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Tennessee Valley Civil War Round TableJune 2017 Newsletter

To Inform and Educate Since 1993 Contents

President’s Message: page 2

Announcements: "Did Anyone REALLY Know What Time It Was?”, with Arthur Candenquist page 3 Board Vacancies page 5 William H. Gaston (1835-1896) Civil War Veteran and Minister page 7Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Quarterly Meeting page 8

Olde Town Brass Concert in the Park 3 July page 8

Saving Fort Negley page 9Battle of the Bands at Stones River page 12

TVCWRT Field Trip to Stones River page 13Programs page 13

TVCWRT Features

Book Reviews

All the Fighting They Want: the Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender, July 18 – September 2, 1864 By Stephen Davis page 14Little Round Table: The Knights of the Golden Circle page 15

WE NEED YOU!

The TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War, and to support the preservation of Civil War battlefields. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: 7910 Memorial Parkway SW Suite F—1 Huntsville, AL 35802

President’s Message

Well, even though it’s really cool today, I think that the summer I talked about last month may nearly be upon us. While you may be planning your vacations, we here at the Round Table are planning a blockbuster end to the year. You’ll want to stay with us. Last month’s presentation by Dr. Michèle Butts, Galvanized Yankees on the Upper Missouri: The Face of Loyalty published by the University Press of Colorado in 2003, was a huge success. We don’t get to talk much about the Civil War in the Northwest, and Dr. Butts gave it a whole new face. I think it just might require some further reading, how about you? This month, we are pleased to have Mr. Arthur Candenquist discuss how time was kept and regulated at the time of the Civil War, and how the absence of standard time led to…well, all sorts of crazy things. One seemingly mundane aspect history, significantly affected the war, and resolving its problems set the stage for us today. You don’t want to miss this one for a second! I am proud to announce that effective immediately, Mr. Edwin “Ed” Kennedy, will assume the duties as the Round Table’s new Communications Officer vice Mr. Emil Posey. Emil, who will remain as Vice-President until December, he is the mainstay of our Board for over five years and we’re grateful for all he’s done. But Ed, who has a wealth of communications experience will step right in so we never miss a beat. It’s volunteers like Emil and Ed who keep the Round Table running. Speaking of that, we still have several key officer positions coming vacant in December. Come next January, myself, Emil (in his role as Vice-President), and Kent (who finds our wonderful speakers!) will all be stepping down. John Scales has volunteered to fill in for Kent temporarily, but only temporarily. Folks, it’s time to step up. Without officers and programs, the Round Table cannot exist. So the vote is in your hands. We posted the duties and time requirements in the last newsletter, and they really aren’t that consuming. I sincerely hope that some of you will rise to the occasion. Don’t forget our summer and fall events. The Round Table will host a Beer, Bourbon and BBQ festival at the Roundhouse Depot


on Saturday, August 19, as the kickoff of Huntsville’s celebration of Alabama’s Bi-centennial 1817-1819, and John Scales and loyal assistant Dave Lady have coordinated a most interesting one-day trip to study and discuss the ferociously fought Battle of Murfreesboro or Stones River (31 Dec 1862-2 Jan 1863). More about it as details develop, but planning is already well underway. It looks to be fantastic! Stay tuned to this newsletter for more details. Having said all of that, I can’t wait to see you all on June the 8th! So, until then . . .

John MasonPresident, TVCWRT

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

AT OUR MEETING on June 8: "Did Anyone REALLY Know What Time It Was?”, with Arthur Candenquist as the reenactor at left. In the 19th Century, there was no standard of time in the United States, much less the world, before Sunday, November 18th, 1883, when, by agreement of some 80 railroads, Standard Railway Time was adopted in the US. At Noon on that day, known as

The Day of Two Noons, every community in the country ceased keeping local solar time, and order was borne of chaos. By necessity, railroads required a standard of time on each road to avoid train wrecks. This standard of time lead to Standard Railway Time, which, in turn, in March 1918, led to time zones and daylight saving time as we know them today. How time was kept and regulated in the years before 1883, and especially during the turbulent war years of 1861-1865, was nothing short of chaotic. Time balls, Noon marks,


