The Chicago Civil War Round Table Monthly Meetings

Civil War Round table of Chicago November 2022 Meeting. The Nevins-Freeman Address: Mary Abroe on “Historic Preservation and Civil War Battlefields: An American Story”  

For More info: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.ORG  

Founded by Congress in August 1890, Chickamauga and  Chattanooga National Military Park is our first federal  battlefield park. Later that same month, passage of  legislation that set aside funding for preserving battle lines  and buying land to mark troop positions provided the  basis for what became Antietam National Battlefield Site.  Rounding out the five "granddaddies" that constitute the  nucleus of our national battlefield park network are Shiloh  (1894), Gettysburg (1895), and Vicksburg (1899). At a  time when there was no National Park Service as we  know it and only a few other "national parks"--like Yellowstone and Yosemite, both of which were western wilderness parks--the Civil War preserves of the 1890s set the precedent for all national historical parks (of whatever designation) going forward. As a result, those turn-of-the-century military establishments are among the premier historical properties of the entire National Park System. Additional Civil War sites joined their predecessors over the next 120-plus years, but  whether we consider Chickamauga or Mill Springs (KY)--in 2020 the most recent addition to the System--the immediate thought for many, if not most, is "killing fields." And so they were. But, over time, as men and women lived, worked, and remembered on those grounds, layers of human motives and actions also shaped them. In that way,  preserved battlefields have plenty to reveal about Americans' understanding of the Civil War and their resulting urge to preserve its sites as memorials, patriotic symbols, tourist destinations, documentary evidence, and outdoor classrooms. The battlefields also are  full of stories about local communities, whose people, through no choice of their own, became witnesses to history and neighbors of the places where it happened. This presentation focuses on what modern Civil War parks tell us about their meaning and preservation at the hands of successive generations of Americans, ourselves included--those who, over the decades between the 1890s and the early twenty-first century, have continued to shape those landscapes. 

Mary Abroe holds a BA in history from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana and a PhD from Loyola University Chicago. She is retired from teaching at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. Dr. Abroe is vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Battlefield Trust and a director of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. She also is past president of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago.

Bruce Allardice on "Myths and Mysteries of the CSS Hunley"

For more info: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.ORG

The Confederate submarine Hunley, the first submarine to ever sink an enemy warship, has fascinated us ever since its mysterious disappearance in 1864. Movies have been made dramatizing its almost suicidal nature and its tragic end. Myths and legends have grown up about it. The Hunley was re-discovered in 1995 off Charleston Harbor, and rescued from the bottom of the sea, to sit today in a museum in Charleston. Yet over a decade after its rescue, questions still linger about the submarine, how it operated, why it was lost, what happened to the crew. In this presentation, Professor Allardice will relate the latest discoveries, discoveries that answer at least some of the mysteries surrounding the vessel. Bruce S. Allardice is a longtime (35 years) (has it really been that long?) member and past president of the Chicago CWRT. Professor Allardice teaches European and American History, as well as Political Science, at South Suburban College. He has authored, or co-authored, 7 books, and numerous articles, on the Civil War and on Baseball history. He is past president of the Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table, and a current member of five Chicago-area CWRTs.

CWRT June 2022 Meeting: Lauren Szady on "Politicians in Petticoats: The Women of the Abolitionist Movement"

For More Info: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.ORG

While not originally admitted to the earliest abolitionist societies, women were always an important part of the movement. Some names, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Sojourner Truth have been remembered by history as influential ladies in the anti-slavery movement, both with their words and actions. However, women from all walks of life--rich and poor, black and white, northern and southern--spoke up about this issue that started out as a male political opinion but turned into a hotly contested social matter for all. Their opinions were not without contest though. Many were seen as "stirring up trouble on the slavery issue" while others divided groups by breaking with convention. Throughout women's history, only the most vocal or "politically correct" women are remembered as having an influence but during the abolitionist movement, many women took a stand and raised their voices to help bring light to those with even less rights than they had. On June 10th, Lauren Szady will explore some of these women and how their voices changed the course of the anti-slavery movement. Lauren Szady is a museum professional with over 10-years of experience in education at several small to mid-size organizations over the course of her career. She earned a bachelor's degree with honors in Public History from DePaul University and a master's degree in Museum Studies through Johns Hopkins University. In true historian style, the earliest written evidence that Lauren has about her chosen career is from when she was in 3rd grade, announcing that she wanted to be a reenactor when she grew up. Her passion for museum education is a step forward in this childhood dream--while also proving her mother wrong that historical

https://youtu.be/8XPN3ENJvTU

James Pula on "The Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg: a Reappraisal"

