Historical Consultants

Ed Bearss

"Over the past several decades, three historians have been recognized pillars of American Civil War scholarship: Shelby Foote, Bruce Catton and Ed Bearss. While Messrs. Foote and Catton have passed away, Ed Bearss, named by our government as Chief Historian Emeritus, U.S. National Park Service is still with us—and is called by many a “Living National Treasure.” He maintains a very busy schedule, lecturing and giving tours of military and historical sites across America and Europe." -- J. David Petruzzi, Historical Advisor, "To Appomattox"

Sue Boardman

a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2000, is a two-time recipient of the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence. Sue is a recognized expert of not only the Battle of Gettysburg but also the National Park’s early history including the National Cemetery.  She has authored a book on the history of the Cyclorama titled The Gettysburg Cyclorama: A History and Guide.

Thomas Fleming

Renowned and award-winning historian and internationally bestselling author.

 D. Scott Hartwig

Author and lecturer, D. Scott Hartwig is the Supervisory Historian at Gettysburg National Military Park where he also serves as a Park Ranger.

Edward Longacre

The author of more than 20 books and 100 journal and magazine articles on the Civil War and military history. The Cavalry at Gettysburg won the Fletcher Pratt Award as the best book of Civil War nonfiction; his 2003 biography Gentleman and Soldier: A Biography of Wade Hampton III won the Douglas Southall Freeman History Award.

Dr. John Marszelak

Award-winning biographer of William T. Sherman; Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Director and Mentor of Distinguished Scholars, Executive Director and Managing Editor, Ulysses S. Grant Association.

J. David “J.D.” Petruzzi

Best-selling author of five books and dozens of journal and magazine articles; considered one of the leading experts of the Gettysburg Campaign and Civil War cavalry. His The Complete Gettysburg Guide was the winner of the U.S. Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award.

John Michael Priest

The author and/or editor of 12 Civil War books and a leading expert on the Battle of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign. He is credited by Ed Bearss as seeing “the Civil War soldiers much as Ernie Pyle saw the GIs of World War II.”

Gordon Rhea

Civil War historian considered the modern expert on Grant’s Overland Campaign; winner of numerous historical and literary awards including the most prestigious Fletcher Pratt Award.

John F. Ross

As executive editor of American Heritage magazine, John F. Ross has edited the finest historians writing about the Civil War and is the recipient of the Fort Ticonderoga Award for Contributions to American History. He most recently published War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America's First Frontier (Random House, 2009)

Dr. John Y. Simon

Founder and lifelong Executive Director of the Ulysses S. Grant Association and Editor of the Grant Papers. Numerous awards, including the lifetime achievement award from The Lincoln Forum, the Award of Merit from the Illinois State Historical Society, and the Lincoln Prize from the Gilder Lehrman Foundation. He was a mentor to Michael Frost Beckner until Dr. Simon's death in 2008.

Mark A. Snell

is a retired US Army officer and former assistant professor at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.  Since 1993 he has been the director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War and professor of history at Shepherd University. Dr. Snell has written or edited several books on the Civil War, including From First to Last, The Life of Major General William B. Franklin (Fordham Univ. Press, 2002). His most recent publication is Mountaineers Are Always Free: West Virginians and THEIR Civil War (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011).

Dr. Ronald C. White

A foremost Lincoln scholar; bestselling Civil War author and winner of numerous national awards including the 2010 Christopher Award for A. Lincoln: A Biography.

W. Cary Eberly

Mr. Eberly has written for Pennsylvania’s award-winning official history website, www.ExplorePAHistory.com, since 2004 and is currently working on three photographic narratives chronicling the battles of George Washington; Cochise & Geronimo; and Ulysses S. Grant & Robert E. Lee.

Mark Maritato

  Mr. Maritato is an accomplished fine art painter and historian specializing in Civil War and other military and historical subjects. He is recognized as an expert in Civil War uniforms, weaponry, equipment and company flags, and how they were utilized by the common soldier. Many of his original artworks are acclaimed for their accuracy and reside in private and public collections all around the country.

Jimmy Price

Jimmy Price is a Civil War historian, blogger, and educator who specializes in the history of African
American Union soldiers and is the author of the book The Battle of New Market Heights: Freedom Will
Be Theirs By The Sword. He is currently working with Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military
Park on a web based curriculum entitled “Community at War” and is researching his second book, which
will look at the First Battle of Deep Bottom, fought July 27-29, 1864.

Kevin J. Weddle

Kevin J. Weddle recently retired from the US Army after 28 years on active duty as a combat engineer officer and is currently professor of Military Theory and Strategy and the Maxwell D. Taylor Chair of the Profession of Arms at the US Army War College, Carlisle, PA.  He is the author of the award-winning Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont and is currently writing a book on the Revolutionary War's Saratoga campaign. He frequently leads groups on tours and staff rides to many Civil War battlefields including Gettysburg, Antietam, and Vicksburg and has also led groups to Normandy, Dunkirk, the Somme, Verdun, Waterloo, and Agincourt.