arley McCormick, 06/05/17,

and the widespread use of almanacs all helped 19th Century Americans determine what time it was in their specific locality. It was only when one traveled that confusion reigned, often with tragic results. The US Naval Observatory in Washington began to regulate time in 1845, and so began the long process towards the regulation of time today by cesium beam and hydrogen maser clocks, whose rates do not vary by 100 picoseconds per day from day to day. In his presentation, Arthur will examine how time was kept and regulated; how the absence of standard time led to disastrous train wrecks; and the importance that almanacs and time signals played in everyday life. When the War Between the States broke out, railroads in the Union and Confederacy provided for local and railroad time in the stations, enabled railroads to operate, and the army and navy to conduct military operations with some measure of precision. He will look at the possibility that non-synchronized watches may have played a role in the lack of success on the battlefield, and how time was regulated in the armies in 1861-1865. Arthur attended Temple University and has a BS in Communications. After college, he served with the US Air Force for six years, including service in Vietnam. He is a member of the Virginia Emergency Management Association. He has been a serious scholar of the War Between the States since 1956, and focuses his attention on the more unusual and lesser-known aspects of the War. He has published two articles on keeping time during the War, an article on Stonewall Jackson’s “appropriation” of the B&O Railroad equipment in 1861, and an article on the world’s first military railroad—the Centreville Military Railroad, constructed in 1861 between Manassas Junction and Centreville, VA. He conducts field trips on various aspects of the War, and has lectured extensively on wartime railroads, the role of Masons during the War, the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid on Richmond, and the War in Virginia. This meeting will be held Thursday, June 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin St., Huntsville. Dining hosted by the Elks is available at 5:30 p.m. at cost, if you so choose. Hope to see you there!Nick’s Dinner:


Nick’s Ristorante remains the #1 steakhouse in North Al-abama and now has the Best Chef in the Valley as voted in The Planet.

The winner last month was:

LET’S All VISIT NICK’S on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, 6-9pm. By popular request, we’re starting an occasional “sip and supper” for members, their guests and friends at North-ern Alabama’s top rated steak house--Nick’s Ristorante in Southeast Huntsville. Members present for our monthly meeting drawing can win a $50 gift certificate to Nick’s. This benefit is yet another good reason to pay your annual dues!

www.nicksristorante.com

To thank and support our gener-ous sponsors, Nick and Dave Mikus, the board is hosting an oc-casional third Tuesday of the month social. We’ll hold a few ta-bles, and feel free to drop by for conversation (not just on history!) with several board members and other Round Table friends. If

you’ve been hesitant to try Nick’s, come try a beverage, ap-petizer, dinner, or just dessert and coffee—separate checks. Please call Carol Codori 256 293 -0075 or see her at the Membership table on Thursday night. Carol reserved 20 seats for June and confirmed that ½ prices on Ladies’ Night Tuesdays also apply to the dining room on selected items. It’s a real date night.

*****


Our friend Nick of Nick's Resturante

http://www.nicksristorante.com/

In the event a scheduled meeting must be canceled, visit the website www.tvcwrt.org for a detailed update no later than 3:00 P.M. on the day of the meeting. A cancelation will only be for weather or if the Elks Lodge has an unexpected facility issue that requires closure. The board will not attempt to contact members.

Looking for Used Civil War Books; Look at the selections in the Library book store. Titles for as much as $4.

We Need You to fill one of three RT board positions!

Duties of the RT President The President serves at the pleasure of the membership to preside over Round Table operations. As such, he/she chairs the monthly Board of Directors meeting, Opens and closes the monthly meeting, and presides at special activities such as Symposia, Dinners, and any outside meetings with other organizations. Time spent on the job each month is generally less than 12 hours, including meetings. The Presi-dent's prime qualifications include the ability and willingness to speak to large groups, knowledge of planning and budget-ing, and a mind capable of thinking outside the proverbial box.

Duties of the RT Vice President

The Vice President (VP) of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table (TVCWRT) is an elected voting member of the Board of Directors (BOD) of the TVCWRT. The VP serves typi-cally for two years or more as an unpaid volunteer. The pri-mary responsibility of the VP is to support the President of TVCWRT, and filling in for the President when and as neces-sary (e.g., opening and closing of monthly meetings, presid-ing at special events, representing the RT to outside organi-zations, and chairing BOD meetings). This typically involves performing a wide range of one-time and recurring tasks di-rectly and coordinating others’ performance for other tasks. At present, recurring tasks performed by the VP include –


http://www.tvcwrt.org/

Assisting in the set-up of the audio and visual systems (including pre-meeting slides) to support monthly meetings and special events.

Coordinating the scheduling of and agendas for the BOD meetings.

Proofreading draft monthly newsletters, as well as other materials upon request.

