Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont

About this event

Join us on Friday, December 4, as Army War College Distinguished Fellow and celebrated military historian Dr. Kevin J. Weddle recounts the career of Civil War era Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont.

Once revered as one of the US Navy's finest officers, Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont is now remembered, if at all, for resisting technological advancement and for leading the disastrous ironclad attack on Charleston in April 1863. Although he was lauded for helping to win an early Union victory in South Carolina, the failed attack on Charleston destroyed his career and reputation. Dr. Weddle will challenge this reduction of Du Pont's legacy to reveal that, although Du Pont championed technological innovation, he opposed the use of the new ironclads to attack Charleston. Only when his objections were overridden did his use of these modern vessels bring his career to a tragic end. Dr. Weddle will expose this historical misunderstanding, while also pinpointing Du Pont's crucial role in the development of US naval strategy and his work in modernizing the navy between the Mexican War and the Civil War.

About the speaker: Dr. Weddle is a graduate of the US Military Academy, a combat veteran, and served over 28 years on active duty in the US Army before retiring as a colonel. He earned a Ph.D. in history from Princeton. He is the author of the award-winning Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont and the critically acclaimed and best-selling The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution , winner of six national and international literary awards including the Gilder Lehrman Prize in Military History. He also leads military and civilian groups to battlefields around the world including Normandy, Gallipoli, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and many others.

Dinner reservations: Reserve your spot by noon on Friday, November 20th.

Payment: Grab your ticket below and pay securely by credit card or PayPal. Prefer to pay in person? Choose your ticket now and settle up by check, cash, or card at the door. Reserving dinner is a commitment to pay, as the Round Table covers the meal cost.

Can't attend in person? Join the lecture and Q&A via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86484286637 (no password). Dial-in: 1-301-715-8592. Meeting ID: 864 8428 6637. Please join by 7:00 pm.