Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table to host program on espionage, enslaved informants

The Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table will meet Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St., Dover.

The featured presenter will be Robert Hilliard, who will speak on “Spies, Slaves and Secrets of the Civil War.”

Based on research for his award-winning historical espionage thriller “In Freedom’s Shadow,” Hilliard’s presentation will provide an overview of Civil War espionage and highlight operatives who served both armies, as well as the technology used to carry out intelligence operations. The program will also focus on the contributions of escaped slaves, both as sources of information for the U.S. Army and as covert operatives who risked their lives while serving undercover in the Confederacy.

Hilliard has previously presented the program at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall as part of its Lincoln Gallery Second Saturday Civil War Lecture Series, the Cooper-Siegel Library and the Gettysburg Heritage Center. He also recorded a scripted version for the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum’s YouTube channel.

Hilliard has written about sports, history and the outdoors for more than three decades. He worked as a freelance reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and has written for publications including Upland Almanac, Pennsylvania Wildlife and Pittsburgh History Magazine.

His first book, “A Season on the Allegheny,” was published in 2012 and received national attention. His first novel, “In Freedom’s Shadow,” was published in November 2023 and reached No. 1 in its category at multiple retailers during its first week.

The novel later earned the 2024 International Firebird Book Award for African American fiction, the Spring 2024 PenCraft Book Award for historical fiction and the 2024 Reader’s Favorite Bronze Award for Southern fiction.

Hilliard’s latest work is a holiday short story titled “The Christmas Whistle.” Set in colonial America, the story centers on family and love with a touch of Christmas magic.

The Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table’s mission is to educate the community about the American Civil War, preserve Civil War heritage and remember those who struggled for their cause.

For more information, call the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123.