August 2022 News – Southern Indiana Civil War Roundtable

Twenty-two members attended our July meeting, with several good programs on our future schedule. Our treasurer, Ron Sproatt, reports we have a balance of $1,618.11. Members voted to donate $225.00 to the FOP Lodge. We appreciate the use of their facility for our meetings. We want to remind members that you can pay your dues at the next meeting or mail them to our treasurer Ron Sproatt.

Our speaker in July was Myers Brown, Director of Archival Collection Services and Chief Historian at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Prior to joining the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Myers served as a curator with the Tennessee State Museum, the Alabama Historical Commission, and as Curator of Military History at the Atlanta History Center. He also served as the chairman of the Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. His program was: Loyal Cavaliers-Tennessee’s Unionist Cavalry (based on his book). The author of two books: Images of Tennessee’s Union Cavalrymen (published in December 2008) and Images of Tennessee Confederates (April 2011). In his program Myers described 14 Regiments of Union Cavalry in Tennessee. Some of the people he mentions that are important in Tennessee Civil War history are: John Bell, William Bowen Campbell, William Driver, Alvan Cullem Gillem, Samuel P. Carter, and Frank Cheatham.

On September 15th, Kevin Williams will offer a presentation on Grant’s staff. From the beginning of Grant’s Civil War service he was always shadowed by his aide, Theodore S. Bowers. Bowers was with him at Cairo prior to Ft. Donelson and was with him at the McLean House for Lee’s Surrender. Bowers’s story is one of fidelity, service, and, in the end, personal sacrifice to Grant. Prior to the war, Bowers was the editor of the Mt. Carmel Register, the Democratic-leaning paper of Wabash County, Illinois. Our presenter on this topic, Kevin Williams, is life-long student of the Civil War and resident of Evansville. Kevin has taught Civil War and World War II history at the junior college level – including experiential trips to battlefields of the Civil War. He is the father of four and Grandpa to eleven grandchildren – five in Illinois, three in Indiana, and three in Alaska.

On October 20th, David Mowery will offer a program titled “Cincinnati in the Civil War – Then & Now.”