The News! The News! Reporting in the Civil War
The Union and Confederate armies each had reporters embedded with the troops, and at the battles, eager to wire back stories to a public hungry for news.  Dr. Dave’s talk focuses on the Northern reporters, their logistics problems of finding out where to go and what to cover, their fights with Stanton, and the generals, on censorship and use of the telegraph, as well as their tricks for getting scoops.  These “stories behind the stories” will provide you with a better appreciation for the fun, hardships and risks of the news business in the Civil War.

Dave Schrader
Dr. Dave Schrader has been giving CWRT talks to Los Angeles audiences since 2013. He is particularly fascinated by “the rest of the story” – for example, the activities of support organizations such as the Signal Corps, the Quartermaster, and Commissary Corps, who often played major, but behind-the-scenes, roles in the abilities of generals and presidents to achieve their goals. Or, people like Lincoln’s Secretaries, or his Ambassadors, that played a pivotal role in supporting the President and his policies. Or, the Fire-Eaters, who drummed up support for secession in the south. Most of Dave’s talks are interactive so be prepared for audience participation!