Roundtable: The Curious Case of the Confederate Coat

Join Richard Lewis who will present on September 4. 2025 at 7:00 p.m. to the Petersburg Civil War Roundtable. Mr. Lewis will share the “Cloaked in Mystery: The Curious Case of the Confederate Coat.”

Could it be that familiar and seemingly mundane studio images of Civil War generals hold a long-forgotten hidden secret? A wrinkle in a sleeve sent Richard Lewis on a six-year research project that resulted in two articles in Civil War Times magazine and revealed a fascinating surprise. Not everything is as it seems in Civil War photography, even in pictures of well-known figures. Join us as Richard presents a lively and fun PowerPoint taking us step-by-step through his discoveries and enabling audience members to play “history detective” along with him.

Richard Lewis is a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, and a graduate of Louisiana State University where he studied Civil War history under Pulitzer Prize-winner Dr. T. Harry Williams. He retired as the Director of Public Relations for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, served on the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Commission and the board of Civil War Trails, and currently volunteers at Richmond National Battlefield Park

The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except for the months of June, July and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.

You may also like the following events from Pamplin Historical Park:

• This October, 17th October, 08:30 am, Symposium Tour - United At What Cost: Petersburg in War and Peace, 1781 and 1865 in Petersburg
• This October, 17th October, 06:00 pm, 29th Annual Civil War Symposium: 1865 A Year of Reckoning in Petersburg

Also check out other Meetups in Petersburg, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Petersburg.