2018 Edwin Bearss Award Recipient Named

CHAMBERSBURG, PA – Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours announced Stephen Recker as the third recipient of the Edwin C. Bearss Award during the Bearss Symposium: American Military History and Combat earlier this month.

Given annually, the award, encourages the study of the American Civil War era by reimbursing Recker with up to $1,000 for scholarly research on his project: “O.T. Reilly’s Sharpsburg.” Recker plans to capture and convey the importance of O.T. Reilly’s encounters with veterans and making available searchable copies of “Antietam Wavelet” and “Antietam Valley Record” and of the Shepherdstown “Register.”  

 “I am grateful to receive this award that will allow me to fulfill my long-time dream of scanning and interpreting 50 years of newspaper articles written by Sharpsburg’s O.T. Reilly about the veterans’ period at Antietam,” Recker said. “No other battlefield has anything like this, and I am excited to live in O. T. Reilly’s world as I compile his stories into book form for others to utilize.” 

The award is given each year to a deserving author working on a non-fiction book about the Civil War in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia or the Shenandoah Valley.

“We are pleased Stephen Recker was chosen by the committee to receive this prestigious award,” said Ted Alexander, facilitator and co-founder of Chambersburg Civil War Seminars. “Recker’s project will promote the study and understanding of the Civil War, which is paramount in preserving our American military heritage that Edwin Bearss has dedicated his life to.”

Submissions for the award were reviewed by the Ed Bearss Award Committee with Dr. Richard Sommers of the U.S. Army War College as chair. Dr. Sommers and his committee of distinguished scholars will review applications in 2019. Applications are being accepted now through February 1, 2019.

Funds raised for the award originate from donations, silent auction proceeds and raffles. The award is supported by both Chambersburg Civil War Seminars and attendees at tours held throughout the year. Interested individuals should contact Lark Plessinger at lplessinger@chambersburg.org or call 717-264-7101 ext. 206 for more information or to receive an application.

​Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours is a division of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with historian Ted Alexander. Tours planned for 2018 include Roads to Gettysburg: Brandy Station and Second Winchester as well as Mr. Lincoln’s City & John Wilkes Booth Escape Tour. Eric Wittenberg, Bob O’Neil, Keven Pawlak, Ed Steers, Joan Chaconas, and more than 20 other speakers/guides will lead our upcoming military history tours. Please visit www.CivilWarSeminars.org for more details or call Lark Plessinger at 717-264-7101 ext. 206.

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