North Carolina Military Historical Society
The annual symposium and general
membership meeting of the “North Carolina Military Historical Society” is
scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Raleigh, in the Long Leaf Pine Room of
the North Carolina Museum of History. The symposium is free of charge to
any who wish to attend, and no prior registration is required unless you wish
to reserve a $5.00 sub-sandwich lunch.
Meals will only be available for those who reserve one no later than Monday,
May 1st by emailing the Society at ncmilhistsoc@yahoo.com,
or calling the Society President at (910) 897-7968. Meals will be payable at registration.
The theme of this year’s symposium is
“North Carolina’s Role in the War of 1812.”
The meeting will last from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and feature
four outstanding speakers offering presentations on various aspects of our
state's participation in our “Second War for Independence.” Free parking is
plentiful and adjacent to the museum.
Though North Carolina did not play as
extensive a role in the war as some other states, her contribution was
significant none the less. Mr. Jeff
Bockert, East Region Supervisor for the North Carolina Division of State
Historic Sites based in Kinston, N.C., will speak on
the role of the state’s militia, as well as North Carolinians in the regular
Army. Major Bruce Daws, Commander of the
Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, North Carolina’s oldest militia
organization, will discuss the martial activities of the FILI between 1812 and
1815. The war at sea will be covered by
two well qualified speakers. Mr. Jim Greathouse, historian with the
Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, will outline Tar
Heel coastal defense efforts, including the construction of the United States
schooner “Alligator” (Gunboat #166); and, Mr. Andrew Duppstadt, Assistant
Curator of Education with the North Carolina Division of Historic Sites, will
offer a presentation on the war at sea through the services of North
Carolinians Captain Otway Burns, a privateer and his ship the “Snap Dragon,”
and Captain Johnston Blakeley of the United States Navy and his ship the WASP.
Living historians will be on hand
displaying the uniforms, weapons and accoutrements of the War of 1812, and to
discuss the life of the common soldier and tactics of the day.
Several potential lunch-time or
post-symposium activities are available.
Attendees may take a self-guided tour of the North Carolina Museum of
History’s new Chronology exhibit and its permanent North Carolina military
history gallery, “A Call to Arms,” on the third floor. Adjacent to the museum is the North Carolina
Museum of Natural Science, and a block away is the State Archives of North
Carolina for those interested in historical or genealogical research. North Carolina’s 1840 Capitol Building stands
just across the street from the Museum of History.
The Society will sponsor raffles throughout
the day for donated items. Funds
generated from the sale of raffle tickets help defray the cost of the symposium,
publication of the Society’s semi-annual magazine “Recall,” and support the Society’s
own “North Carolina Military History Museum” at Kure Beach, North Carolina. Donations for the raffle are greatly
appreciated and may include books, magazines, prints, figures, uniforms, artifacts,
and like items. If you have items you
wish to donate they may be hand-carried to the meeting or mailed to the
North Carolina Military Historical Society, c/o Sion H. Harrington III, 503
South 11th Street, Erwin, North Carolina 28339-2715. Questions regarding potential donation items may
be directed to the Society via email at ncmilhistsoc@yahoo.com,
or by calling (910) 897-7968.
A meeting of the Society’s Board of
Directors will follow the close of the symposium.
The North Carolina Military
Historical Society cordially invites you to learn about “North Carolina’s Role
in the War of 1812.” Mark your calendar
and join us for a day of interesting speakers, fascinating information, and
good fellowship!
 |
| Jeff Bockert |
Jeff Bockert currently serves as the East Region Supervisor
for the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites based in Kinston, N.C.
Jeff also currently serves on the N.C. Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee as
well as the N.C. War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee. Jeff has worked in the
historic site and museum field for almost twenty years. Prior to arriving in
Kinston, he served as the Civil War Specialist for N.C. Department of Cultural
Resources. Jeff’s previous work experience includes managing the President
James K. Polk Birthplace, Associate Curator on the Battleship North Carolina
and work at the National Archives in Washington, DC. He has also worked as a
college history instructor and is the author of several works on presidential
and military history. He has been published in works such as White House Studies and Public Historian. Jeff received both his undergraduate degree
in American History and his master’s degree in European History from
UNC-Wilmington.
 |
| Major Bruce J. Daws |
A former Covert Narcotics Agent in the United
States Army and Technical Services Division
Commander with the
Fayetteville Police Department, Bruce is the Historic Properties Manager
for the City of Fayetteville and serves as Curator of the Fayetteville Area
Transportation and Local History Museum.
Major Daws, as Bruce is better known, is a renowned local historian,
tour guide, and former United States Army officer. He has served as commander of the
Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, a position of honor to which he has
been continuously elected by the membership, since 1984. In addition, he has served on various boards and commissions throughout
his distinguished career.
 |
| Andrew Duppstadt |
Andrew Duppstadt is the Assistant
Curator of Education for the North Carolina Division of State Historic
Sites. He has a BA in history and an MA
in public history from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he
served as Teaching Assistant to renowned Civil War historian Chris
Fonvielle. Previously, he has worked at
the CSS Neuse State Historic Site, Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Tryon
Palace Historic Sites and Gardens, and the Carteret County Historical Society.
Andrew also serves as an Adjunct Instructor
of History at UNC-Pembroke, Coastal Carolina Community College, and Craven
Community College. He is a founding
member and President of a living history group called the Carolina Living
History Guild. Andrew currently lives in
Kinston, NC.
 |
| Jim Greathouse |
A Senior Museum Specialist with
the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, New Orleans
native Jim Greathouse is
a 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force and graduate of Methodist
University. In addition, he serves as the
Historic Properties Coordinator for the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Jim helps oversee and is responsible for the
historical content of exhibit panels and educational programming at two
museums, the North Carolina Veteran’s Park, and several historic buildings. He is a member of the North Carolina War of 1812
Bicentennial Committee and co-chairs the Living History sub-committee and sits
on the Exhibits, Coastal Conference, and the Events and Programs
sub-committees. An educator and
historian, Jim is currently researching the history of the U.S.
Schooner Alligator, a Jeffersonian gunboat that saw active service in both
North and South Carolina waters during the War of 1812. He hopes to have the research published
during the bicentennial. Married to
Leisa Greathouse, the Curator of Education at the Museum of the Cape Fear, Jim
has used their love of sailing and maritime history as a naval living historian
and member of the Carolina Living History Guild where he educates the public on
aspects of life at sea during the Age of Sail.
He demonstrates the art of navigation to visitors at various programs
around the State of North Carolina.
