A. Wilson Greene Bio

Mr. A. Wilson Greene is a Civil War historian, author, and retired museum director. He will be giving a program about the Petersburg Campaign titled: "The Good, The Bad, and the Really Ugly: Leaders and Leadership in the Petersburg Campaign."

The Petersburg Campaign (June 1864-April 1865) may be the least understood of all the major Civil War operations. One explanation may be that so many of the generals, particularly at the division and brigade levels, are relatively unknown.

Mr. Greene’s talk will examine some three dozen general officers, the famous and the not-so-famous, who fought at Petersburg, and offer a brief analysis of their personalities, appearances, leadership skills, and contributions to the 292 days of combat at Petersburg. Mr. Greene prepared this illustrated program to present at the Vince Dooley Leadership Seminar at Kennesaw State University. We are honored to be the first Round Table in the Nation to hear this fascinating talk.

Mr. Greene’s career has been prolific and prodigious as a public historian of the Civil War. He served sixteen years as the founder and Executive Director of the Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg VA, retiring in 2017. Before heading the Pamplin Park, he first spent sixteen years in the National Park Service.

Mr. Greene then was the founding Executive Director of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites (APCWS), which later became the Civil War Trust. As the head of the APCWS, he was instrumental in advocating for the preservation of the Battle of Westport, particularly raising funds with our Monnett Battle of Westport Fund to acquire the Byram’s Ford Historic District in 1992.

Mr. Greene holds a Masters degree in History. He studied under Professor T. Harry Williams at Louisiana State University. He is the author of numerous publications and books, including a trilogy on the Petersburg Campaign, which is in progress. The first volume, titled: A Campaign of Giants: From the Crossins of the James to the Battle of the Crater, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2019. The appearance of Volume 2 is imminent. His other books and works include:

Antietam: Essays on the 1862 Maryland Campaign, Kent University Press, 1989.
Struggle for the Shenandoah: Essays on the 1864 Valley Campaign, Kent University Press, 1991,
National Geographic Guide to the Civil War National Battlefield Parks, National Geographic Society, 1992 and 2011.
The Second Battle of Manassas, Eastern National Parks Association, 1995 and 2016.
The Final Battles of the Petersburg Campaign: Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion, University of Tennessee Press, 2000 and 2012.
Whatever You Resolve to Be: Essays on Stonewall Jackson, University of Tennessee Press, 2005.
Civil War Petersburg: Confederate City in the Crucible of War, University of Virginia Press 2006.