grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, considered neutral territory in the War Between the States. As a young boy, his family visited the battlefields of Gettysburg, Sharpsburg, Harpers Ferry and other local historical sites. He has a degree in history from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Since 1989, Mr. Connery has lived in Fairfax County, Virginia, where many thrilling and exciting Mosby skirmishes occurred. He has been contributing to the Civil War Courier, the Washington Times Civil War page and other publications. In 2012, he was awarded the prestigious Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal, from the Fairfax Chapter of the UDC, for his previous History Press book: Civil War Northern Virginia 1861. Mr. Connery is a member of the Company of Military Historians, the Capitol Hill Civil War Round Table, the Sloop of War Constellation Museum, and the E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore.

Connery will speak on Mosby’s Raids. The most famous name associated with the Civil War in Northern Virginia, other than General Robert E. Lee, is Colonel John Singleton Mosby, the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy. He stands out among nearly one thousand generals who served in the war, celebrated most for his raids that captured Union general Edwin Stoughton in Fairfax Court House and Colonel Daniel French Dulany in Rose Hill near Alexandria. By 1864, he was a feared partisan guerrilla in the North and a nightmare for Union troops protecting Washington City. After the war, his support for presidential candidate Ulysses S. Grant forced Mosby to leave his native Virginia for Hong Kong as U.S. consul. A personal mentor to young George S. Patton, Mosby enjoys a military legacy that extends to World War II. William S. Connery brings alive the many dimensions of this American hero and will focus on Mosby’s activities in 1864.

Prior to the 8 p.m. program, a family-style meal will be served at 7:00 p.m. The cost of the meal is $15 per person. Reservations for the meal must be made no later than Sunday, Oct/ 5, with Kyle Wichtendahl at kfwichtendahl@gmail.com or 301-639-8855. The meal will consist of baked lasagna; salad bar, iced tea, coffee, garlic bread, butter and dessert.