Recurring tasks will change and new ones added from time to time. Current time spent performing these duties typically is 2-4 hours per month. The VP’s prime qualifications are essentially the same as for the President. Prior experience is useful, but not re-quired. These tasks can be learned on-the-job.

Duties of the RT Program Officer (PO):

The Program Officer (PO) of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table (TVCWRT) is a voting member of the Board of Directors (BOD), or governing body, of the TVCWRT. The PO serves at the will of the BOD, typically for one year or more as an unpaid volunteer. The PO informs the President, Trea-surer, and BOD of all activities relative to the monthly and special programs of the TVCWRT. The primary responsibility of the PO is to solicit and engage speakers for the regular monthly meetings of the TVCWRT and other special pro-grams as devised by the BOD. The primary duties of the PO are corresponding with potential speakers to secure their agreement to speak on meeting nights; arranging for lodging and transportation of speakers as needed; and ensuring their timely arrival for a comfortable transition through equipment familiarization, dinner, introduction, and lecture. The PO helps in setting up the audio and video equipment for each speaker and ensures that the needs of the speakers are met. The Program Officer advocates field trips to the BOD and solicits volunteers as needed to assist in the planning and co-ordination thereof. The Program Officer fills the calendar of speakers for every month of the year except December and reports to the BOD the status of the calendar for the following year not later than October 31 each year.

It’s a Different Social Environment than Yesterday!


Our membership is declining and the Civil War is being attacked in the news on a regular basis. While we have many quality speakers and historians in the Round Table they are not experts on everything. But, enticing top quality historians known for their expertise on various subjects of the Civil War is the hallmark of our Round Table and to sustain the quality we need a person to help us navigate the winds of public opinion: A Marketing Director. It is a new position with responsibilities to guide the Round Table to increase membership and market programs to that end. It will involve developing, implementing and managing ways to understand our audiences in the Tennessee Valley, and to better promote the RT, our products, and our services to those audiences. Prior experience with activities related to these positions would be helpful, none require prior experience or training as a prerequisite. The only qualifications actually needed are enthusiasm and a willingness to serve. Current and past Board members will advise as you settle in and get familiar with the tasks and rhythm. Again, we need your help! Please contact any Board member if you are interested. If you don’t step up to help the organization, who will?

Help us advertise!

Are you on Facebook? If you are, “Friend” the RT. Then, when you receive FB notices of RT meetings and other events, “Share” them with all of your other friends (and ask them to do the same).

Civil War Veteran and Minister to be recognized: William H. Gaston (1835 – 1896) at Glenwood Cemetery 11 June 3pm William H. Gaston was born into slavery in 1835. His parents were Abram Rathborn and Rodal Gaston. His siblings were Samuel Miller, Pacience Branch and Ann Kimball. He married Jane More, daughter of Benjamin and Matilda Moore. They had three children, Cornelius, Matilda and Anna Gaston. According to Mr. Gaston’s daughter, he was born in Madison County, Alabama. His slave mistress’ daughter carried him behind the barn and taught him to read. He was an avid


reader and took advantage of every available opportunity to learn. Gaston fought in the civil war. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1863 and was assigned to the12th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops Infantry Company D in Nashville, Tennessee. The 12th regiment was detailed to railroad guard duty at various points in Tennessee and Alabama. He was discharged with the rank of sergeant major in 1866. Mr. Gaston was very civic minded. He sought ways to improve the plight of newly freed slaves. He was a school teacher, principal and founder of a day and night school to accommodate working adults. This school was located on Oak Avenue near The Huntsville Baptist Church where he was the associate pastor for thirty – five years. (Later named St. Bartley Primitive Baptist Church)Gaston was elected city alderman in 1883 and served three terms. During his tenure he was instrumental in improving the city and the fourth ward. He brought attention to the need for maintenance of the streets and the colored cemetery. He also chaired the committee that recommended the purchase of land on which to build the first public school for blacks. (Council High School) William Gaston was a claims agent. He assisted many veterans and widows in receiving their pension after the war. An article in the Weekly Gazette dated August 29, 1890 stated the following: Mrs. Margret Pitzae has been notified that her pension claim amounting to over $1,800.00 has been allowed. Her attorney was Elder Wm. H. Gaston. Gaston died in 1896 and is buried in Glenwood Cemetery.

Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Quarterly Meeting

The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society will hold their quarterly meeting on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at the Huntsville Public Library at 2 p.m. There is no admission, and everyone is invited to attend. Robert Steen, author of “History of LaGrange,” will talk about the LaGrange College, the forerunner of UNA, which was established in 1830. The campus was later known as LaGrange Military Academy. Many Civil War officers were


educated there, before it was burned by Union soldiers in 1863. Mr. Steen served 21 years active duty in the U.S. Army, which included 2 tours in Vietnam. He worked as Personnel Director for the City of Florence and Human Resources Director at UNA. He has written a number of articles, and is presently working on a two-volume history about the University of North Alabama. For more information, call (256) 539-5287.

Olde Towne Brass perform at Huntsville Concert in the Park: The Olde Towne Brass will be performing at Huntsville Concert In The Park on Monday, July 3, at 6:30 PM. It will be a large Civil War Band – 16 Brass – 4 Drums – and Bob Baccus will be MC, TVCWRT member. The music programed was performed in Huntsville during the War, mainly by the occupying bands. Bob will provide an insightful history lesson for the audience to enjoy.

Fort Negley, Nashville, TN targeted for commercial development; By Greg Biggs

Dear fellow CWRTs,

Fort Negley, just south of downtown Nashville, TN, on St. Cloud Hill, is the largest limestone fort built during the Civil War. The Union engineers that designed it were heavily in-fluenced by the 17th Century French military engineer Se-bastien Vauban; the fort remains a classic example of that style. It was the anchor of the Union defense lines built to protect the city after its capture on February 25th, 1862 by the Army of the Ohio under Gen. Don Carlos Buell. The lines ran in a curve with both flanks being anchored on the Cum-berland River. Fort Negley was filled with numerous heavy cannons, along with other forts and redoubts built for the de-fenses and it is the only such fort remaining from the entire double line of fortifications. The crucial Battle of Nashville was fought just south of the fort on December 15th and 16th, 1864. The first Union shots fired in the battle came from the fort, which had also fired on the first Confederate defense lines prior to this while they


were being built. Additionally, the labor of hundreds of for-mer slaves was used to build this fort along with the rest of the defenses of Nashville and a Freedman's Camp was close by. The fort fell into disrepair until the WPA era of the mid-20th Century when it was rebuilt. However, Nashville let it get grown over with trees and brush again until the 2000s when it was cleaned up and became a unit of the Nashville Metro parks Department. An interpretive center was also built onsite and today Civil War tourists from all over come and enjoy walking through the fort and seeing the amazing views of downtown Nashville and the Brentwood Hills to the south, where the first day of the Battle of Nashville was fought. Like many Southern cities, Nashville is booming thanks to a great Tennessee economy. Construction cranes dot the sky-line as one high rise after another goes up in downtown. The projections for growth for the next 20-25 years calls for 1 mil-lion new residents in Middle Tennessee, centered around Nashville. This massive growth has already created large scale problems like traffic and housing shortages and devel-opers left and right have been drawing up plan after plan to hopefully solve that. One such developer has his sights set on Greer Stadium, the old home of the minor-league baseball team the Nashville Sounds (who have a new stadium). Built just east on what is technically Fort Negley property with a large parking lot, the city has been trying to decide what to do with the stadium for three years. Green space, mixed use developments and more have been brought forward. Natu-rally, the historic preservation community prefers green space which would allow for a greater interpretation of Fort Negley's large footprint. Some Civil War trenches remain be-hind the stadium as does a historic cemetery. No archeologi-cal survey of the grounds of Fort Negley has ever been done for either the fort, the Freedman's Camp site nor remaining earthworks. In a recently revealed plan, one developer seeks to use part of Greer Stadium and turn it into an open-air market as the centerpiece of a new mixed-use development with con-dos, allegedly low cost housing, stores and more. This planned monstrosity will basically dwarf Fort Negley on three sides and with the high-rise buildings as part of the plan, ob-fuscate the views looking south. There is to be no, much


needed, expansion of the Fort Negley parking lot. The devel-oper's proposed design is here:

The building right behind Fort Negley with the pyramid is the Adventure Science Center, also technically on Fort Neg-ley property. Please find here a recent article in the weekly Nashville Scene newspaper as well as my editorial in the May issue of the newsletter of the Nashville Civil War Roundtable, which meets at Fort Negley every month.On April 28th, 2017, reporter Betsy Phillips wrote the follow-ing article in the weekly Nashville Scene paper: Shame on us if we let it happen “WKRN has a story about a proposed development around Fort Negley: On Tuesday, we heard from a developer who has big plans for the empty property (Greer Stadium site): a multi-purpose complex called Nashville Adventure Park.” “The proposal includes senior living, luxury apartments, townhomes, affordable housing, a farmer’s market at the sta-dium, artisan retail and studios, restaurants, a hotel, and a wide variety of sports offerings.” “If you imagine the hill that the main part of the fort sits on as an egg yolk, this development would be like the egg white, seeming to completely surround the fort, except for where the Adventure Science Center sits.”


