The Sentinel
February, 2006
The January program was delivered by MCCWR member Rick
Watson, and presented a detailed and enlightening account of the first
“large” battle of the war. Rick is an IT person for
With pictures, maps, and his daughter as an able assistant, Rick laid out the basic strategies and tactics of the battle, especially the first day which was, by far, the more pivotal day for General U.S. Grant and his Union forces.
Pittsburgh Landing , the northern name for the April 6/7, 1862, battle more commonly know as Shiloh, as it appears today.
Rick steadily laid out the
reasons for the battle and, as happened so many times during the war, the
reasons why it did not go quite as expected, especially by the Confederate
leaders. Fickle commanders, rain, swollen streams, unexpected
movements...all combined to give the South a real chance for a great victory
that was, ultimately, turned into a demoralizing defeat. It would be
followed by a similar setback in the fall at not-too-distant
One of the more interesting
revelations of Rick’s presentation was the new research into the area of the
battle called the Hornet’s Nest that show that it may well not have
been quite the inferno that had been portrayed by historians over the years.
Recent archaeological finds, studies of battle records and statistics
and other data have indicated
that the ferocity of the battle may have been more the creation of the
imaginations of some post-war
Kudos to Rick for a great job!
Call for Programs
If you have a topic that you would like to
share, please contact Program Chair John Crosby, 339-2572, or President
Steve Rolfe, 336-0757, and let them know. We do not have to have experts,
only those with an interest and a passion for some aspect of the war..
personal family histories, travel experiences,
favorite books...anything at all. Programs can run as long as an hour to an
hour-and-a-half, but any length will do. We have had programs on
re-enacting, the problems of the
Monument to Confederate
dead at
Refreshments
Anyone interested in or willing to help out in providing refreshments for one or more meetings should contact Steve Rolfe or Hospitality chair Deborah Cronin and let them know. We are hoping to be able to sample some Civil War recipes (hardtack with mealy works excepted!), so jump in and be creative. Expenses will be covered. All we need is the enthusiasm and desire.
Monument honoring CSA General Albert Sidney Johnston, the highest ranking officer of either side to die of battle wounds in the war.
Civil War Trivia
Ambrose Burrnside, the US general officer who met his Waterloo at Fredericksburg in December, 1862, but later went on to a long career in Rhode Island politics and state government, was actually born in Liberty, Indiana.
Dues
It takes a little money to keep an organization like the Roundtable going. There are refreshments to be provided, postage, honorarium purchases, etc. If you are a regular attendee, or plan to be, and have not yet paid, please see Kevin Shiflet, our treasurer, at the next meeting.
Many Thanks to the
Our roundtable could not
function nearly as well as it has over the last year without the generous
assistance and support of the
If you have not been to the old Carnegie Library building recently for more than our meetings, stop in to see their collections, use the extensive genealogy library or simply browse in their first-class gift and book shop (Civil War titles available!).
Even further, if you have not considered it before, think about a membership to the Monroe County Historical Society. It is keeping the legacy of our area alive and vibrant for the generations to come.
Did You Know?
African Americans constituted less than 1% of the Northern population, yet by war’s end made up 10% of the Union Army. A total of 180,000 black men, more than 85% of those eligible, enlisted.
February Program
Join us at the History Center on Tuesday, February 21, at 6:30 pm to hear member Bill Overlease relate the story of John Brown’s Body– The Single Best Narrative of the War!
