Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Announces Ted Alexander’s Retirement and Successor Eric Wittenberg
Originally published October 2019 · pp. 1–9
Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Announces Ted Alexander’s Retirement and Successor Eric Wittenberg Ted Alexander, retired chief historian at Antietam National Battlefield, recently announced his retirement as program coordinator of Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours; Eric Wittenberg has been named as his successor. Ted, along with the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, hosted the first Chambersburg Civil War Conference in 1989 to support the local business community, attract tourism to the area, and raise funds for battlefield preservation. To date, the organization has raised more than $215,000 that has been donated to many nonprofit organizations supporting the interpretation and preservation of our Civil War heritage. Ted has authored, edited, and/ or contributed to 10 books on the Civil War and other aspects of American history. He has written more than 200 book reviews and articles for publications such as the Civil War Times and The Washington Times. He retired in 2016 as the chief historian at Antietam National Battlefield after serving 35 years with the
National Park Service. Ted’s work and legacy was recently recognized at the Antietam: The Bloodiest Day Conference held this past summer with more than 100 history enthusiasts in attendance. A special retirement celebration was held in Ted’s honor with talks given by Lark Kennedy of the Chambersburg Chamber; Scott Anderson, head of conference logistics; Dennis Frye, retired chief historian at Harpers Ferry National Park, and Dr. Tom Clemens, historian and interpreter at Antietam National Battlefield. “Ted’s vision and collaboration with the Chambersburg Chamber has been critical to the success of the program, and we are grateful for his many years of service,” said Lark Kennedy. “We wish him good health, good luck, and great success in his retirement.” Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours will continue under the umbrella of the Chambersburg Chamber with Eric Wittenberg as the new program coordinator. “2019 marks the 31st year for Chambersburg Civil War Seminars,” said Eric Wittenberg. “It’s been a remarkable run of success, with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for battlefield preservation. Without Ted Alexander, there would be no Chambersburg Civil War Seminars; it’s that simple. These programs are the result of Ted’s vision, and since 1988, they have been the gold standard for programming of its type. We owe all of that to Ted.” Eric Wittenberg is an award-winning American Civil War historian and one of the country’s foremost experts on Civil War cavalry. He is the author or co-author of 21 published books including the best-selling Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg. Eric has written more than 30 articles published in national magazines and is an avid Civil War battlefield preservationist. He is a practicing attorney who resides in Ohio with his
wife, Susan. “Being asked to succeed Ted as program coordinator is one of the great honors of my life,” said Eric. “I say ‘succeed’ rather than ‘replace,’ because nobody can replace a legend. One can only hope to carry on and to maintain the high standards set by Ted. Knowing that, and with a great deal of humility and no small dose of trepidation, I have agreed to succeed Ted as program coordinator.” With the transition,
Ted Alexander stands behind one of the interpretive signs at the Third Battle of Winchester. Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours will no longer be necessarily tied to Chambersburg. In the future, summer programs will stay focused on the Civil War and alternate between the Eastern and Western campaigns. For July 2226, 2020, the program will cover the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga with David A. Powell as the lead tour guide. The July 2021 program will focus on the Battle of Chancellorsville, and July 2022 on the Battle of Vicksburg. This coming spring, the American History Seminar series will be held April 30-May 1 and cover the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign led by Michael Harris. This conference will shift its focus beyond the Civil War and include other conflicts including the French & Indian Wars, Revolutionary War, and others. The April 2021 Seminar will focus on the Battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown, Whitemarsh, and the winter encampment at Valley Forge. Future fall conferences will focus on Civil War topics and will remain based in Chambersburg, Pa. These events will feature intensive study of specific themes such as infantry, artillery, cavalry, and guerilla warfare. More information about the upcoming 2020 tours can be found by visiting CivilWarSeminars.
org or by calling 717-264-7101. If you have any questions regarding the transition, please contact Lark Kennedy at 717-264-7101 or email her at lkennedy@chambersburg.org. About Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours was founded by the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Ted Alexander in 1989. The programs are designed to support the local business community, attract tourism to the area, and raise funds for battlefield preservation. To date, more than $215,000 has been donated to nonprofit organizations that support the interpretation and preservation of our Civil War heritage. For more details about upcoming tours, please visit CivilWarSeminars.org or call 717-264-7101.
Photographs from the Original Article
Captions and credits appear in the article text as originally printed.