http://wkrn.com/2017/04/25/nashville-adventure-park-developer-has-big-plans-for-now-vacant-greer-stadium/

“In other words, the old Catholic Cemetery and the large City Cemetery annexes that the Union opened during the Civil War would all be gone. And, fine, they’re supposed to be empty anyway, but if I were a developer, I’d put a line in my budget for dead parts removal.” “More disturbingly and more tragically, this development sits on the site of the contraband camp, the home of thou-sands of black refugees during the Civil War. As Zada Law pointed out two years ago, there’s been virtually no archae-ology done at any contraband camp in Tennessee.” “We’ve already irretrievably lost whatever was under the Adventure Science Center, but a lot remains relatively undis-turbed. Even the parts under the parking lot are just under a parking lot. We have not yet screwed up a crucial bit of Nashville’s African American history, even if we haven’t both-ered to explore it like we should. But if we let developers have it, then that history will be lost. Sure, some archaeolo-gists could come in and do history triage to try to learn as much as they could before it’s torn up, but the Civil War isn’t that far down in the ground. We will lose it.” “And frankly, how much more of our Civil War history do we have to lose? We already put I-440 on top of the Confed-erate line and built a city on the battlefield. One of the most important battles of the Civil War and we let Franklin and Murfreesboro be the tourist destinations while we metaphori-cally kick the rug over what’s left of our Civil War sites.” “Shame on us if we let this development happen. Shame on us if we knowingly let this history slip away.” Somewhere in the middle of this monstrosity lies Fort Neg-ley and the visitors center. Note that the parking for the lat-ter has not been expanded. It has been proven time and again that history tourism brings in far more money than any other – people have more to spend, stay longer, etc. if you give them something to see and promote it so they know about it. The traffic count for the area will explode making it even more difficult to get to the fort to visit. Don’t believe me? Look at what has happened at the Museum of the Con-federacy in Richmond, VA with the massive growth of Vir-ginia Commonwealth University around it; their attendance has fallen off to the point that they are moving to new quar-ters down on the James River.


https://tennesseearchaeologycouncil.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/30-days-of-tennessee-archaeology-2015-day-13/

https://tennesseearchaeologycouncil.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/30-days-of-tennessee-archaeology-2015-day-13/

Traffic comes with big cities. But traffic also drives people away from doing things just so they do not have to deal with it. People spend enough time in traffic just going to and from work five days a week; they do not want to deal with it on weekends when they want to do something fun. Ms. Phillips’ article also brings out the tremendous loss of historic ground upon which sits the fort and its surrounding area, which was all part of the fort’s footprint. Shall Nashville follow the same mistaken path that Atlanta did many years ago by paving over its history from the Civil War? How does this travesty being proposed in Nashville compare to what is happening just a few miles down the road in Franklin where they lead the nation in reclaiming lost Civil War land and restoring it to how it looked over 150 years ago? It is a pa-thetic failure on Nashville’s part. Like so many other cities, Nashville has lots of places that are basically blight that can be redeveloped into something like in the above drawing; places that are not historic Civil War lands. How about moving this thing there instead and leave Fort Negley be? If you want to help stop this development, please contact the Mayor of Nashville, Megan Barry ([email protected]), and the Nashville Metro City Council. You should also contact the City of Nashville Metro Parks depart-ment and let them know how you feel about this. Their email is - [email protected]. The city’s web site is www.-nashville.gov. Let them hear the voices of the Civil War community of America and stop this development. By Greg Biggs (The above is the opinion of Greg Biggs, a member of the Nashville CWRT and not necessarily the opin-ion of the Nashville CWRT as a whole or the staff of Fort Neg-ley Park, a unit of Nashville Metro City parks.) Ladies and gentlemen of the Civil War Roundtables of America - if you would like to come to Nashville and do something historical besides the antebellum homes, Presi-dent Andrew Jackson's Hermitage or the nearby battlefields of Nashville, Franklin and Stones River, and would like to see America's only surviving limestone fort left uncluttered, PLEASE, take the time to send emails to the metro govern-ment of Nashville and the parks department. Parks should know better than this as it is owned by them. We NEED your help quickly so I am asking you to put this into your newsletters, send out to your membership, and PLEASE


http://www.nashville.gov/

http://www.nashville.gov/

mailto:[email protected]



help us stop this development!!! The clock is ticking and a lot of money is on the table with this. Nashville has other blighted places that could be redeveloped other than Fort Negley so help us here in Middle Tennessee stop this non-sense! Please let the people running Nashville hear loud and clear from America's great Civil War community!We appreciate any and all help you can render by sending those emails out today! Thanks for your time.

