Join speaker Kenneth Bage as he shares the “Virginia’s Own Fire Eater: Edmund Ruffin.”

Bage will share the life of Edmund Ruffin, American planter. politician, scientist and activist for secession of the slave  Southern states from the United States. Ruffin served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827 and published works in support of states’ rights and the protection of chattel slavery. This earned Ruffin the notoriety of being one of the so-called Fire-Eaters prior to the Civil War. After eleven southern states declared independence from the United States in 1861, Ruffin enlisted as a Confederate soldier and served until wars’ end in 1865. Ruffin was additionally known for for his agricultural pioneering work in soil productivity, which included crop rotation and studies on correcting soil acidity. In recent years, Ruffin has become known as “the father of soil science” and his writings have been influential in soil conservation.

Mr. Kenny Bage is a local business owner, retired police officer, and a graduate of Saint Leo University. He is a member and leader in almost twenty historical, hereditary, and civic organizations to include: Sons of the American Revolution, Colonial Heights Historical Society, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the current president of the Petersburg Civil War Roundtable.

The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.

This is an in-person event.