January 16th, 2013– Our 106th meeting. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 at the Bone & Joint Center, 980 Professional Park Drive, right across the street from Gateway Hospital. This is just off Dunlop Lane and Holiday Drive and only a few minutes east of Governor’s Square mall. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and is always open to the public. Members please bring a friend or two – new recruits are always welcomed.
OUR SPEAKER AND TOPIC: “Confederate Reunions in Franklin, Tennessee 1877-1925”
As with the former members of the Union Army, Confederate veterans also formed organizations where their members could get together and reminisce about their time in the Civil War. Thus was formed the United Confederate Veterans, and much later, the Sons of Confederate Veterans. In addition to their reunions, these camps helped to raise money to care for Confederate cemeteries and raise monuments on battlefields in many Southern towns like the one in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. These camps, along with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, helped keep the memory of the Confederate soldier alive and helped write much of the Lost Cause history via the magazine Confederate Veteran or by books.
This month’s program, by noted Williamson County historian Rick Warwick, will examine the Confederate reunions held in Franklin, Tennessee between 1877 and 1925. Over time, all of these camps fell apart due to the passing of its members but they left behind a history that will form the basis of this program.
Rick Warwick is a retired school librarian, Williamson County, Tennessee historian, editor of the Williamson County Historical Society Journal and the author of several Williamson County related books including the authoritative, Williamson County: Civil War Veterans-Their Reunions & Photographs. He has served on the boards of the Carter House, Carnton Plantation, The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, Franklin’s Charge and is currently serving on the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County and the Tennessee Historical Commission.
We hope you will join us for another informative program by a fine historian.
LAST MONTH’S MEETING
Krista Castillo, president of the Nashville CWRT and manager of Fort Negley park in Nashville, presented affine program on Christmas in the Civil War to a joint meeting of the Clarksville and Bowling Green CWRTs at Ariella Italian Restaurant in Russellville, KY. Backed by a wonderful power point program, she explained the history of Christmas in the western world before focusing on it in America from colonial times into the Civil War. Early on it was not celebrated by the Puritans but evolved into something closer to how it is today with commercialism mixing with religion by the time the nation split apart. Cartoonist Thomas Nast, already famous for his Civil War art work in Harper’s Weekly, was the man who designed what would become the American impression of Santa Claus, and his work was prominent in the program. The program was well researched and presented and capped off a wonderful dinner. We thank President Ron Hatcher and the members of the Bowling Green CWRT for joining us at this meeting. Thanks Krista for an excellent program!
FUTURE PROGRAMS:
February 2012 – Kevin McCann, author/historian – “Hurst’s Wurst: The 6th Tennessee Cavalry U.S.”
March 2013 – Nancy Baird, Western KY University – “Josie Underwood’s Civil War Diary”
April 2013 – David Bastian, historian/author – “Grant’s Canal in the Vicksburg Campaign” (based on his book)
May 2013 – Jerry Wooten, Johnsonville State Park, TN. – “Johnsonville, TN: The End Of The Line, November 4, 1864”
June 2013 – Chris Kolakowski, Patton Museum/author – “The Tullahoma Campaign”
July 2013 – Mark Lause, University of Cincinnati/author – Sterling Price’s Missouri Campaign” (tentative)
August 2013 – Lee Ann Newton, historian/author – “The Memoirs Of Eratus Winters, 50th Ohio Infantry”
September 2013 – Doug Richardson, park ranger, Fort Donelson National Battlefield – “Lincoln and McClellan”
October 2013 – William C. Davis, VA Tech University, noted author/historian – Topic TBA
MEMBERS AND DUES: – You should have a Clarksville CWRT membership card if you are current with your dues. If you do not have one then please pay your dues at this meeting! Thank you if you have already done so.
Thanks to all of you, the Clarksville CWRT continues to grow. We would love to have you join us! If you have friends interested in the Civil War, please bring them along. July is our fiscal year when dues for the current campaign were due. If you haven’t paid your dues for this season yet please do so. Our dues help us get great speakers and for historical preservation. Annual dues are as follows:
Student – $10
Single membership – $20
Family – $30
Military – Active duty and veterans – $15
Military family – Active duty, veterans, and family – $25
CIVIL WAR NEWS AND EVENTS
Fort Defiance Civil War Ball – Clarksville, TN – Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Friends of Fort Defiance and the Clarksville/Montgomery County Sesquicentennial Committee are hosting their annual ball for the benefit of Fort Defiance in Clarksville, Tennessee on Saturday, January 12, 2013. The event will be held at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 909 Madison Street. The event begins at 6 PM. The event consists of Victorian dancing, a dinner and fun and all can be had for $35 per person. Period dress or evening clothes are required. For further information please email – ball@fortdefianceclarksville.com.
For Defiance, on a bluff overlooking the Cumberland River, was one of three forts built in late 1861 to protect Clarksville. It is the only one of them that is fully extant. The fort is a Clarksville city park unit and has a wonderful interpretive center.
New Book On Stones River Now Available
Larry Daniel, noted Civil War historian of the Western Theater, has released his latest book on the Battle of Stones River. Stones River National Battlefield historian Jim Lewis has called it the best single volume work on this battle. This was a pivotal Civil War battle that greatly affected not only Tennessee but also offset the Union defeat at Fredericksburg a couple weeks earlier and gave political cover to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which took effect on January 1, 1863. Copies of this fine book can be purchased at the Books A Million store in Clarksville on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.
