Gottfried to sign Civil War book at Historical Society meeting

Sparta - The Sparta Historical Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Jan. 12), at the Sparta Ambulance Building. The society’s first meeting of 2006 will be highlighted by a talk and book signing by Dr. Bradley Gottfried, author of Kearny’s Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade in the Civil War. The First N.J. Brigade was the only federal infantry brigade that served as a cohesive unit during the entire Civil War. Dr. Gottfried will weave together compelling accounts of the battles fought as he tells the story of the famous brigade from a uniquely personal perspective. Much of the material in the book is derived from a wealth of letters and diaries from the participants themselves. They wrote about their hopes, fears, and sorrows as they were physically and emotionally transformed from civilians into soldiers. Dr. Gottfried is president of Sussex County Community College. He earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from Miami University and he is an authority on the Civil War. His specialty is Gettysburg. Five of his books have been published and another two are nearing completion.