For More Info: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.Org

The twin disasters that befell the XI Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg have cast a long shadow over the memory of the brave men who served and suffered in that unit. James Pula focuses on commanders' decisions and on the experience of common soldiers in telling a more balanced tale. Pula will maintain that, far from being the “Flying Dutchmen” of popular belief, the men of the XI Corps were good soldiers unworthy of the stigma that has haunted them to this day. James S. Pula is a professor of history at Purdue University North Central. He was twice awarded the Polish American Historical Association's prestigious Oskar Halecki Prize for outstanding books on Polonia as well as the Mieczyslaw Haiman Award for contributions to the study of Polonia. His Civil War books include For Liberty and Justice: A Biography of Brigadier General Wlodzimierz B. Krzyzanowski, 1824-1887; The Sigel Regiment: A History of the Twenty-Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers; and Under the Crescent Moon: With the XI Corps in the Civil War. He is the past editor of Gettysburg Magazine.

CWRT April 2022 Meeting: Jeffrey Hunt on Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station and Mine Run"  

For more info visit: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.ORG  

The Civil War in the Eastern Theater during the late summer and fall of 1863 was anything but inconsequential. Generals Meade and Lee continued where they had left off, executing daring marches while boldly maneuvering the chess pieces of war in an effort to gain decisive strategic and tactical advantage. Cavalry actions crisscrossed the rolling landscape; bloody battle revealed to both sides the command deficiencies left in the wake of Gettysburg. It was the first and only time in the war Meade exercised control of the Army of the Potomac on his own terms.  That fall, Meade launched a risky offensive to carry Lee’s Rappahannock defenses and bring on a decisive battle. The dramatic fighting included a stunning Federal triumph at Rappahannock Station—which destroyed two entire Confederate brigades—that gave Meade the upper hand and the initiative in his deadly duel with Lee, who retreated south to a new position behind the Rapidan River. The inconclusive Mine Run Campaign followed.  Jeffrey William Hunt is Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum, the official museum of the Texas National Guard, located at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, and is an Adjunct Professor of History at Austin Community College, where he has taught since 1988. Prior to taking the post at the Texas Military Forces Museum, he was the Curator of Collections and Director of the Living History Program at the Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas for 11 years. He holds a Master's Degree in History from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Hunt’s writing credits include his book, The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch, and his three volumes on the aftermath of the Gettysburg Campaign, Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: From Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, Meade and Lee at Bristoe Station, and his latest book, Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station.

Mark Laubacher on "The U.S.S. Red Rover: Hospital of Firsts" 

For More information visit WWW.ChicagoCWRT.org

To adequately treat illness and trauma afflicted upon military personnel during the US Civil War, a true military hospital ship for use on internal waterways was built. Originally, USS Red Rover was a hospital ship for the Union Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla operating on the Mississippi River. Red Rover would go on to become the first US Naval hospital ship in late December 1862. This was a hospital of many firsts, commencing with females who served as nurses aboard Red Rover. They were paid crew members, working in various capacities comprised of African Americans and a group Sisters of the Holy Cross of St. Mary from Notre Dame in Indiana. Ultimately, 8 African American women were on the Navy payroll by the end of the war, including Ann Stokes, who would eventually earn the title of "nurse," and go on to draw a pension from the Federal government following the war. The success of the Red Rover was a direct result of the contribution of civilian women working as nurses aboard the vessel. From June 11, 1862, to March 31, 1865, Red Rover admitted 1697 patients and touted a survival rate of over 90%. The injuries and illnesses of the sailors of the gunboats ran a broad spectrum. Such women pioneers would ultimately lead to the creation of the US Navy Nurse Corps in 1908.

Mark Laubacher is an RN and paramedic working as a Certified Specialist in Poison Information since 1992 at the Central Ohio Poison Center located at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. Prior to this, he was a full-time staff nurse at Children's Emergency Department for 4 years. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Capital University in 1989. He is also currently a faculty member for Grant Medical Center Paramedic Program in Columbus, Ohio. Having delivered over 500 presentations, he routinely presents at the state and national levels on various topics of toxicological emergencies.

Ann Durkin Keating talked to the Chicago Civil War Round Table on February 11th on Juliette Kinzie, the Civil War, and the Making of Chicago 

For more information: WWW. ChicagoCWRT.Org  

After spending the 1832 Black Hawk War at Portage, Wisconsin, Juliette settled with her husband, John H. Kinzie at Chicago, where they were central figures in the city's early political, social and religious life. The family witnessed the arrival of the first railroad and the opening of the canal. John was an enthusiastic Whig and then an early supporter of the Republican Party alongside Abraham Lincoln. But the Kinzie family was split by the Civil War. Juliette's husband and three sons served in the Union Army, while her son-in-law was an officer in the Confederacy. Juliette kept in contact with her daughter who lived in Savannah Georgia through letters. This presentation will explore her experiences with a war that fundamentally split her family.  Ann Durkin Keating is Toenniges Professor of History at North Central College in Naperville where she has taught for more than 30 years. She is the co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Chicago (2004) and is the author of several books on Chicago history, including most recently The World of Juliette Kinzie: Chicago Before the Fire (2019).