New Book On Kentucky In The Civil War Documenting Resources Available From the Louisville, KY CWRT
The Louisville Civil War Roundtable has produced a up to date bibliography of the 150 best books on Kentucky’s participation in the Civil War. Kentucky in the Civil War: 150 for the 150th, is the product of over a year’s research and work. Each listing is annotated for a better understanding of the content. The book covers seven categories including personalities, battles and campaigns, politics and more and has two additional sections for bibliographies and reference works. This is a limited edition soft cover of 48 pages and retails for $12.50 plus $2.50 shipping. If you are looking for where to start with books on Kentucky in the war or have already read a number of books on the topic but are looking for something new then this is an excellent reference guide.
Anyone interested in purchasing the book can contact Norvelle Wathen at (502) 339-9000 or via e-mail at: musicalnorvelle@bellsouth.net.
Fort Donelson Historian Jimmy Jobe Retirement Party at the January Meeting of the Fort Donelson CWRT in Dover, TN
Legendary National Park Service historian Jimmy Jobe, a fixture at Fort Donelson National Battlefield for some 40 years, has retired our neighbors at the Fort Donelson CWRT in Dover, TN are saluting him with a party at their January 17th, 2013 meeting. Their meetings are held at the Stewart County Visitors Center which is on Highway 79 right across from Fort Donelson National Battlefield.
The program begins at 7 PM. If you are planning on attending, please email John Walsh at – john@fortdonelsonrelics.com to let him know if you are coming.
Author Lanny Smith Publishes Latest Book – Morgan’s Cavalry 1861-1862
Lanny Smith, a Civil War historian and author based in Texas, has self-published his latest book, Morgan’s Cavalry 1861-1862. The book focuses on Morgan’s early war career from Morgan’s Cavalry Squadron through leading a division on the famous Christmas Raid of December 1862 culminating with his marriage to Matty Ready in a star studded ceremony. Included are Shiloh, the Kentucky Campaign, Hartsville, Lebanon, Cynthiana and more. If you are familiar with his limited edition two volume set on the Battle of Stones River (one volume for the Confederate side and one for the Federal – sometimes available at Stones River National Battlefield), then you know how detailed and complete his books are. This one is also a hard cover and runs 520 pages of text with 116 pages of notes and bibliography plus loads of maps. Only 271 copies are being printed so if you are interested in getting a copy then email Lanny at – lannysmith1861@hotmail.com.
Tennessee Historical Quarterly Publishes Volumes on the Civil War
The Tennessee Historical Society and state Sesquicentennial Commission have published four volumes on the Civil War in Tennessee taken from previous articles published in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly journal. More volumes are planned in the series. Each volume is edited by a noted Tennessee Civil War historian. The volumes so far available are: Tennessee in the Civil War; Civil War in Appalachia; The Battle of Shiloh and the latest on the Battle of Stones River and the Civil War in Middle Tennessee. Each volume is $25 but if you go to the web site of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, you can get all four for a 20 per cent discount (15 per cent if individual books are purchased) plus shipping and sales tax (if Tennessee resident).
To order these books, and all other merchandise that helps save Tennessee’s battlefields, please visit – http://www.tcwpa.org/shop
Save The Date – New Civil War and Militaria Show To Be Held in Clarksville, Tennessee, October 12-13, 2013
As part of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, a Civil War relic and militaria show will be held in Clarksville, Tennessee on the weekend of October 12-13, 2013. The event will take place in the new Wilma Rudolph Event Center in Liberty Park which is part of the new marina complex on the Cumberland River. At least 100 tables will be available for anyone interested in selling Civil War items, post-war militaria including World War 2 as well as displays for organizations and authors.
The event is sponsored by the Clarksville/Montgomery County Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, the Clarksville Civil War Roundtable, the Fort Donelson Civil War Roundtable (Dover, TN) and the Frank P. Gracey SCV Camp. Dealers and interested authors and organizations can contact John Walsh of Fort Donelson Relics at: john@fortdonelsonrelics.com or Greg Biggs at: Biggsg@charter.net
Save The Date Part 2 – Civil War Syposium to Be Held in Huntsville, Alabama, November 1-2, 2013
The Tennessee Valley Civil War Roundtable is planning its first Civil War Symposium. This will be a one-day event in Huntsville, Alabama, on Saturday, November 2, 2013. Its overarching theme will be the Western Theater, with a variety of speakers and other activities anticipated (perhaps including a kick-off that Friday evening, November 1). We are in the initial stage of planning, so most details have yet to be firmed up. This event is almost eleven months away, but calendars fill up fast, so please let your membership know that this event is in planning and to reserve this date on their calendars. We are, of course, hoping for a banner turnout.
Battle of Buffington Island, Ohio Web Site With Maps and Pictures of the Battle – July 1863 (from the Cleveland, OH CWRT with our thanks)
Martin Lowery at Ohio University has put together a web site documenting Ohio’s only Civil War battle, Buffington Island, which was part of Confederate cavalry commander John Hunt Morgan’s Indiana-Ohio Raid of 1863. The site has over 100 slides that summarize the battle, shows maps of Morgan’s campaign through Ohio, and then goes through each portion of the battle. Lowery uses aerial photographs and superimposes where the various units were. He also includes information about the archeological survey that was done by Heidelberg University in 1999. Morgan and several hundred of his men were captured further north in Ohio and his division was destroyed by this raid which was contrary to what he was ordered to do by General Braxton Bragg. Adam Rankin Johnson, who helped recapture Clarksville in August 1862, was part of this raid as a brigade commander for Morgan.
To see this wonderful and informative web site please go to – http://www.ohio.edu/people/lowery/buffington/buffington_files/frame.htm#slide0309.htm
The Clarksville Civil War Roundtable 