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Historian Brian C. Pohanka will be honored by the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust this month for his contributions to Civil War preservation Date published: 12/4/2004 By LEE WOOLF HISTORIAN and Civil War re-enactor Brian C. Pohan- ka spoke at the dedication of a monument on the Spotsylvania battlefield a few years ago. Robert Hodge, a friend of Pohanka's and a fellow re-enactor, remembers the occasion well. "The dedication was the same weekend as a re-enactment of the Battle of Spotsylvania being held in Orange County," Hodge recalled. "And several of us rode over with Brian for the ceremony. "He didn't have any prepared remarks, but he spoke in a very inspirational way, wearing the uniform of a Union officer. He just spoke from the heart, with a degree of intellect and compassion. "And while he was speaking, you could faintly hear the sound of cannons in the distance from the re-enactment in Orange. It seemed like the veterans were channeling their presence through Brian. It was just a perfect moment." The stage is set for another such moment Friday night, when the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust will honor Pohanka with the second annual Ralph Happel Award in recognition of Pohanka's efforts to preserve Civil War battlefields. Happel retired in 1972 after a 35-year career as a historian with the National Park Service. He died at age 91 in 2002 and left $150,000 to the CVBT. "We decided to earmark a small portion of his bequest to fund an annual award recognizing those who emulated his example by contributing notably to battlefield preservation in central Virginia," wrote CVBT president Mike Stevens in an e-mail. Stevens said Pohanka was selected "for his longtime and very effective advocacy and leadership in the preservation field." Pohanka, who lives in Alexandria, has authored or contributed to more than 20 books on the Civil War. He also was a regular contributor to The History Channel's "Civil War Journal" television series and an adviser on the popular Civil War movie "Cold Mountain." Pohanka is a re-enactor with the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry and currently is writing a regimental history of that unit. The Civil War Preservation Trust presented Pohanka with the 2004 Carrington Williams Battlefield Preservation Award in April in recognition of his commitment to preserving Civil War battlegrounds throughout the nation. "Brian is one of the three or four most significant people nationally in Civil War preservation," said Jim Lighthizer, president of the CWPT.
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