Southern Indiana Civil War Roundtable

March 2021

The Roundtable Returns!

After a long absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Southern Indiana Civil War Roundtable (SICWRT) returns with a slate of interesting programs. As before, meetings take place on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m., at the Evansville Fraternal Order of Police (801 Court St, Evansville, Indiana 47708). All lectures are free and open to the public.

  • May 20th: Charles Matson of the Monroe County Civil War Roundtable presents on John T. Wilder. Wilder was an officer in the Union Army, noted principally for capturing the key mountain pass of Hoover’s Gap during the Tullahoma Campaign in Central Tennessee in June 1863. Wilder’s “Lightning Brigade” of mounted infantry used the new Spencer repeating rifle, a key factor in victory at Hoover’s Gap.

  • June 17th: Gerry Fisher offers a presentation on Partisan Rangers. Gerry Fisher serves as the Meade County Historian and was one of the founding members of the Meade County Historical Society.

  • July 15th: Scott Southerland of the SICWRT presents on “Spies and Espionage in the Civil War.”

  • August 19th: Derrick Lindow will present on “Adam Rankin Johnson and Partisan Rangers.” Derrick, who teaches 8th-grade U.S. history at Daviess County Middle School, has signed a contract with Savas Beatie to publish a book exploring the history of the Civil War in the Daviess County area. The narrative follows Confederate Adam Rankin Johnson and covers extensive measures taken by Union forces to quell Johnson’s success.

Remembering Martha Kohler

With great sadness we report the passing of Martha Kohler, one of our long time roundtable members. Martha and her husband Norm have been faithful members and supporters for year. She will be greatly missed. Please keep Norm in your thoughts and prayers as he deals with his loss.

Martha (Earp) Kohler, 80, passed away on 2 March 2021. Martha was born in Evansville on 23 December 1940 to the late Mildred (Fuquay) and Joseph Earp. She worked 13 years for Orr Iron Company, six years for Permanent Federal Bank, and also worked at Dr. James Ploch’s chiropractic office for 10 years. Martha was an active member of McCutchanville Community Church and was a member of the Civil War Roundtable. In 2001, she was a kidney transplant recipient.

Martha is survived by her husband of 57 years, Norman Kohler of Evansville, IN; a daughter, Diane Elizabeth Wallen, (Paul) of Bristol, CT.; and several cousins, nephew and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Robert and Louis Earp and her sister, Mary Ann Ritchie.