2010 Programs

Jan. 14 The Siege and Surrender of Port Hudson, LA, 1863 John Fowler

Feb 11 John Bell Hood’s Retreat from Nashville David Fraley

March 11 Civil War in Alabama from Secession to the War's End Robert Bradley

April 8 When “Old Stars” Fell on Alabama: General Ormsby Brian Hogan

M. Mitchel Captures North Alabama

May 13 The Big Picture Approach to Battlefield Preservation Howard Kittell

June 10 A New Framework for Civil War History Richard McMurry

July 8 The Rebel Victory at Vicksburg Edwin C. Bearss

Aug 12 The Sacking of Athens Tom Ress

Sept 9 The Battle of Franklin Thomas Cartwright

Oct 14 Life in Huntsville in the Civil War Renee Pruitt

Nov 11 Retreat from Gettysburg Kent Masterson Brown

Thursday, November 11, 2010

“Lee's Retreat from Gettysburg” will be the topic for Kent Masterson Brown's presentation. He will discuss the extraordinary level of skills demonstrated by General Robert E. Lee in logistically preparing for the Battle of Gettysburg and preserving his army following his defeat in July of 1863. Kent Masterson Brown is an acclaimed Civil War author and founder and first editor of the national magazine, “The Civil War” from Lexington, Kentucky. He will be speaking at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

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A presentation on General Robert E. Lee as a commander through the logistical complexities of maintaining a mid-nineteenth century army in the field, the logistical challenges facing Lee on the eve of the Gettysburg Campaign, the logistical challenges facing Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg ended and how those challenges were met by Lee and his army. The purpose for the campaign and whether that purpose was achieved will also be discussed. The lecture will explore the size of Lee's Army, the extent of quartermaster, subsistence and ambulance wagon trains leading the army out of Gettysburg, the terrain and difficult weather through which the army had to pass, the enemy's pursuit of Lee's Army, and how Lee used terrain to confront the pursuing enemy to his strategic advantage on each step of the retreat back to Virginia. The audience will gain a new appreciation for the generalship of Robert E. Lee.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table: “Huntsville, The Occupied City” will be the topic of Ranée Pruitt's and Susanna Leberman's talk using material from the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Archives. Journals of women on the Confederate home front, letters and diaries of Union occupiers, as well as many historic photographs of Huntsville during the War will be presented. Ranée has been named Eminent Librarian for the State of Alabama for 2010 by the Alabama Library Association. Susanna teaches history at Calhoun Community College and has contributed articles to “The Huntsville Historical Review”. Ranée and Susanna will be speaking at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

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Ranée Pruitt and Susanna Leberman, Archivists for the Library, will take you back one hundred and fifty years ago when Huntsville was occupied by Union Forces during the Civil War. This presentation is in celebration of the upcoming Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Probably no decade was as turbulent for the people of Huntsville as the years of the Civil War. We will explore the journals of the women who kept the home fires burning, letters and diaries of Union soldiers describing Huntsville and their experiences here. What was it like for these women to live among 30,000 Union Troops occupying your house and camping in your front yard? Sarah Lowe wrote in her diary “My heart stops beating at the thought that my home is a captured city”. In addition, photographs of Huntsville during the War will be used to kick off the Civil War Sesquicentennial for Huntsville and Madison County.

Ms. Ranée Pruitt and Ms. Susanna Leberman Biographies

Ranée Pruitt has served as Archivist for the Huntsville Public Library since the archives inception in 1977. She has both a specialized knowledge of the library’s catalog and its collection of over 25,000 photographs, and has a passion for the people and historical events of Huntsville. During Huntsville’s Bicentennial in 2005, Ranée published “Eden of the South” as the library’s contribution to Huntsville’s 200^th birthday. The Eminent Librarian for the State of Alabama for 2010 award from the Alabama Library Association recognized Ranée as the top Librarian in the State of Alabama for 2010.

Susanna Leberman began working for the Huntsville Public Library Archives as a summer intern while she finished her master’s degree in history for UAHuntsville. She graduated in 2007 and currently works in the Huntsville Public Library Archives and teaches history at Calhoun Community College. Susanna has been a contributor to “Eden of the South” and has written articles for “The Huntsville Historical Review”.

Thomas Cartwright will speak on "The Battle of Franklin, The Valley of Death”. The presentation will discuss the 5 hour, brutal battle, which took place on November 30, 1864, where the Confederate Army suffered tremendous losses in men and high ranking officers. Even though the Federal Army, with far fewer casualities, left the field pursued by the Confederates, the Confederate Army of Tennessee would never be effective as a figthing force again. Thomas Cartwright, one of the nation's leading authorities on The Battle of Franklin, is an author, lecturer and TV commentator on Civil War events. Mr. Cartwright will speak at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

August 12th

The Sacking of Athens

On May 2, 1862, Union troops commanded by Col. John Basil Turchin went on a rampage. They looted and plundered stores and homes stealing clothes, jewelry and anything of value, destroying anything they didn't want. For months afterwards the Union soldiers stabled their horses in some of the town's churches and burned the pews for firewood and destroyed the interiors.

