The cover of the paperback edition.

With George Meade’s 199th birthday ceremony rapidly receding in the rear view, it’s time to look forward at the next big events in the Meade universe. There are several coming right up. The first will take place way across the Atlantic Ocean on January 30, when the city of Cadiz, Spain will unveil a plaque on the house where the future general was born on December 31, 1815. The event, sponsored by the Literary, Artistic and Scientific Athenaeum of Cadiz, will take place at noon at the Plaza de España n.4. The American ambassador to Spain, the mayor of Cadiz, and the U.S. Naval commander at Rota will attend. I wish I had the budget to get there myself! I will try to obtain some photos from the ceremony and post them here.

The next big event—from my standpoint, anyway—will be the paperback publication of Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg. That will be available on February 1, for the very affordable price of $19.95. If you don’t already have the book, here’s your chance to correct the oversight.

February is also the month for the annual Meade Symposium, sponsored by the General Meade Society of Philadelphia. The date this year will be Sunday, February 15, and the venue West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. Bad snowstorms last year forced the cancellation of the event, so keep your fingers crossed that the weather goods are feeling more beneficent in 2015. It should be a fun and fascinating day (I’ve posted the program below. Click on the image to enlarge.) Dr. Andy Waskie will talk about Meade’s early life, Jerry McCormick will discuss Meade’s military career through Fredericksburg, Ralph Peters will handle the rest of the Civil War, and I’ll talk about Meade’s post-war life. Jim Schmick of Civil War and More will be on hand with a fine selection of books, and the always dependable Kearney Kommissary will provide food. Make your reservation now!

The program for the 2015 Meade Symposium. Click to enlarge.

2015 is, of course, Meade’s bicentennial year, and already my calendar is filling with Meade-centric events. I have talks scheduled for Chicago, Milwaukee, Petersburg, Chambersburg, Richmond, Gettysburg and Philadelphia. You can keep abreast of events right here.

And if you want a place to write things down, boy, do I have a calendar for you!