Nashville Civil War Roundtable - April 21, 2014 – Our 61st Meeting!! We begin our sixth year!

CMWinkler

Colonel
Retired Moderator
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Location
Middle Tennessee
Nashville Civil War Roundtable

Founded April, 2009 – Nashville, Tennessee


Visit our web site: www.nashvillecivilwarroundtable.wordpress.com


April 21, 2014 – Our 61st Meeting!! We begin our sixth year!


The next meeting of the Nashville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Monday, April 21, 2014, in the visitor’s center of Ft. Negley Park, a unit of Metro Parks, Nashville, TN. This is located off I-65 just south of downtown between 4th Avenue South and 8th Avenue South on Edgehill Avenue/Chestnut Avenue. Take Exit 81, Wedgewood Avenue, off I-65 and follow the signs to the Science Museum. 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 -“Forrest’s Pursuit of Abel Streight’s Raid”


Union General William S. Rosecrans had been trying to build his cavalry arm since taking command of the Army of the Cumberland in late 1862. By April, 1863, his mounted forces were formidable and well-lead on most levels. Securing sufficient horses remained a problem, however, and the general tangled with his War Department superiors along those lines. Then came a proposal from Colonel Abel Streight, commanding an infantry brigade, to mount his men on mules and launch a raid into Alabama and Georgia with the ultimate goal of breaking the vital Western & Atlantic Railroad than ran from Atlanta to Chattanooga and carried supplies for the Confederate Army of Tennessee operating in that state. Rome, Georgia, an industrial center, provided an additional target.


Therein was the problem; Streight’s Federals would ride animals much better suited to pulling guns and wagons than bearing troops in a lightning raid. After picking up some of the mules near Clarksville, Tennessee, Streight’s men took river boats to Eastport, Mississippi and after training the men, the raid began as part of a Union offensive by General Grenville Dodge which provided cover. Facing Dodge were a collection of Confederate forces including some cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest correctly interpreted what Dodge was doing as his scouts picked up Streight’s movements. And so began the chase that would add to Forrest’s legend and end near the Georgia/Alabama border with Streight’s surrender.


Our speaker this month is retired Brigadier General John Scales who will set up the situation and the rationale behind the raid, which began on April 19th, 1863, then going over the events day by day until Streight's surrender on May 3rd.


John Scales is a retired Brigadier General with extensive service in U.S. Army Special Forces from Vietnam to Desert Storm including as acting commanding general of U.S. Army Special Forces Command. He holds several degrees in physics and has taught that subject at several academic levels. He is currently employed by Science Applications International Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama as a Senior Systems Engineer. He has developed and patented weapons systems among his accomplishments. John is also past president of the Tennessee valley CWRT in Huntsville and is the author of a deep military study of the Atlanta Campaign. A book on Streight’s Raid is pending.


LAST MONTH’S MEETING


Dr. Antoinette G. van Zelm presented the diaries of three Southern women of Murfreesboro; Alice Ready, Kate Carney and Emma Lane . These women used their particular personalities to deal with the Union occupation of the city. The record of their actions sheds light on the day-to-day activities of some noncombatants in the occupation. It also illustrates some of the thought processes of Southerners during a time of great change and stress dealing with Union occupation and emancipation. This presentation was an interesting and entertaining insight into daily life in an occupied city and the role played by some intensely patriotic women in helping to cope with a difficult situation.


FUTURE PROGRAMS:

May 2014 – Thomas Flagel, historian/author, Columbia State College – topic TBA

June 2014 – Robert Girardi, historian/author, Chicago Police Detective – “The Murder of Union General William “Bull” Nelson

July 14, 2014 (second Monday meeting) – Conrad Laplante, Ottawa, Canada CWRT – “Canada and the American Civil War

August 2014 – Kent Wright, historian/author – Tennessee Valley CWRT – “Conflicted Friendships: John Bull, Uncle Sam and King Cotton; The British Influence Upon Union and Confederate Naval Strategies”

September 2014 – Jamie Gillum

October 2014 – Ron Crabtree, Nashville CWRT - "The Third Man: Did John Wilkes Booth Escape Garrett's Farm?”

