Civil War Round Table welcomes judge

The Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table will meet Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the community room of the Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St., Dover. The featured presenter will be Judge William F.B. Vodrey, who will present Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: Scholar, Citizen, Soldier.

Chamberlain, colonel of the 20th Maine and a hero of Gettysburg, was an officer of the Civil War. A speaker of seven languages, he left academia at Bowdoin College in Maine to answer the republic's call of duty. He was repeatedly wounded in the field but rose to the rank of brevet major general and a top command in the Fifth Corps. He was personally chosen by U.S. Grant to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Had he not been where he was on Little Round Top, the Confederacy just might have won the Civil War.

Vodrey serves on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Born and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, he graduated with honors from Oberlin College and later received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Vodrey has been interested in military, political and presidential history for many years and often speaks on such topics to historical societies, clubs and roundtables. He is a member of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable, American Battlefield Trust and Ohio History Connection. He also is a former Civil War reenactor with the 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. B, based in Dover. He lives in Cleveland with his wife Susan; they have three grown sons.

Call the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123.