Thursday, August 12th, Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table: Thomas V. Ress will speak on "The Sacking of Athens, Alabama". The presentation will examine how the reactions of the northern populace changed with time to the scandalous and brutal sacking of the city by Union forces in May of 1862. The commander of the Union forces, Colonel John Basil Turchin, was court martialed for his actions, found guilty, granted clemency and then promoted to Brigadier General. These actions were indicative of the changing attitude as the sacking of Athens came to be regarded as justified retribution for the pain the secessionists had inflicted on the nation. Thomas Ress is a resident of Athens, Alabama and a prolific free lance writer with recently published articles on the American Civil War. Mr. Ress will speak at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

July 8th

“The Rebel Victory at Vicksburg”

NOTE: This program will be at UAH (not at the Elks Club)

Nationally renowned speaker, award winning author (15 books), famous Civil War historian (former National Park Service Chief Historian), television commentator, recognized preservationist and popular battlefield guide, Edwin C. Bearss, will discuss “The Rebel Victory at Vicksburg” at 7:00, Thursday, July 8, 2010 in the Chan Auditorium, Business Administration Building, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama. Admission $10.00. Proceeds donated to the Civil War Preservation Trust. Advance registration suggested. Sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table. (256) 971-6952. P.O. Box 7382, Huntsville, AL, 35807. tvcwrt.tix@gmail.com. Click here for a map of the UAH campus. http://www.uah.edu/map

June 10, 2010

"A New Framework for Civil War Military History"

Richard M. McMurry will examine the study of Civil War military history from a new perspective. How this new approach affects the resulting view of the historical events of the Civil War will be discussed. McMurry is an award winning author, specializing in the American Civil War, and has taught history at Valdosta (Georgia) State College and North Carolina State University. McMurry will speak at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

May 13, 2010

"The Big Picture Approach to Battlefield Preservation"

Howard Kittell is the President & CEO of The Hermitage in

Nashville, TN, the home of President Andrew Jackson. Previously, he

served for 10 years as the Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley

Battlefields Foundation in Virginia where he oversaw the preservation of

10 Civil War battlefields, the development of interpretive programs, and

the promotion of tourism to “the Valley”.

April 8, 2010 "When "Old Stars" Fell on Alabama".

The presentation will cover the Union occupation of Huntsville during the Civil War. Major General Ormsby McKnight Mitchel, the Union Commander, captured Huntsville on April 11th of 1862 without a shot being fired. Gen Mitchel was a noted astronomer who founded the Cincinnati Observatory in 1842. Some of his key decisions earned him the enmity of all loyal Huntsville Confederates.

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Major General Mitchel's career from birth to West Point, and subsequently his civilian occupations, which served him well after he was commissioned as a Brigadier General early in the Civil War, will be discussed. General Mitchel was a member of Major General Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio which captured Huntsville and the rest of Northern Alabama from Stevenson to Tuscumbia very quickly in April of 1862. This movement closed the Confederate supply line sending troops and supplies to Corinth, MS. Mr. Hogan will discuss the rationale for his resignation shortly after General Buell arrived in Huntsville, his enforced absence from a new military command and his death in South Carolina on October 30, 1862.

Brian Hogan Biography:

Brian Hogan was born, raised and educated in Wisconsin. Brian had two Great Grandfathers that were Union Veterans. Brian's interest in the Civil War started in 1974 upon finding some photographs and other artifacts from his Great Grandfathers. His interest was heightened upon his transfer to Huntsville in 1977. His Great Grandfather Miles was wounded at the Battle of Stones River near Nashville; Brian was able to locate and stand in the position where his Great Grandfather was wounded. His Great Grandfather Bissett was stationed in Nashville at the end of the Civil War. Mr. Hogan has been an active member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and has served as Treasurer, Program Director, Board Member, and President of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table since its organization in 1993. He credits Ranee' Pruitt, Archivist at the Huntsville Library's Heritage Room, for piquing his interest in Huntsville History. Mr. Hogan has written articles for the Huntsville Historical Review and collaborated with Jacque Reeves on several articles for the Old Tennessee Valley magazine. He also compiled Huntsville history from 1860 through 1869 which was published in the Bicentennial History of Huntsville, Eden of the South, in 2005.

March 11, 2010 “Civil War in Alabama from Secession to the War's End”

Presented by Robert Bradley, author, preservationist and Chief Curator at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Preparation for war, secession, breakout of hostilities, inauguration of Jefferson Davis, the home front, hardships, African-American regiments, battles, war's end and reconstruction will be discussed. Mr. Bradley has been active for 36 years in Civil War History and Preservation. The presentation will be at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.

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Mr. Bradley will discuss the prewar purchase of arms and establishment of the Alabama Volunteer Corps, mobilization for war, the decision to fire on Ft. Sumter, seizure of Federal installations including the forts in Pensacola, secession of Alabama, formation of the Confederacy in Montgomery, election and inauguration of Jefferson Davis, the designing and raising of the First National Confederate flag, the original band score of Dixie, the Ft. Sumter/Ft. Pickens crisis, movement of the Capitol to Richmond, war on the home front, the blockade, shortages, hospitals, iron and coal industry, manufacturing, railroads, the role of slaves, women and other noncombatants, desertion, formation of African-American regiments, battles, Federal raids, the cost of the war and the beginning of Reconstruction.

Robert Bradley Biography

Prior to his position as Chief Curator at the Alabama department of Archives and History, he was a historian with the National Park Service (1974-1986), specializing in the management, preservation, and interpretation of 18th- to mid 20th-century fortifications and military sites. Of his several assignments, his position as Chief Historian at the Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston, South Carolina was his favorite. From 1986-1988 Mr. Bradley was Historic Sites Administrator for the Alabama Historical Commission. Since coming to the Archives in 1988 he has been responsible for the preservation, documentation, and conservation of the Department's collection of nearly a half-million artifacts. He is the author of Documenting the Civil War Period Flag Collection at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, which is available on the Department's web-site, and he has contributed to a wide variety of Civil War publications. He is also very active in Civil War battlefield preservation.