The Harrisburg Civil War Round Table will meet on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Central Penn College Conference Center, 600 Valley Road, Enola. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and a buffet dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m. Anyone who wishes to attend the lecture only should arrive by 7 p.m. The lecture will also be broadcast via Zoom.

In honor of Veterans Day, dinner will be provided for free to veterans. Veterans are encouraged to wear their decorations.

The speaker, historian Cooper H. Wingert, will share new archival research revealing that two black companies were organized in Harrisburg and integrated Pennsylvania's militia system just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg. By the time Gen. Lee's army entered Pennsylvania, many black residents of Harrisburg had already left for Boston to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Wingert will explain why other black residents of Harrisburg opted not to enlist in Massachusetts and instead organized to defend Pennsylvania's capital from the Confederate army.

The author of a dozen books on the Civil War, Wingert is a native of Enola and a graduate of Dickinson College. He is pursuing a Ph.D. at Georgetown University.

The lecture is free. There is a fee for the dinner, payable at the door; however, anyone wishing to attend the dinner, including veterans, should make reservations by Monday, Nov. 6, by contacting Brian Foster at hcwrt.membership@gmail.com or 717-962-6122. Veterans should note that they served in the military so they may receive the free meal.

For more information, visit https://harrisburgcwrt.org or contact Stephen Smith, programs chair, at 717-433-0209.