December 2014 - TBA

November 2014 – Rob Cross, historian, Belle Meade Plantation – “The Spring Hill Affair”

January 2015 – Scott Sallee, author/historian – “The Civil War In Northeast Missouri and the Palmyra Massacre” (based on his recent book)

March 2015 – Mark Hoffman, historian/author – The 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics in Middle Tennessee” (from his book)


MEMBERS AND DUES
– The membership has decided that every May will be our fiscal year. Please plan on taking care of your membership renewals at this meeting. The annual dues structure for the Nashville CWRT is as follows:

Single membership - $20
Family - $30
Military – Active duty and Veterans - $15
Military Family – Active duty and Veterans - $25
Student - $10
Senior (age 60 plus) - $15
Senior couple - $20


When your dues are paid your name badge with three stars on it will be available at the following meeting. If your badge does not have three stars on it then you are not current. Our dues go to paying for speakers as well as donations for Civil War preservation causes especially those of a local nature. Please be sure to pay your dues so we can offer the best programs possible for you! We also utilize donated items for silent auctions each month to help add to the treasury. If you have something you would like to donate for these auctions, please bring them to the meetings. Books, art, or anything Civil War, works very well. Thanks very much to all of you who have made such donations!


CIVIL WAR AND ASSOCIATED NEWS AND EVENTS


McGavock Confederate Cemetery Tours Beginning April 19th


Civil War historian Thomas Y. Cartwright is launching officially sanctioned guided tours of the McGavock Confederate Cemetery located a stone’s throw away from Carnton Plantation on the Eastern Flank of the Franklin Battlefield beginning Saturday, April 19th. A portion of the proceeds of every tour will benefit both the Lotz House Foundation and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery Corporation.


For more information please contact J.T. Thompson at the Lotz House 615-790-7190 or email [email protected].


Lotz House Launches Private Tours of the Cellar and Unveils Newly Acquired Signature of General Patrick Cleburne


In November 2013, archeologist and historian John Marler completed a two year excavation of the Lotz House cellar. Marler uncovered and documented approximately 900 Civil War relics connected with civilian life in the mid-1800s. The historical house, located at 1111 Columbia Pike in Franklin, TN., is at the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin.


Lotz House will open the cellar for private tours the third Saturday of each month from March to October this year. The two hour tour will be conducted by historians Thomas Y. Cartwright and/or John Marler. Tours will be held from 10 a.m. – noon, April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20 and October 18. The cost is $30 per person for the Lotz House Cellar Tour. The guided tour of the Lotz House is $10 and is a separate ticket. This is a limited tour, first-come-first-served. To make reservations contact J.T. Thompson at [email protected] or call 615-790-7190.


A Forrest Bluff Beats a Streight: The Abel Streight Raid in Alabama Tour – April 26th, 2014


The Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table of Huntsville is offering a tour of one of the most famous cavalry actions in the Civil War known as “Streight’s Raid.” The running fight across North Alabama featured the renowned Confederate cavalryman, General Nathan Bedford Forrest against a Union Mounted Infantry brigade of Colonel Abel Streight. The capture of Streight happened near the Georgia line when Forrest tricked Streight into believing he was hopelessly outnumbered. The deadly clash between these daring units will be narrated by Huntsville’s own Brigadier General (Ret.) and Civil War author, John Scales. John will present a program on the raid at the regular TVCWRT meeting on Thursday, April 10th, 2014.


The tour leaves Huntsville at 7 AM to tour the Town Creek battlefield, the Day's Gap battlefield, the Crooked Creek Museum, the Hog Mountain battlefield, several lesser engagements, the Black Creek Crossing, the Blount Plantation battlefield, and the final surrender site near the Georgia state line. Walking will be limited as most of these areas are on private property. Expect to return to Huntsville around 5:30 pm. The cost for the day will depend on the number of riders, but including the museum admission it is expected to be under $50 for members, $60 for non-members including g members of other Civil War Roundtables


For more information check the Tennessee Valley CWRT’s web site at - www.tvcwrt.org – or email Kent Wright at - [email protected]. Huntsville is about 90 minutes from Nashville and the TVCWRT folks are super nice! John Scales is a very talented guide and historian. The tour will be going through some of the most beautiful spots of northern Alabama as well. This raid has a Tennessee connection too – many of the mules used by Streight’s mounted infantrymen were obtained at Palmyra, TN, near Clarksville on the Cumberland River.

Corinth Contraband Camp Symposium, April 17-18, 2014


Shiloh National Military Park, the Ulysses S. Grant Association and the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University will present the Corinth Contraband Camp Symposium on April 17-18, 2014. Keynote speaker on Thursday evening will be Dr. John David Smith, Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. On Friday morning, participants will have time to tour the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center and attend a ranger led tour of the Corinth Contraband Camp. A panel discussion with Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Ulysses S. Grant is scheduled for Friday afternoon followed by key note speaker Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi. Concluding the Corinth Contraband Camp Symposium will be a dynamic performance by acclaimed Civil War musician Bobby Horton on Friday evening. All events are free and open to the public.