Greg BiggsPresident, Clarksville, TN CWRTProgram Chair, Nashville CWRT and Bowling Green, KY CWRT

Battle of the Bands on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at the Stone’s River Battlefield. It is Free, with Concerts starting at 10:00 AM and the Battle between the two large Bands at 4:00 PM. The musicians taking part are coming from all over the place, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas, Geor-gia, Alabama, and other places. Bob Baccus will be conduct-ing the Confederate Band, and the conductor of the Union Band is conductor of the Federal City Band from Maryland. It will be a great event just like last year.

TVCWRT Field Trip for 2017: Stones River National Battlefield, 28 October 2017

Attention Members! By platoons’ right wheel and march with Program Director John Scales and The Round Table Brigade to Murfreesboro TN, on a Saturday when there is nei-ther an Alabama nor an Auburn football game. John and loyal assistant Dave Lady have coordinated a most interesting one-day trip to study and discuss the ferociously fought Bat-tle of Murfreesboro or Stones River (31 Dec 1862-2 Jan 1863). Leading our tour will be the local park service senior volun-teer expert, "Doughboy" Jim Schroeder, who has been study-ing the battle and leading tours for over twenty years. He will be assisted by John and Dave, and John will display his deep knowledge of Nathan Bedford Forrest by explaining Forrest's two raids on Murfreesboro, 1862 and 1864. We will depart from Huntsville at 6:30AM, and expect to re-turn the same day by 6:30 PM. A 57-PAC Bus has been re-


served. Cost per person is $40.00 and registration will begin at the June general membership meeting. Time constraints will probably require all to bring their own lunches, although we are exploring the possibility of a catered lunch utilizing one of the popular sandwich shops.

Board Reports

Programs: acting Programs Director; John Scales

July 13, 2017: Brian Steel Wills, "The Softer Side of Forrest"

August 10, 2017: Whitney Snow, “Guntersville's Teenage Civil War Diarist, Catherine Fennell”

2017 Bicentennial Celebration: Beer, Bourbon, BBQ and more

September 14, 2017: Philip Leigh, “Confederacy at Flood Tide”

October 12, 2017: David Lady and John Scales, "Stones River"

October 28, 2017: Jim Schroeder, Field Trip to Stones River Battlefield

November 9, 2017: Phil Bording, James Buchanan Eads-Pioneer Engineer in the 1800’s

TVCWRT Features

Book Review

All the Fighting They Want: the Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender, July 18 – September 2, 1864 By Stephen Davis, A book review for the Tennessee Valley Civil War Roundtable by John Mason


Stephen Davis is a well-known historian of things American Civil War, especially as they pertain to the Atlanta Campaign. Learning his craft under the tutelage of the late, great historian Bell Irvin Wiley, Dr. Davis has brought this campaign to life in a number of works including Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, Joe Johnston, and the Yankee Heavy Battalions (2001), and the companion to this book, A Long and Bloody Task: the Atlanta Campaign from Dalton through Kennesaw Mountain to the Chattahoochee River, May 5 – July 18, 1864 (2016). This book is one in a series of works comprising the Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie LLC, that, according to it’s website, “offers compelling and easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War’s most important battles and issues.” What they are creating is a new, public platform for historical discourse, aimed at a new generation of historians. While Dr. Davis does not belong to that generation necessarily, the effort – indeed, any effort to create new interest in America’s seminal event – is well warranted. These works (currently, if my count is correct, there are 18!) examine various aspects of our favorite war with fresh new eyes. The results, if this book is any indication, provide concise but thorough evaluations of battles and men that give the reader both the flavor of the subject as well as the taste to learn more. In that, they are a success. Should the reader desire, there are any number of books in the historiography of the Atlanta Campaign available for study. In my opinion, the holy grail of these is Albert Castel’s Decision in the West: the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. But of equal value are William Scaife’s The Campaign for Atlanta, Richard McMurry’s Atlanta 1864: Last Chance for the Confederacy, and, of course, the aforementioned works by Dr. Davis. Believe me when I say that if you want to learn about this campaign that did so much to end the war, there are materials aplenty to help you in your search. But let this book be your starting point. Dr. Davis has done a great job of discussing the strategy and tactics of the endgame at Atlanta that make it easy to read and easy to follow. He seldom goes below Divisions when explaining the tactics of each engagement so the reader does not have to keep up with the movements and counter-movements of untold regiments that sometimes make the larger histories


