last week Robert C Plumb reviewed  his book, YOUR BROTHER IN ARMS: A UNION SOLDIER’s ODYSEY. In the 1960’s his wife’s uncle bought three bundles of letters (marked 1862-63- 64 &65) written by George Pressly McClelland (not related to Gen McClellan) and sent to his siblings, while George was serving with the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry for 2 years and 8 months. Together McCelland’s letters form a perspective and articulate chronicle of his front line experiences in the Army of the Potomac battles: Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Getttysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna River, Petersburg, and Five Forks.

He enlisted as an 18 year old private; was wounded in ’64 and came back to his company in 2 months, promoted to Capt and wounded again 2 weeks before Appomattox. His men saved his life by getting him to a hospital in Petersburg (where George’s sister found him 2 weeks later). He lived another 37 years.

Nancy Pulley gave her classification talk. She grew up in Michigan in the 50’s when it was safe for a 9 year old to ride a street car to see a Detroit ball game with her brother. She became a school teacher (math) and a computer systems engineer, had children, and later came to MD.

Nancy currently sells real estate and she told us her secrets to selling. First classify your customer: 1-DRIVER-talk net; 2- ANALITICAL-can’t make their mind; 3- AMIABLEreliable & non-confrontational; and 4- EXPRESSIVE- animated. The key to selling: THINK HAPPY; 1- meditation; 2- random acts of kindness; 3- a dream book of past exceptional experiences.

Susan Soderberg, spoke on THE CIVIL WAR (1861-65) IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. The main road, 355, was not paved. The sentiment was Southern, conservative, and 2% voted for Lincoln. The county was rural with Southern sympathy, but had many Quakers that wanted peace.

In ’61 people were fearful of slave up rise and secession. Though they voted not to secede, the Southern leaning delegates were arrested in Sept ’61. DC slaves were freed Sept ’61.

FEAR was a factor of life. Fear of Union troops. Quartering in homes…training camps. Property confiscated…slaves going to DC…Southern raids in ’61, ’62, ’63, and ’64. An equal number of men from Rockville were in the Union and Southern armies. North/South spying was extensive. Spies carried the mail and disrupted telegraph lines.

Susan Soderberg has other historical topics and we plan to get her back to speak.