For more information contact the Corinth Battlefield Staff at (662) 287-9273 or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/shil.


Civil War Book Club – 2014, Belle Meade Plantation, April 26, 2014


The April book club discussion will be on “Forged in Battle – The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers” By: Dr. Joseph T. Glatthaar. The meeting will begin at 3:00 p. m. Check in at the Visitors Center for location and direction. For more information call (615)356-0501 or email [email protected].


Crawfish Boil, Travellers Rest, April 27, 2014


Travellers Rest, 636 Ferrell Parkway, Nashville, will hold a Crawfish Boil on Sunday, April 27 from 1 – 5 p. m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.travellersrestplantation.org or by calling 832-8197 for $40 per person ($45 at the door) and include all you can eat crawfish and beer enjoyed to live Cajun music. Don’t miss a great time at Nashville’s oldest historic home open to the public.


Travellers Rest has lots of programs for this year so be sure to visit their web site – www.travellersrestplantation.org – for the details. This site recently won the Tennessee Association of Museums award for their exhibit on the Battle of Nashville. Congratulations!


Johnsonville Union Artillery Garrison May 3-4, 2014


The roar of Civil War cannons will again echo in the hollows of Johnsonville State Historic Park on May 3-4, 2014, as the park hosts its annual artillery garrison weekend. Join us from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3rd, and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday May 4th as Union cannoniers demonstrate the role of the artillery and its destructive power as it was used during the Civil War and at the Battle of Johnsonville on November 4, 1864. Other demonstrations such as camp life, military drill and cooking will also take place. For more information about this event and others access the park's website or Facebook page or call the park at 931-535-2789.


Slaves and Slaveholders of Wessington Plantation, Tennessee State Museum Through August 31st, 2014


This unique exhibit looks at slavery in Middle Tennessee through the eyes of both the slave and the slave owner on the 13,000 acre plantation in Robertson County. This exhibit traces the lives of several African American slaves before, during and after the war as well as the lives of their white owners. The combination of the two histories makes a fascinating study of life on a grand plantation in 1800s America.


The plantation was established in 1796 by Joseph Washington, who moved to Tennessee from Virginia, and was later inherited by his son, George A. Washington. The Washingtons, through their business dealings, became incredibly wealthy, owning not only Wessyngton but also property and slaves in Kentucky. Wessyngton was one of the largest plantations in Tennessee in 1860 and the largest producer of tobacco in the U.S. In 1860, the Washingtons were one of the wealthiest families in Tennessee.


This exhibit is free and will be on display through August 31,2014.


“To Whisper Her Name” Behind the Scenes Tour, Belle Meade Plantation


See Belle Meade Plantation as the inspiration for the new Tamera Alexander book, “To Whisper Her Name,” a historical fiction novel. The tour highlights the plantation’s distinct places that gave life to the acclaimed book. See Bob Green’s cabin and the Belle Meade Mansion with special emphasis on the “To Whisper Her Name” novel. Tours meet/begin at the Belle Meade Plantation Gift Shop.


Tours last 90 minutes and include a grounds pass to tour Belle Meade Plantation’s outbuildings and a free wine tasting at the Belle Meade Plantation Winery.


Tours offered at 4:00pm every Thursday, Friday & Saturday. No reservation is necessary. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival. All tours begin in the Visitor’s Center. For more information contact us at [email protected]


Battle of Nashville Historian – and Nashville CWRT member – Ross Massey Opens Nashville Historic Tours


Noted historian of the Battle of Nashville, Ross Massey, has started Nashville Historic Tours with the primary focus on Civil War and historic tours in the metro Nashville area. His tours include; The battle of Nashville (including Fort Negley, Treveller’s Rest, the Confederate battle lines and other sites); Downtown Nashville (architecture, historic sites and wonderful statues); the battle of Franklin (Carter House, Carnton, McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Winstead Hill and more) and Mt. Olivet Cemetery with the graves of seven Confederate generals, 1500 soldiers, noted civilians and more. Ross has been leading such tours for over 20 years for Civil War groups and companies like History America, Blue & Gray Tours and Grand Old Opry Tours, and has been seen on Civil War Journal, the noted television documentary. He is the author of a Battle of Nashville guide book and is the official historian of the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society. The tours can be customized and run a minimum of 2 hours. For information please call – (615) 352-6384