http://www.savasbeatie.com/index.htm

cumbersome. And he provides plenty of maps, pictures, and markers to help the reader keep everything straight. After telling the story, Dr. Davis even points the reader in the direction of learning more with instructions for a detailed driving tour of Atlanta, including all the monuments in and around the city, and hints of the tangible history that awaits at the Atlanta History Center and at the Cyclorama. And finally, he even lays out the complete Union and Confederate Orders of Battle so the reader has a place to go to find his or her favorite regiment. One of my favorite points of discussion here were of the tactics employed by the commanding generals. Most of the histories talk of how Sherman maneuvered the Confederacy out of Atlanta, aided in the end by the wild frontal assaults of his opponent, John Bell Hood. Dr. Davis points out that even though he maneuvered Joseph Johnston out of Georgia (and out of a job!), on five occasions (Resaca, New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, and Utoy Creek) during the campaign, Sherman ordered frontal assaults on entrenched positions. All were repulsed. Hood, on the other hand, cast as a General who knew only how to attack, continually envisioned getting his army on Sherman’s flanks. For a number of reasons, this didn’t happen, but as Dr. Davis says, “After a century and a half, the literature has yet to catch up on this point.” How important was the Atlanta Campaign? Mary Boykin Chestnut put it this way: “These stories of our defeats in the Valley (Shenandoah Valley where Sheridan had defeated Early) fall like blows on a dead body. Since Atlanta, I have felt as if all were dead within me, forever.” Again, Dr. Davis sums it up best. “History is what it is. The best we in today’s armchair can conclude is that the North won the American Civil War, and that General William T. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta was a signal event contributing to Union victory.” Learn about that event here. If you’ve always wanted to know more about how Atlanta was “fairly won”, but thought you didn’t have the time to read the big books, or visit the city, the All the Fighting They Want is the book for you. And you just may find that you have the time for more after all.

Little Round Table Report: David Lady


Knights of the Golden Circle by Arley McCormick

It’s all about a citizen’s right to decent from the majority opinion, well maybe.

A discrete set of Little Round Table (LRT) enthusiasts were inducted into the secret society of the Knights of the Golden Circle on May 25, 2017. Since it is secret without a password, handshake or money I can write about it. But, LRT tradition dictates that I reveal only a sliver of information. Most historians recognize the innovative industrialization that simplified weaving fabric in England to provide cheap garments to the masses of Europe drove the US, particularly in the southeastern United States, to shift from producing cotton for domestic use into an export cash crop. More slaves were needed, more land in the Mississippi Territory was need and Alabama Fever took off. Prosperity, both for the United States Treasury and the personal investment for farmers shipping cotton to England gave rise to “states’ rights” the Southern Cause and Civil War. There is a dark side to every economic miracle. The expansion of slavery in the US plus the massive exports that resulted, constrained cotton production in other countries. America dominated world cotton trade. Concurrent with the new economic prosperity the resurgence of religious fundamentalism and most nations sequentially outlawing slavery in Europe, the Caribbean Islands and South America began to impact US national politics. One of the first legal contests to limit slavery was the Missouri Compromise in 1820. Apparently, many northern congressmen lined up to oppose the compromise but when it came time to a vote it passed and those that switched their vote were referred to as “Doughface” meaning they were manipulated to change their vote. Doughface referred to the practice of making masks out of dough for costume parties. The South’s congressmen were busy defending the right to own slaves and when the concept of Manifest Destiny blossomed to reality and the political climate grew hotter. Not only regarding acquiring slave friendly land in the west but also around the Caribbean. Secession eventually turned into the only perceived alternative. It not only took hold, some actually planned to acquire, by force if necessary, the islands and countries surrounding the Caribbean under with


