10th Annual Richard Poplar Day Memorial to be held on 14 September 2013 in Petersburg, Va.

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Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
PETERSBURG, VA -- The public is invited to Petersburg's 10th Annual Richard Poplar Day Memorial to be held on 14 September 2013 at 11:30 a.m. at Memorial Hill in Blandford Cemetery. This memorial program joins our nation's National POW/MIA Recognition Week in honoring all our nation's POW/MIA military heroes.

A Petersburg resident and member of Company H., 13th Virginia Cavalry, Pvt. Richard Poplar was captured alongside other members of his unit as a Prisoner of War in July 1863 at Gettysburg, PA. Pvt. Poplar was confined at Fort Delaware for five months and confined at the infamous Point Lookout, Maryland Prison for 14 months. He overcame this 19 month peril at these Prisoner of War camps in a most heroic manner that required outstanding courage and sacrifice.

In May 1886, our local Petersburg Index-Appeal newspaper provided a brief history of POW Richard Poplar's military service along with his obituary. These can be found on the Web at http://www.craterroad.com/richardpoplar.html In these newspaper accounts Pvt. Poplar was also was recognized by his veteran comrades for providing aid and comfort to his comrades while confined at Point Lookout including those fellow Petersburg residents captured during
Petersburg's famous Battle of the Old Men and Young Boys on 9 June 1864, a date which is a Petersburg Memorial Day today. In his passing Richard Poplar was given a large military funeral and laid to rest with his fellow comrades at Memorial Hill. "His pall bearers included Capt. E. A. Goodwyn, Capt. J. R. Patterson, Gen. Stith Bolling, Col. E. M. Field, and Mesrs. Jesse Newcomb and R. M."

On Sept. 18, 2004 Petersburg Mayor Annie Mickens recognized and honored POW Richard Poplar at Blandford Church and presented the Richard A. Stewart/Pocahontas Black History Museum of Pocahontas Island, Petersburg, a Petersburg City Proclamation honoring Pvt. Richard Poplar.

Ms. Teresa Roane will be this year's program special guest speaker. Ms. Roane was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She earned her B. A. in history at VCU. She worked for eight years at the Richmond Public Library followed by 15 years at the Valentine Museum’s library. She is currently the Archivist at the Museum of the Confederacy. She has served on the boards of Friends of the Richmond Public Library, Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods and Historic Richmond Foundation. Teresa has given many presentations and workshops, and she spends her free time reading, watching movies and walking battlefields.
 
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