New Book on the 18th Georgia Infantry Now Available Only Through an Acworth, GA Book Store


The 18th Georgia Infantry served its entire career with the Army of Northern Virginia and fought in all of the famous battles of that fabled command. They were also part of James Longstreet’s Corps when they traveled west to fight at Chickamauga (although they got there too late along with their brigade and another) and fought in the battles around Knoxville, Tennessee in late 1863. In the Spring of 1864 they were back with the ANV fighting in the campaigns until Appomattox in April 1865. The regiment was actually part of the famous Texas Brigade (1st, 4th and 5th Texas Infantry) of John Bell Hood for a time (along with Hampton’s South Carolina Legion Infantry Battalion) including in the bloodbath of Miller’s Cornfield at Sharpsburg. The Texans actually called them the “3rd Texas” in honor of their fighting prowess.


Captain James Lile Lemon, from Acworth, GA, north of Atlanta, joined the regiment in 1861and fought with it until the war’s end. Afterwards, he, like so many others, wrote a memoir and that has finally been published thanks to his descendent, Mark Lemon, who still lives in the same house as his ancestor. This privately published book, Feed Then The Steel: Being The Wartime Recollections of Capt. James Lile Lemon, Co. A, 18th Georgia Infantry, is limited to 500 copies and is only available through the Acworth Bookstore. They are located at 4857 N. Main St., Acworth, GA., 30101. This fine book, one of the best Georgia soldier memoirs and complete with hand drawn maps by Captain Lemon, is available for $24.95 and the store owner, a member of the Cobb County CWRT, will be happy to send them by mail for an extra shipping fee. Please contact Guy Condra via email at - [email protected]– or you can call the store at – (678) 403-1355. Guy’s store has a fine selection of Civil War and military history books so if you are in the Atlanta area stop by. They are located in downtown Acworth by the railroad tracks of the historic Western & Atlantic Railroad.


And the Lemon House where his ancestors lived? It is right around the corner and William T. Sherman stayed there for a time during the Atlanta Campaign.


Middle Tennessee CWRT April Meeting and Tour of the Milton, TN Battlefield. April 15th, 2014


Join the members of the Middle TN CWRT in Murfreesboro for a field trip and program on the defeat of John Hunt Morgan in the Battle of Milton (also called Vaught’s Hill) on Tuesday, April 15th, 2014. This site is nearly pristine and most of the land is owned by families that were there in the March 1863 engagement which marked Morgan’s defeat by a Union infantry and cavalry force. It was here that the luster began to come off the Kentucky Thunderbolt. Middle TN CWRT Program Chair Rhea Cole tells us;


On Tuesday, April 15 all Members & Friends of the Middle Tennessee Roundtable are invited to tour the Milton / Vaught's Hill Battlefield. Instead of our usual meeting place, we will gather at the fire hall in Milton at 6:00 for a walking tour of the pristine battlefield. At 7:00 we will move to the Milton Church of Christ, which is on the same side of HWY 96 as the Fire Hall east of Milton. Anyone unable to take the tour should come to the church. Should we get rained out, we will all meet at the church at 6:00. If any of our Associated Roundtable Members & Friends need directions or wish to come early & see the sights in the Murfreesboro area, do please email or call me. My phone number is 615-410-6000 and email is - [email protected]. I will be delighted to meet with you.


From Nashville, you can take I-40E to 840 or HWY 231 south at Lebanon & then take Jefferson Pike east to Milton. It is a nice drive through the country. Milton is on TN Hwy 96 which can also be accessed off I-24 at Murfreesboro and then follow that road east.


You can also meet Rhea at the Oakland Mansion Picnic Pavilion parking lot at 5:00. Should anyone wish to carpool or convoy out to Milton, I will leave at 5:30. I encourage you to take Greenland Drive / Hall's Hill Pike out to Milton. It is only 19 miles through scenic, largely untouched country. There are even buffalos. It is a very beautiful route, with many lovely vistas.


Don’t miss your chance to see one of Tennessee’s best preserved battlefields. The tour guide will be Stones River NBF historian Jim Lewis.


Nashville CWRT Officers


Krista Castillo – President – [email protected]

Gary Burke - Vice President – [email protected]

Ron Crabtree - Newsletter – [email protected]

Philip Duer – Treasurer and Preservation Liason – [email protected]

Greg Biggs - Program Chair – [email protected]
 
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