General Charles H. Grosvenor Civil War Round Table
Wednesday, Sept. 3rd – Louisa May Alcott, first person living history presentation by Joan Leotta, Ohio alumna, and nationally acclaimed re-enactor. This presentation will cover much of Alcott’s life, but will have a major focus on her experience as a Civil War nurse, which Leotta believes informed much of her later writings in ways that not fully appreciated by Alcott scholars. Her presentation in Athens will be followed by one in Marietta for Mid Ohio Valley CWRT. This is cosponsored by the two CWRTs and the Ohio University Department of History and the Department of English.
Monday, Oct. 6th – Frank Scaturro, subject related to 200th Anniversary of Julia Grant’s birthday. Exact title and description TBA
Monday, Nov. 17th – Martin Lowery will speak on Hubert Anton Casimir Dilger, Union Artillerist.
Monday, Jan. 5th – Book Review Panel (Steering Committee, and other volunteers) CJD will review the book Michael Coker’s boo, “The Battle of Port Royal.” This will be in lieu of the full-length presentation on this subject.
Monday, Feb. 2nd – Carl J. Denbow will present: “We are all brothers: Race relations in the Grand Army of the Republic.” The GAR was, by far, the most integrated organization of the 19th Century. This presentation will be based primarily on the Barbara Gannon’s book, “The Won Cause: Black and White Comradeship in the Grand Army of the Republic.” This book, the first in-depth scholarly look at race relations in the GAR, dispels many misconceptions that arose from previous scholarship that focused on the exceptions rather than the day to day interactions of the black and white veterans in this largest off all Union veterans organizations.
Monday, March 2nd – Civil War Music, Steve Ball (tentative)
Monday, April 6th – A return presentation by Brian Jordan, topic TBA.
Monday, May 4th – “What did your ancestor do in the war?” Steering Committee members, with audience participation.
Possible substitutes (as needed):
“Journalism during the Civil War,” Carl J. Denbow
Flamboyant Generals. A true roundtable discussion of some of the most eccentric and flamboyant generals of the late rebellion. Possible candidates include George Custer, Stonewall Jackson, Judson Kilpatrick, David Hunter, Thomas Francis Meagher, Nathan Forrest, Don Carlos Buell, Thomas Maley Harris, and John C. Frémont.
Battles of Monocacy and Ft. Stevens. This will be a two-part presentation. First Carl J. Denbow will discuss the Battle of Monocacy, which was a Confederate victory but delayed the rebel advance on Washington enough to allow reinforcements to be put in place so that Confederates were repulsed at Ft. Stevens. Monocacy was an ironic battle in that while it was a defeat, it probably represented the best leadership of the war for General Lew Wallace. The second part of the meeting will be a discussion of Ft. Stevens lead by John Murray. Some have called this campaign by Jubal Early to threaten or take Washington as the last chance for victory by the Confederacy.
MEETINGS ARE GENERALLY HELD ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT THE ATHENS COUNTY LIBRARY BRANCH AT THE CORNER OF LINCOLN AND HOME STREETS IN THE CITY OF ATHENS. MEETINGS START AT 7:00 P.M. AND RUN FOR AN HOUR AND HALF.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE FIRST MONDAY MEETING DATES OCCUR WHEN THAT FIRST MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY, OR SOMETIMES IN NOVEMBER IF THE FOLLOWING DAY IS AN ELECTION DAY BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS A POLLING PLACE AND NEEDS THAT DAY TO PREPARE FOR THE ELECTION.
