Cleveland Civil War Roundtable

May 2026 Roundtable Meeting: "General Winfield Scott Hancock, Commander of the U.S. Second Corps"

The May 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable will take place on May 13, 2026 beginning at 6:00 p.m. This will be an in-person meeting. The speaker will be Brian Burtka, and the title of Brian's presentation is "General Winfield Scott Hancock, Commander of the U.S. Second Corps." Details, including information about making a reservation and the dinner choices for the meeting, can be found on the home page of the Roundtable's website (www.clevelandcivilwarroundtable.com).

Winfield Scott Hancock was a household name in the nineteenth century. Today, this presidential candidate is barely remembered outside of Gettysburg discussions. Born in 1824 just outside Philadelphia, Hancock was a career officer in the U.S. Army. During the Civil War, Hancock rose through the ranks and became one of the best Corps commanders in the Union Army. He is known as "Hancock the Superb." After the Civil War, Hancock continued his military career. In 1880, the Democratic Party nominated Hancock for President. He lost in one of the closest popular votes in U.S. history. Hancock died in 1886 on active duty in New York City. This first-person portrayal brings his story to life and shows why Hancock was a household name.

Brian Burtka, S.J., is a high school teacher at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. A native of Detroit, he completed his M.A. in Public History from Loyola University Chicago in the spring of 2024. During this time, he interned at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Brian began reenacting in 2013 and has portrayed multiple impressions and people over the years. Brian's interest in Winfield Scott Hancock began during his first trip to Gettysburg. Brian began portraying Hancock in 2023 and portrays him at reenactments across the Midwest. Brian can be found at many local events in Ohio, and he is frequently found with his political rival at the James A. Garfield Civil War Roundtable. For more information about Winfield Scott Hancock, please see Hancock the Superb (https://hancockthesuperb.com/), which is the digital biography that Brian created during Hancock's bicentennial in 2024.