Robert M. Dunkerly

Robert M. Dunkerly (Bert) is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research. He holds a degree in History from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. He has worked at nine historic sites, written eleven books and over twenty articles. His research includes archaeology, colonial life, military history, and historic commemoration. Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park. He has visited over 400 battlefields and over 700 historic sites worldwide. When not reading or writing, he enjoys hiking, camping, and photography.

A full listing of Bert’s Emerging Civil War articles can be found here.

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Bert is also a member of the Emerging Civil War Speakers Bureau. His available presentations are listed below:

Battlefield Preservation
I am fascinated by memory and how historic sites are commemorated. Using research from my Master’s thesis, I discuss the evolution of battlefield preservation and interpretation, looking at past trends and how preservation has changed.

Civil War Railroads
I analyze how both sides made use of their resources, how railroads affected military strategy and operations, and summarize the impact of railroads on the war.

Embattled Capitol: A Guide to Civil War Richmond
This talk is tied to the guidebook and includes historic sites, museums, parks, monuments, battlefields, and more. It also provides a history of Richmond during the war.

No Turning Back: The Overland Campaign and the Battle of Cold Harbor
This talk addresses common myths and misconceptions about Cold Harbor.

Reconstruction
An overview of the challenges the reunified nation faced.

Stones River: Force of a Cyclone
This often-overlooked battle came to a crucial point in the war, and I enjoy discussing its context and consequences.

To the Bitter End
Most of us know the details of Appomattox and even Bennett Place in North Carolina, but what about the other surrenders? We will delve into the lesser-known surrenders in Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas, and discuss how the war ended and how that set up the early stages of Reconstruction.

The Browns Island Explosion
The largest industrial accident in the Confederacy saw over 40 women and girls, and a handful of men and boys, killed. This presentation dissects the event and its aftermath, and includes a search for the victims’ graves.

The Confederate Surrender at Greensboro
The largest troop surrender of the war, a story with many fascinating twists and turns.

The Fall of Richmond
Which unit got into Richmond first? Who flew the first National flag over the Confederate Capitol? Who received the city’s surrender? These and other questions have been issues of contention ever since that day. This talk explores the issues related to the city’s evacuation and capture.

The Richmond Bread Riot
This was the largest wartime protest in the Confederacy, in which thousands of women rioted and looted stores in downtown Richmond. What were the causes and what were the long-term results?

Other Potential Topics
Revolutionary War topics: King’s Mountain, Cowpens, Guilford Court House, Ninety-Six, Morristown, Brandywine, Eutaw Springs, Yorktown, The Revolution in New Jersey, and Women in the Revolution

Archaeology at Jamestown, War of 1812, battles of River Rasin, Overview of the War of 1812, the Attack on Washington