Welcome to the Cedar VAlley Civil War Roundtable
Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable Program
April 15, 2021 Meeting Notice
7:00PM via Zoom
Josiah B. Grinnell & the Underground Railroad
by David Connon
David Connon at Cedar Valley CW Roundtable -- Oct 2019
Some Midwest Routes of the Underground Railroad
Connon one of the Roundtable's favorite speakers, was scheduled for our January meeting. Due to a slip on the ice, he suffered a slight concussion and needed to cancel. We're pleased David has recovered and will be our April speaker.
His previous programs featured Iowans who had enlisted in the Confederacy. He researched these soldiers in between working as an interpreter in the Iowa Living History Farms Pharmacy. The book Iowa Confederates in the Civil War, was published by Connon in 2019. He also maintains an online blog “Confederates from Iowa; Not to defend but to Understand.”
Originally Connon was researching Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and his involvement with the Underground Railroad when he discovered information on Iowa soldiers serving in the CSA. He sidetracked for a few years and now is returning to the subject of Grinnell and the Underground Railroad.
Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (1821-1891) was born in Vermont and came to Iowa in 1854. During his lifetime Grinnell wore many hats-- Presbyterian minister, Iowa Senator, US Congressman, attorney and abolitionist. Connon will tell us about Grinnell's involvement with John Brown, work with the Underground Railroad and the controversies encountered in the town of Grinnell.
Information pertaining to the link for Zoom will be sent to members a few days before the 15th.
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Annoucements
One aspect of our Roundtable mission is to collect and distribute noteworthy items of interest about the war. While the focus is typically here in the Cedar Valley, we frequently have information of interest for across the state and nation.
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Some PAst Events
The Roundtable sponsors various war related events. In addition, the membership participates in other organizations also.
Here's a link to collection of information and slide shows for several recent events.
About US
We are interested in all areas of the Civil War, people, places, battles, events, along with the impact of the war in Iowa and the Cedar Valley.
The Roundtable offers an excellent opportunity to add another dimension to your Civil War interest or specialize in a particular area in this fascinating period of history.
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