the secret society, the Knights of the Golden Circle. It failed but the divisions in the country grew and war was the result. Northern congressman with Southern sympathies mostly from Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio advocating a Jacksonian style of national government were labeled Copperheads. They exercised their freedom to speak in any forum including a number of newspapers across the Northern States from New York and Maryland to Wisconsin. President Lincoln’s reaction after the war began was to restrict the rit of Habeous Corpus, i.e., individuals could be arrested and held indefinably without representation or trial, an action reserved for Martial Law. Lincoln used his power several times and in fact tried at least two copperheads for treason. One particularly vocal Copperhead, Clement Vallandigham of Ohio, was convicted and expelled to the Confederacy but eventually ended up in Canada espousing states’ rights and the organization of the then Northwest Territory (Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota) as at Northwest country separating from the United States and separate from the Confederacy. Other separatist movements, even in the southern states proceeded shortly and the best known in our area is Winston county’ voting to secede from the Confederacy and the State of Alabama. The northeast corner of Alabama, northwest Georgia, and a portion of Tennessee attempted to create the free state of Nicajack and failed. The war progressed with the disorderly remarks and actions undermining the military actions of the North until the fall of Atlanta. When Atlanta fell there was a pervasive feeling in both North and South that the war was over, all except the fighting. Peace Democrats, previously Copperheads began to call for peace, session of the war, and even fell in line to support General McClellan’s presidential run. Meanwhile in the south, General Roddy, of North Alabama, were being accused of reaching out to the North for peace. As war ended, peace Democrats took a back seat to the Radical Republican element and many southern leaders joined them believing it was best for the South. Folklore is the only telltale symbol that remains of the Knights of the Golden Circle. We think. The TV program and movie Wild Wild West illustrated the secret society as villainous and attempting to create a slave state. John Wilks Booth, Jessy James, and other post war villains were believed


to be members of the KGC. There were other dissident society most notable perhaps is the Ku Klux Klan, others include the Redstrings, and yes; the Sons of Liberty, not the Revolution variety. That is the basics of the LRT spirited discussion on the subject. Oh! And every member of the LRT withdrew from the KGC upon departure from the premises. So concludes one key to understanding all elements surrounding the Civil War and specifically some consequences of a minority opinion; by definition a Democracy entitles each citizen to express his belief and choose his position regarding all public issues. The challenge of a representative government is to determine; when does a citizen’s freedom reach the point of undermining the prosecution of majority rule and how does the leadership of the nation, if not eliminate dissention, at least, control it.

The 2017 Little Round Table Topic ScheduleJune 22 – Braxton Bragg- Ed KennedyJuly 27 – William Rosecrans- Ed HennesseeAugust 24 -"States Rights Governor," Joseph E. Brown of Georgia– Larry BayerSeptember 28 – Awards, Decorations, and other Honors, Confederate- John McGuireOctober 26 – The Most Noteworthy Army Corps Commanders- John ScalesDecember 14 – General Benjamin Butler- Emil Posey

Participation in the Little Round Table is restricted to Members and invited guests. It is scheduled for the 4th

Thursday of the month 6:30 PM at the Elks Lodge.

Thank You! Dr. Michèle Butts for a terrific presentation regarding Confederate soldiers switching sides to fight out west. Galvanized Yankees: The First United States Volunteer; Infantry Regiment was a fantastic presentation. At left John mason, TVCWRT President presents Doctor

Butts a copy of the TVCWRT book the Civil War in Alabama

The TVCWRT Board of DirectorsThe TVCWRT is a not-for-profit organization providing a forum for non-partisan study, education, and discussions regarding the American Civil War, and to support the preservation of Civil War battlefields. The TVCWRT meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, the Elks lodge on Franklin Street Huntsville, Al. TVCWRT will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Address: 7910 Memorial Parkway SW Suite F—1 Huntsville, AL 35802

John Mason, President Emil L. Posey, Vice President David Lady, Secretary, Little Round Table CoordinatorKent Wright, Program Officer Ricardo Jaramillo, Treasurer/WebSite coordinatorEdwin “Ed” Kennedy, Communications Officer Kevin Rodriguez, Membership OfficerArley McCormick, Newsletter Editor Jodi Stephens, Special Events OfficerRobert Hennessee, Preservation Officer

George Mahoney, Sergeant-At-Arms ADJUNCTSMark Hubbs, Social Media Coordinator, Former Preservation Officer and co-founderJohn A. Allen, Former PresidentJohn Scales, Former President and Field Trip CoordinatorCarol Codori, Former PresidentKathi Arnould Paul, Voice of WLRHRT Public Service AnnouncementsMarissa Jones, Website Manager


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