Expert Civil War historian Ed Bearss' most significant accomplishment was the 1959 discovery of the long-lost remains of the USS Cairo, which was the first ship in history sunk by an electronically detonated torpedo. It sank trying to destroy a Confederate battery on the Yazoo River, north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Dec. 12, 1862.

To Civil War history buffs, few luminaries shine as brightly as Ed Bearss.

Bearss (pronounced "bars") will be the featured speaker when the Greater Pittsburgh Civil War Roundtable meets Monday evening at the Hampton Township Community Center in Allison Park.

Bearss, of Virginia, has authored, co-authored and edited dozens of books on military history and served as chief historian for the National Park Service for 15 years. Now retired, the 84-year-old Bearss keeps busy leading tours and speaking.

"He is one of the best National Park Service guides there is," said Margie Pender of Mars, a member of the Roundtable. "He does a lot of tours and has written many, many books. He does some speaking engagements, too. That's why he's always in great demand."

"What makes Ed Bearss so unique and popular is that he has a phenomenal memory," said Donald Pfanz, staff historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Fredericksburg, Va.

"He is not only an expert in one or two battles, but in several wars. He knows all the battlefields like the back of his hand. He gives tours all across the country and is a recognized authority on all of them."

Pfanz said Bearss' unique presentation style also typically attracts an audience.

"He gives a presentation which is very entertaining. Many have tried to emulate it, but none too successfully."

In a career that includes numerous honors and accolades, Bearss' most notable and tangible accomplishments include discovering a long-lost Civil War battleship, the USS Cairo. The ship was commissioned by the Union Army and was sunk in the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg, Miss., on the morning of Dec. 12, 1862.

The Cairo saw less than a year of action before becoming the first ship to be sunk by an electronically detonated torpedo. There was no loss of life.

Although the ship went down in relatively shallow water, over the course of decades, its exact location became long forgotten by local residents.

When Bearss became historian at Vicksburg National Military Park in 1956, he set out to pinpoint the location of the vessel. Backed with research and armed with a compass and iron probes, Bearss and two companions located what they believed to be the preserved remains of the ship.

Three years later, divers confirmed the discovery by bringing up the first of what would become a treasure trove of Civil War artifacts — the ship's armored port covers.

The partially reconstructed ship is now on display at the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum as part of the Vicksburg National Military Park.

"For people like us, anything pertaining to the Civil War, we're excited about it," Pender said. "When we say we're Civil War buffs, we mean we love anything about the Civil War. Growing up, they just taught the surface in school, so I always read a lot of history books."

Pender and her husband, Bob, participate as committee chairs in the Roundtable, which was started in 2000 with 25 members, Pender said. Since then, membership swelled to 160 and is still growing, she added.

As well as hosting programs, Pender said the club adopted a long-dilapidated Gettysburg monument to the 155th Pennsylvania division and makes a semi-annual trek to the park to help with maintenance.

<B>WHAT:</B> A program by historian Ed Bearss hosted by the Greater Pittsburgh Civil War Roundtable<B>WHEN: </B>7 p.m. Monday<B>WHERE: </B>Hampton Community Center, 3101 McCully Road, Allison Park<B>INFO: </B>Admission is $5 at the door for nonmembers.

Ed Bearss was chief historian of the National Park Service from 1981 to 1994 and is famed for his masterly presentations.