Introduce our last speaker for the afternoon. He is the director of the Texas Military forces museum. And an adjunct professor of history at Austin Community college. He is an author and a contributor to essential civil war curriculum. His last work as a trilogy covering the civil war in virginia from gettysburg and includes meade and lee, which is due for publication next year. Lets give him a welcome. [applause] thank you. It is a real pleasure to be here. It is always fun to stand in a group of people that have the same passion. You dont get looked at as strangely when you talk to other people. I am going to break precedent today and have a powerpoint demonstration. I am doing that for several reasons. Pamplin spent a lot of money to put this system in. You will not have to get a new puppy at the end of my presentation. I became interested in the story of what happens in the Virginia Theater after the battle of gettysburg following a conversation i had with one of my favorite profes
best generals that each side had. i think this campaign has been more misunderstood, more misinterpreted than maybe any other campaign in the civil war. i think the reason is because of expectations. today in politics you would see, a presidential campaign or primary campaign going on. several candidates are seeking the nomination of one of the parties. they. or coming up on one of the nominating primaries the state primaries typically you ll hear some politicians say, if i finish in the top three than that will be a win. if i could finish in the top three than i would be happy or something like that. of course trying to manage expectations. if he does that successfully and of people in the press so forth by it, top three finishes a win for him. if you finishes number two, and that s great! he exceeded expectations. but, on the other hand, if he doesn t bother to manage expectations or if he is not successful at it, people don t buy it, then he finishes second then oh wow,