Wayne E. Motts Biographical Sketch

The following information regarding our scheduled speaker is from the Amazon website:

Wayne E. Motts was bom and raised in central Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in military history in 1989. Moving to Gettysburg in 1990, Wayne earned a Masters Degree in American History from the Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1994.

Wayne was one of the youngest persons ever to complete the licensing process to be a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. He has guided parties around the famous field for 27 years. He has spoken to a wide range of historical bodies and groups on topics related to the American Civil War including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

In addition to his speaking engagements, Wayne has published several pieces related to the American Civil War in a variety of publications. He is considered the leading authority in the nation on Southern General Lewis Addison Armistead of Pickett's Charge fame and has published the only biography of the general entitled, Trust in God and Fear Nothing: Lewis A. Armistead, CSA. For ten years he was the research historian for renowned Civil War Artist Dale Gallon of Gettysburg where he assisted in the historical research of 40 works of fine art.

Wayne was the Senior Research Historian for TravelBrains Corporation and in this capacity researched material to be included in a number of audio-visual products related to the American Civil War. The products produced by his research have been endorsed by the History Channel and have won numerous awards.

In 2002, Wayne accepted the position of curator at the Cumberland County Historical Society where he managed a collection of 8,000 artifacts. In 2004, he assumed duties as the collections manager of the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg. In 2005, Wayne was named executive director of the Society. He led this organization from January 2005 until April 2012 and assisted the Society and Lutheran Theological Seminary it the rehabilitation of Schmucker Hall, one of the country's most significant Civil War structures.

In April 2012, Wayne accepted the position of chief executive officer of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 2001, the National Civil War Museum has over 65,000 square feet of total space with more than 21,000 square feet dedicated to exhibit and educational areas. It holds more than 25,000 historical items related to both sides of the conflict.

Wayne's father is Warren E. Motts, founder and director of the Motts Military Museum in Groveport OH.

Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg: A Guide to the Most Famous Attack in American History

The following text is from the Amazon website:

150 years after the event, the grand near-suicidal attack against the Union position on Cemetery Ridge still emotionally resonates with Gettysburg enthusiasts like no other aspect of the battle. On the afternoon of July 3, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered more than 12,000 Southern infantiy to undertake what would become the most legendary charge in American military history. This attack, popularly but inaccurately known as “Pickett’s Charge,” is often considered the turning point of the Civil War’s seminal battle of Gettysburg. Although much has been written about the battle itself and Pickett’s Charge in particular, Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg is the first battlefield guide for this celebrated assault.

After the war, one staff officer perceptively observed that the charge “has been more criticized, and is still less understood, than any other act of the Gettysburg drama.” Unfortunately, what was true then remains true to this day. The authors of this book—two of Gettysburg’s elite Licensed Battlefield Guides along with one of the Civil War’s leading cartographers—have corrected that oversight.

Grounded in the premise that no better resource exists for understanding this unique event than the battlefield itself, Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg encourages its readers to explore this storied event from a wide variety of perspectives. For the first time, readers can march toward the Copse of Trees with Armistead’s Virginians, advance on the Confederate left with Pettigrew’s North Carolinians, or defend the Angle with Alonzo Cushing’s gunners and thousands of Union soldiers. There is much here to enrich the experience, including dozens of full-color original maps, scores of battlefield and other historic photographs, a unique mix of rare human interest stories, a discussion of leadership controversies, and a rare collection of artifacts directly related to the charge.

Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg is designed for readers to enjoy on or off the battlefield, and will give Civil War enthusiasts an entirely new appreciation for, and understanding of, Gettysburg’s third day of battle.