Historian and Guide Biographies

J. Michael Cobb

J. Michael Cobb is curator emeritus of the Hampton History Museum and Fort Wool Historic Site and member of the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation. He holds a master’s degree in American studies from the College of William and Mary and has authored Fort Wool: Star-Spangled Banner Rising and co-authored The Battle of Big Bethel: Crucial Clash in Early Civil War Virginia.

Daniel Davis

Dan Davis is the Senior Education Manager at the American Battlefield Trust. He is a native of Fredericksburg, VA where his love for the Civil War began on childhood trips to local battlefields. Dan is a graduate of Longwood University with a bachelor’s degree in Public History. Dan has worked as a Ranger/Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Site and the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles on the Civil War. 

Jack Gary

Jack Gary is the Director of Archaeology for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a position he has held since 2018. He leads a team of archaeologists, specialized consultants, and scholars to reveal the hidden stories of Williamsburg’s past. He is currently directing the archaeological research for the restoration of the garden of John Custis IV as well as the research into Williamsburg’s First Baptist Church, the oldest Black Church in the United States. He is the former Director of Archaeology and Landscapes for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest where he directed the archaeological research that lead to the Garden Club of Virginia’s restoration of the ornamental landscape surrounding Jefferson’s villa retreat.

Drew Gruber

Drew joined Civil War Trails in 2015 and is the Past-President of the Williamsburg Battlefield Association. He previously sat on the Virginia Board of Historic Resources and holds an M.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University, a B.A. from Mary Washington College and a certificate from Southeast Tourism Marketing College. He lives in Williamsburg with his wife Kate. When he isn't 'on the Trail' exploring battlefields he enjoys bourbon, working on his old car, gardening, and is curious about fly fishing.
 

Kate Egner Gruber

Kate graduated from the College of William and Mary with a M.A. in American History and has a B.A. in Historic Preservation and Classics from the University of Mary Washington. Gruber has experience in historic archaeology, architecture, and quantitative and digital history. As a John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library Fellow at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, she has transcribed records of the Williamsburg Public Store (1775-1780) and is continuing her research on the store’s customers, goods, and functions in revolutionary Virginia. A member of the State Historical Records Advisory Board, Virginia Association of Museums, and The Company of Military Historians, she is a curator for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Carson Hudson 

Carson Hudson is passionate about history. He is a practicing military and social historian, published author, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, and circus fire-eater. He lectures regularly on a wide variety of subjects, but his interests are the Civil War, colonial witchcraft & piracy. In his spare time, he likes to sleep.

Robert E. L. "Bobby" Krick

Bobby Krick has lived or worked on Civil War battlefields almost continuously since 1972. He grew up on the Chancellorsville Battlefield near Fredericksburg and graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg with a degree in history. He has worked in various historical capacities at several battlefields, including Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in Montana and Manassas National Battlefield Park. Since 1991, he has been a historian at Richmond National Battlefield Park.  Krick is widely published on Civil War topics. His first book, The Fortieth Virginia Infantry, was a unit history, and in 2003, the University of North Carolina Press published Staff Officers in Gray, a biographical register of the Army of Northern Virginia’s staff officers.

J. Michael Moore

J. Michael Moore is an author, historian, and preservationist.  Mr. Moore received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Christopher Newport University and a Master of Arts in history from Old Dominion University. For the past twenty years, Moore has led battlefield tours in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.  He is also a popular lecturer for CNU’s Life Long Learning Society. Moore has co-authored two books – The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: A Military Analysis in 2005 and Yorktown’s Civil War Siege: Drums Along the Warwick in 2012. In addition, Michael has served as the editor and photographic editor for twelve books and written articles for Virginia Cavalcade, North & South, Military Collector & Historian, and Mulberry Island Notes.  In recognition of his work in public history, the Governor of Kentucky commissioned Moore a Kentucky Colonel in 2014.  He is a Newport News native and resides in Historic Yorktown.
 

Maureen Wiese

Maureen Wise received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Christopher Newport College, now University, in 1990.  She has worked primarily in the field of early childhood education at Mary Immaculate Family Focus.  In 2017 she changed her educational mission to local history.  In 2018 she launched Hampton Roads Tours, LLC with the mission of providing her guests with an opportunity to learn, live and love Hampton Roads. She feels extremely blessed to have an opportunity to share with others the history of the people and places that make Virginia a special place to live and visit. Maureen is a native of Springfield, Illinois and has lived in Newport News, Virginia, since 1986. She is the mother of two adult children who both reside in Virginia.
 

Linda Williams

Linda Williams is a park ranger who has dedicated 16 years to the National Park Service, all of which she spent at Colonial National Historical Park/Yorktown Battlefield. With a deep love for history and a passion for sharing it, Linda plays a vital role in bringing the pivotal story of Yorktown to life, a story that's essential to US history. 

Linda's journey as a park ranger began 16 years ago, driven by her fascination with history and desire to help people connect with their past. At Yorktown, Linda's primary mission is to make history exciting and accessible to the thousands of visitors she meets yearly.  Linda brings history to life in an approachable way, making it relevant and engaging for everyone. She hopes to inspire present and future generations to value and learn from it.