Sean Michael Chick on “General P. G. T. Beauregard”For more information: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.Org

In April, 1861, Pierre Gustav Toutant Beauregard shot into fame as the Confederate commander who commanded the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Often given high-level commands thereafter, a combination of ill-health, and disagreements with President Davis, limited his service thereafter, though he played a key role in the defense of both Charleston and Petersburg. This month, we will enjoy a presentation on this enigmatic and colorful general, a man whom his many admirers thought was a potential Napoleon. Few Civil War generals attracted as much debate and controversy as Beauregard. P. G. T. combined brilliance and charisma with arrogance and histrionics, the latter often alienating those he had to deal with. Sean Michael Chick graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications, and from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Master of Arts in History. He currently works in New Orleans, leading historic tours of his hometown and helping residents and visitors appreciate the city's past. He is also a board game designer, concentrating on the period of Western warfare from 1685-1866. His publications include The Battle of Petersburg, June 15-18, 1864 (Potomac Books, 2015) and Grant's Left Hook: The Bermuda Hundred Campaign, May 5-June 7, 1864 (Savas Beatie, 2021). His Dreams of Victory: General P.G.T. Beauregard in the Civil War (Savas Beatie, 2022) is the basis for this talk.