CWRT Meeting Jan 2022: Rob Girardi on "General John E. Smith, Galena’s Forgotten General"  

For more info: WWW.ChicagoCWRT.org 

Galena Illinois boasts that it sent nine generals to the Civil War, the most famous of whom is Ulysses S. Grant. Many cannot name the other eight generals, but in addition to Ely S. Parker, Jasper Maltby and John Duer, there were two John Smith's. John Corson Smith fought in most of the major battles of the Army of the Cumberland, but this talk focuses on John Eugene Smith. Our Smith operated a silver shop on Main Street in Galena near the Rawlins law office and the Grant Tannery. John E. Smith befriended U.S. Grant and was instrumental in restoring Grant to the army. He is the player behind the scenes in many well-known events of the war and is perhaps the most important unknown general of the war. Robert I. Girardi has a master’s degree in Public History from Loyola University of Chicago. He is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago, a fellow of the Company of Military Historians, and is on the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society. He is a popular speaker and consultant on all aspects of the American Civil War. He has written or edited many books on the American Civil War, including The Military Memoirs of General John Pope, Campaigning with Uncle Billy, The Civil War Memoirs of Sgt. Lyman

Dennis Doyle on "Illinois Regiments at Gettysburg"

December 12th, 2021

During the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), there were three Illinois Regiments that served in the Army of Potomac. Those regiments were the 8th and 12th Illinois Cavalry and the 82nd Infantry Regiment, and a total of 1,027 men served during the Battle of Gettysburg. The three Illinois regiments suffered nine men killed during the battle, thirty-four men were wounded and ninety-six men were either missing or captured during the battle. The total strength of the Army of Potomac was estimated at 90,000 men and although Illinois contributed a small number to the Army of Potomac, they served with distinction and devotion during the three-day battle. Both the 8th and 12th Illinois Cavalry would serve well on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, as Lt. Marcellus Jones would fire the first shot of the battle on the morning of July 1. The two regiments would later retreat through Gettysburg and protected the Army of Potomac's left flank on Cemetery Hill on the evening of July 1 and the morning of July 2. Also present was the 82nd Illinois Regiment, which was comprised of mostly German-born soldiers and many who were recruited from Chicago. Under the overall command of Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard, the 82nd Illinois Regiment would serve in the 11th Corp. On Dec. 12th Professor Dennis Doyle will present his thoughts on the Illinois Regiments at Gettysburg. Dennis Doyle earned his BA from Colorado State University and his MA in American History from American Public University. Since 1999 he has taught History and Sociology at Joliet Jr. College, in Joliet Illinois. Professor Doyle is President of the South Suburban Civil War Round Table, and Treasurer of the Chicago CWRT. A former college football player, he is a long time college and high school football referee.

Nevins-Freeman Address: Tom Clemens on General Joseph K. F. Mansfield 

For More Info: www.ChicagoCWRT.org  

The Chicago Civil War Round Table's Nevins-Freeman Award is intended to honor those who advance Civil War scholarship and the Round Table movement. Past winners have included Bruce Catton, Gary Gallagher, Bud Robertson and James McPherson. This year we honor Tom Clemens, a man who through his writings and battlefield tours has done so much to illuminate the Antietam Campaign,  On October 12th Tom Clemens' Nevins-Freeman address will explore General Joseph K. F. Mansfield's life, including his all-too-brief (2 days) tenure as commander of the XII Corps. What most Civil War enthusiasts know about Joseph K. F. Mansfield, if they know anything at all, is that he was a Union corps commander who was killed at Antietam. While that is true, it was only the end of his 40 plus years of service in the U.S. Army. Often dismissed as a non-combatant through most of his career, he actually was involved in several vital aspects in the early part of the Civil War. The facts are that he was he was anything but a "staff puke," as Ed Bearss once dismissed him on a tour not many years ago.  Dr. Thomas G. Clemens received his Doctorate in History Education from George Mason University, where he studied under noted Civil War historian Dr. Joseph L. Harsh. After a 34 year career at Hagerstown Community College, he retired as Professor Emeritus in 2012. He edited and annotated General Ezra A. Carman's manuscript, the Maryland Campaign of September 1862, in addition to numerous articles and several monographs, including one on Gen. Joseph K. F. Mansfield. Tom is a founding member and current president of Save Historic Antietam Foundation Inc., a non-profit historic preservation organization and an NPS-certified Antietam Battlefield Guide.