EDWIN C. BEARSS
It was very sad to hear in 2020 that Ed Bearss -- legendary Civil War historian and lifetime member of our Round Table -- had passed away. We miss him dearly. Ed showed many of us literally what it meant to have our "boots on the ground" at a battlefield, and we will remember him and that phrase every time we take a battlefield tour from here on out.
And it is fitting that we seek to celebrate his legacy and his contributions to the study of Civil War history on a continuing basis for many years and many generations to come. Ed was an honorary lifetime member of the CWRTDC, spoke regularly at our meetings, and guided many of our tours.
In appreciation of Ed’s dedication to battlefield preservation, the CWRTDC had for years made an annual donation to a historic site selected by Ed. See complete history below. In 2021, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to broaden the Preservation Award to a Civil War-related site selected by the Board and to increase the amount of donation using a newly created fund supported by individual contributions by members and other admirers of Ed. Monetary gifts to support future CWRTDC awards in honor of Ed’s life and legacy can be submitted using the PayPal module below.
On June 15, 2022, via Zoom, the Round Table will present the awards to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Civil War historian Edwin Cole Bearss. The recipient of the “Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award” is the African American Civil War Museum, and the recipient of the “Edwin C. Bears Legacy Award” is Ms. Wendy Swanson.
The ceremony will be followed by a presentation from CWRTDC member Carl Adams entitled “March to Juneteenth," which will cover his in-depth research into the more than 20,000 US Colored Troops from regiments comprised of men from all over the country sent to Texas at the close of the War to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Mr Adams' research helped support the bi-partisan recognition of the event as a Federal holiday.
Edwin C. Bearss Preservation Award
The recipient of the expanded Preservation Award is the African American Civil War Museum, https://www.afroamcivilwar.org/, founded by Dr. Frank Smith and located in Washington DC at 1925 Vermont Ave., N.E. (to be re-opened in late summer 2022). The mission of the museum compliments the iconic “Spirit of Freedom Memorial” located across the street by telling the story of the heroic contributions made by the over 200,000 brave U.S. Colored Troops and sailors to end slavery and to keep our Nation united under one flag. Some of these men were slaves from the Chesapeake region who had been transported for resale to the deep South and were released in 1863 when the Union forces gained control of the lower Mississippi River area. Their ability to formally wear U.S. uniforms, bear arms, and participate in combat was authorized by President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and they proved to be exceptionally able soldiers and sailors in combat.
Edwin C. Bearss Legacy Award
The Board also approved the creation of an annual Legacy Award, which is non-monetary, to be given to persons who exemplify and emulate Ed’s mission through their own efforts to preserve U.S. Civil War historic sites, landmarks, and education. The Board is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Legacy Award is Ms. Wendy Swanson of Falls Church, VA. Among only one of Ms. Swanson’s many contributions to Civil War-related preservation was to host annual parties to celebrate Ed’s birthday as an opportunity to solicit donations for the preservation or interpretation of the historic sites Ed selected. Over the years, her efforts (and those of the “Bearss Brigade”) collected over $250,000 to support such activities.
The CWRTDC had planned to present the awards during an in-person meeting, but COVID-related restrictions prevented it from doing so. The ceremony and presentation will now be held via Zoom:
A copy of the News Release for the awards ceremony is available HERE (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLervhH5Xm9TdhU6mbTldTMKkeo0TWfJ/view)
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