05 May 2011

May Program

            On Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7:30 PM the SDCWRT will hold its 297th meeting at Palisades Presbyterian Church, at 6301 Birchwood St., San Diego, CA 92120. 

            This month, SDCWRT member Gene Armistead will present “Generally Despicable: Men Who Wore the Star During the Civil War”.  Some Civil War Generals, like Forrest and Sherman, are thought despicable—even despised—by partisans of the other side.  Some, like Ben Butler, are thought to be despicable by nearly everyone even though charges against him were actually false.  Some, like Dan Sickles, really were despicable people but somehow managed to pretty much behave during the war.  Gene will review the actions of a dozen generals, mostly little known, who wore the star and excelled in personal despicability during the Civil War.

April 2011 Meeting

By Travis Fuqua with Photographs by Travis Fuqua

            On April 20, 2011, Joshua A. Weiselberg presented “An Introduction to the Western Theatre of the Civil War: 1862 Mill Springs and Shiloh”.  Mr. Weiselberg is an author who is currently working on getting his book published.  His book is about a hunt for treasure in Louisiana and while in the process of researching for writing this book, he became engrossed in the Civil War.  The Battles of Mill Springs and Shiloh are central events in his novel as they were the first major Federal victories in the Civil War.  In addition, the Battle of Mill Springs showed the strengths and weaknesses of many famous Civil War commanders.

Mr. Weiselberg Showing Manœuvres at the Battle of Mill Springs

            Mr. Weiselberg began with outlining the structure of the Federal Army and a map of the Civil War as well as the Federal and Confederate officers involved in the Battle of Mill Springs.  He then began by explaining the events at the Battle of Mill Springs.  Confederate Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer charged uphill against Federal General, and the Federal commander at Mill Springs, George Thomas.  In addition, the terrain and weather, being January 19, 1862, made fighting very difficult.  The soldiers who could fight had trouble differentiating between the two sides as the Confederacy had not yet adopted gray and both sides were wearing blue.  Later, Federal Colonel Speed S. Fry met General Zollicoffer in the confusion and shot him, making Zollicoffer the first Confederate general to die in the war.  Later Confederate General George Crittenden, the Confederate leader in the battle, ordered a brigade to charge, but poor equipment and materiel hampered their advance and they were repelled.  In the end, the Federal Army won and Kentucky remained neutral.