Bernard Siler "Who would be free must themselves strike the blow"--Frederick Douglass referring to recruitment of black men for the Union Army. Location: Washington, DC

Biography:
Bernie Siler is a prosecutor for the District of Columbia and Civil War Historian. He is originally from Washington, D.C. and received undergraduate and law degrees from the Universities of Dayton and Cincinnati respectively. He teaches at Montgomery College in the areas of Real Property Law and Civil Litigation. He has lectured on the origins of the law of war with a special emphasis on the treatment of African American Union Army prisoners as impetus for much of the current policy. Drawing on his extensive experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Army, Mr. Siler is available for media commentary on various aspects of high profile criminal cases as relates to potential constitutional and procedural issues that may occur in those cases.

In addition to law and history his background includes semi-professional football and tryouts with the NFL Patriots and Cowboys. You can see some of his historical presentations brought to life in various Civil War reenactments that his 54th Massachusetts Volunteers participates in as well as roles in the motion pictures "GLORY", -"TAD", and the TNT production "Andersonville".

There are three principle areas within the Civil War arena that Mr. Siler has lectured extensively in. First, he addresses the unique experiences of the thousands of African-Americans who served in the Union Army and Navy. Secondly, he discusses many of the subtle facts surrounding the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln and finally, the horrific suffering of both Union and Confederate prisoners, including African American prisoners who were, despite the avowed Confederate policy of not according those men prisoner of war status held in such places as Elmira, New York and Andersonville, Georgia and Florence, South Carolina. He has also been published in the Washington Post and Washington Times.

Through video tape, sound effects and paraphernalia, Mr. Siler vividly brings to life the story of that crucial time in our nation's history.

Availability:
Available as a speaker and consultant.