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Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Note the change in program from the printed schedule.
Subject: Kate Chase, Civil War Belle of the North and Gilded Age Woman of Scandal
Presenter: Norty London, founder
Kate Chase, the daughter of Salmon P. Chase, was indeed the belle of Washington, DC while her father was Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln. She married the wealthy governor of Rhode Island who gave her a necklace valued at $50,000 as a wedding gift. Yet, in later life, she raised chickens and grew vegetables that she sold door to door in order to subsist. In between was a life strewn with scandals of infidelity regarding both her and her husband. Kate Chase’s life is very interesting and this presentation by Norty, one of our founders, should be equally interesting.
- Canteen at 6:00 PM — Dinner at 6:45 PM
- Pine Ridge Country Club, 30601 Ridge Road (Ohio 84), Wickliffe, OH (1/2 mile west of Ohio 91)
- Cost $25.00 for an excellent family-style dinner and speaker. Cash bar.
- Reservations are required. Email President David Lintern at davelintern@rwsidley.com
Last Meeting:
Subject: Civil War and Current Events Challenge
Presenters: Past-presidents John Sandy and Franco Sperrazzo
John and Franco presented an enjoyable change of pace that got everyone thinking and sixteen innocent bystanders directly involved. Their quiz challenge pitted two teams of four against each other, initially answering questions on the Civil War; then two other teams answering a set of general questions covering more current events.
John and Franco put a great deal of effort into developing the questions and producing visuals to go with the questions.
The result was a very relaxed and friendly competition where teams often stole hints and answers from the opposition, who were none too circumspect in their discussions of the question. As a draftee onto one of the teams, I certainly enjoyed the evening and my distinct impression is that everyone present felt the same.
Schedule of Programs
Please note the variance in February and October’s programs from the printed schedule.
- January 9
- Civil War and Current Events Challenge
- Past-presidents John Sandy and Franco Sperrazzo
- February 12
- Kate Chase, Civil War Belle of the North and Gilded Age Woman of Scandal
- Norton London, founder
- March 12
- Letters from the Front
- Debbie Weinkamer and Dan McGill, member
- April 9
- The Battle of the Crater, a Perfect Hell of Blood
- Speaker: A. Wilson Greene
- May 14
- Organized Crime
- Allan May, Author
- September 10
- Stonewall Jackson at Second Manassas
- Henry P. Elliot, National Park Ranger
- October 8
- The Andrews Raid
- Tom Horvath, Jr. & Sr., members
- November 12
- Deconstructing the Gettysbur Address
- Todd Arrington, Ph.D., Site Manager of James A. Garfield National Historic Site
- December 10
- Civil War Music
- Steve and Lisa Ball
Lunchtime Series: Leaders and Legacies of the Civil War
This series of talks has been so successful that the Mentor Public Library and James A. Garfield National Historic Site have decided to continue them. Rather than relying on battles, the emphasis has been switched and the title of the series changed to Leaders and Legacies of the Civil War.
Due to the governemnt shutdowns, the talks must be suspended.
Should the talks be continued in February, the topic will be The Life and Legacy of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain has fascinated Civil War historians for decades. He began the war as a mild-mannered college professor in Maine, but by 1865 he was a brevet major general and chosen to receive the ceremonial surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
These talks normally take place on the second Wednesday of the month, at noon in the James A. Garfield Community Room of the Mentor Public Library. Talks are scheduled to last about one hour. Attendees are invited to bring their bag lunches.
2018 Spring Outing
This year’s spring outing was on Saturday, June 9th. We visited Oberlin and toured some of the historic sites around their pleasant campus. After an excellent lunch at the Black River Cafe, we visited the 103rd OVI property in Sheffield Lake. This fascinating location was purchased by surviving members of the 103 OVI to use as a site for their annual reunions. Over time, permanent housing was created for those looking for more comfort than tents could provide. Eventually, some descendants took up year-round residence and today there are a number of houses owned by direct descendants, who are the only people allowed to own houses there. We explored their small museum, old barracks, and photo gallery. It is a unique arrangement and an interesting place to visit.
Civil War Symposium
Our 7th annual Civil War Symposium was held on Friday, July 20th. Speakers this year were National Park Service Rangers and historians Dan Vermilya and Matt Atkinson. Dan took a closer, deeper look at General George McClellan and made a good case for moderating the criticism heaped on McClellan — at least for his performance at Antietam. Matt Atkinson’s talk was triggered by excavations and research into an early Union field hospital. He used that as a springboard to talk about the advances made in medical treatment of the troops, especially in the field. Notable among the advances was the introduction of triage. Both gentlemen were well versed in their topics and provided new information and insights.
Themocracy
I came across your Civil War Round Table and thought you might be interested in a true story about an 82nd Ohio soldier told in the first person in dramatic form. The ebook is written with a discussion guide for Civil War Round Tables and you may want to check it out.
Hiram’s Honor: Reliving
Private Terman’s Civil War, ISBN 978-0615-27812-4.
Hiram’s Honor can be examined at http://www.amazon.com/Hirams-Honor-Reliving-Private-Termans/dp/0615278124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239221935&sr=8-1
Ebook
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/50674
The unique thing about this book is that I assume the identity of my ancestor in all of his battles and prison misery. It was quite a challenge to match every detail that actually happened (dairies, letters, first-hand accounts) with a first person dramatized and riveting story of how I would have reacted in his situation. Best wishes in your work.
Greetings from Delafield, Wisconsin, Birthplace of Lt. Alonzo Cushing. Just a quick update on the Medal of Honor. Although it was widely reported that the Secretary of the Army had approved the nomination, the process is still ongoing. The Secretary of Defense has not yet made his recommendation. Additionally, the President would still have to sign off. I would be happy to keep you updated if the situation changes.
Best Regards
Dave Krueger
Delafield, WI
I’m very interested in your group. May non-members attend meetings?
Many thanks,
George Richards
George — yes, non-members may attend. Because we take the summer off, our next meeting is not until Sepetember 11. Closer to the meeting date, make a reservation (see above) and look me, Tom Horvath, up at the meeting. I’ll be glad to introduce you to some of our members. Meanwhile, you may be interested in the symposium being held at Lawnfield on July 13, also described above.
Hello NEOCWRT. My name is Jonathan Hennessey. I am author of a new Civil War nonfiction graphic novel from HarperCollins. I would like to let members of your group know I will be doing a reading from my book at 6 pm Thursday, August 8 at the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Medina Road in Akron.
THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION (www.graphicgettysburg.com) is a bold and innovative use of the comics medium. It uses the words from Lincoln’s iconic speech to tell the “whole story of the Civil War, 1776 – The Present.” I will be presenting a chapter of the book mostly examining the Confederacy’s legal case for secession, Lincoln’s counterargument, and how both the language of both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence informed those two different positions. I will be projecting still and animated segments of the book on a movie screen.
Kirkus Reviews called the book, “Engaging, provocative and deftly nuanced. … This second collaboration by Hennessey and McConnell again finds them probing the implications of history through incisive analysis and compelling art.”
Library Journal hailed it as, “An excellent work. … Not a simplification but a detailed and nuanced analysis of Lincoln’s famous speech.”
Thank you for your consideration!
All best,
Jonathan Hennessey
Thanks for the invitation to speak at the CWRT again. My topic this year will be Confederate General William “Extra Billy” Smith: From Virginia’s Statehouse to Gettysburg Scapegoat.