Adjutant’s Call April 2026
Circular Memorandum #575, April 2026
“We Have Done all that is Possible and Must be Resigned: The First Petersburg Offensive”
Presented by: A. Wilson Greene
Date: Saturday, April 11 Location: Big Spring Country Club
Cocktails: 6:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM Program: 8:00 PM
Meet our Speaker - A. Wilson Greene
We welcome back our friend Will Greene to the April meeting. Will recently completed a 44-year career in public history as a park historian, battlefield preservationist, and museum director. Greene holds degrees in history from Florida State University and Louisiana State University, where he did his graduate work under the legendary T. Harry Williams earning his Ph.D. He worked for the National Park Service for sixteen years, was the first executive director of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites (now the American Battlefield Trust), and is the founding executive director of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier.
He is the author of seven books and more than 20 published articles on Civil War history. Greene's latest publication is A Campaign of Giants: From the Crater’s Aftermath to the Battle of Burgess Mill. This is the second of a projected three-volume study of the Petersburg Campaign from the University of North Carolina Press.
Greene lives in Walden, Tennessee with his wife, Maggie, and his cat, Ozzie Guillen. Will was our guide on the Petersburg field trip we took in 1998, the Shenandoah 1864 field trip we took in 2013, and was our guide on the 2018 field trip of Jackson’s 1862 Shenandoah campaign.
"We Have Done All That is Possible and Must Be Resigned: The First Petersburg Offensive"
In June 1864, Ulysses S. Grant conducted one of the most brilliant logistical maneuvers of the Civil War. The Army of the Potomac and a portion of the Army of the James moved from the Cold Harbor trenches to and across the mighty James River, leaving Robert E. Lee confused and uncertain of Grant's intentions. Those intentions were to capture Petersburg, the supply and logistical center for the Army of Northern Virginia. Despite enjoying numerical superiority of almost five to one, after four days of fighting between June 15 and 18, Petersburg remained in Confederate hands. The story of how the Federals squandered the chance to change the calculus of the Civil War will be the subject of Will Greene's talk.
Reservations Are to be Sent to Doug Krawczyk or Made on Our Website
If you do not make a reservation, you may not get fed!
The Round Table must give Big Spring an accurate count of reservations no later than Thursday before our Saturday meeting. Reservations can be made by emailing Doug Krawczyk at rdklou1@gmail.com or by calling Doug Krawczyk at 502-592-6864.
When making a reservation for more than yourself, please list the names of everyone for which you are making a reservation. If you are calling Doug, and get his voicemail, please spell your name so he can properly identify the reservation.
If you wish to join us for just the program, you must still make a reservation so we can assure you have space and a seat. If you are attending just the program, you can call Doug anytime up to 4:00 PM the day of the Meeting.
Reminder for Table Reservations: Tables for parties of eight (8) can be reserved. When making a Table Reservation, please list the names of everyone in your party. That will ensure everyone in your party will be at the same table and enable us to manage our meeting space in a more efficient manner.
Make Your Meeting Reservations Online!
Members of the Round Table now have new options for making dinner reservations, You can go to our new website, www.LouisvilleCWRT.com and make your meeting reservation and make your payment.
Harold Holzer is Coming to the Louisville Civil War Round Table!
Mark your calendars for our 600th meeting celebration to be held on May 9, 2026. To help us celebrate this special event, we are very excited to have renowned Abraham Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer come and speak to us. He is one of the country's leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era. A prolific writer and lecturer, and frequent guest on television, Holzer served for six years (2010–2016) as Chairman of The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation. We are planning several special ways that we will commemorate this special occasion. Stay tuned for details as this will be a meeting you will not want to miss!
We Still Have Room for You!
Field Trip to the Carolinas: Sherman’s 1865 Campaign: April 22-26, 2026
$200 Final Payment is Now Due
The final payment of $200 is now due. You can pay the $200 final payment by mailing your $200 check made out to LCWRT directly to Louisville Civil War Round Table, 9462 Brownsboro Road - #142, Louisville, Ky., 40241. This makes the total per person payment for the field trip $400. You can also pay the final payment and $200 non-refundable deposit by going to our website, www.louisvillecwrt.com and scrolling down in the Events tab to the Field Trip. We are going to the Carolinas to learn about the Civil War’s last major campaign that took place in March and April of 1865 culminating in the surrender of the Confederacy’s last major army. The campaign pitted William Sherman against Joseph Johnston. Our guide will be Civil War historian and author Wade Sokolosky. Wade was recently named the new Executive Director of the Blue and Gray Educational Society. He is a retired colonel and a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He is a respected historian and the author of four books with more on the way. Wade has been leading battlefield tours for many years and is recognized as an authority on the Civil War battles in the Carolinas. Wade will be coming to the Round Table to speak to us this December. This is a field trip we have never taken and we will see several well preserved battlefields including Averasboro, Monroe’s Crossroads, Wise’s Forks and Bentonville. We will also see the ironclad CSS Neuse and many other historical sites along the way. We will be staying in Smithfield, North Carolina. We will walk this hollowed ground and cover in detail what unfolded. You can sign up now by emailing John Davis at jddavis1122@gmail.com or you can sign up at the meetings.
President’s Note: Membership Ambassadors
President’s Note April:
Happy Spring🌷 The field trippers are getting packed for North Carolina, and Harold Holzer is all set to join us in May for our 600th meeting celebration. Don’t miss this VERY special evening with Harold – he is the preeminent Lincoln scholar in the country. We are lucky to have him joining us – bring a friend or three for a wonderful evening of Civil War fellowship. We have Doug Krawczyk to thank for putting this together. Thank you, Doug! And, note, the price for the May dinner is $19.61 – you should all know the significance of that by now!! If you plan on paying with cash at the door, the price will be $20 (Patrick is not bringing coins to the check-in table).
Our fall schedule has been posted - mark those dates on you calendar now, so you don’t miss any of the great speakers lined up, as we resume the next season. Dates and details are also posted on our website for Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec.
Although, my term doesn’t end until July, I will be out of the country for the next two meetings. Bob Glass and John Davis will be filling in for me. Thank you, gentlemen!! BIG thanks, as well, to the general membership for all of the kind words, support, and excellent attendance this year. And, lastly, I would also like to thank YOUR hardworking board members. They are dedicated to bringing you the best possible experience each meeting, and making our Round Table one of the best in the country. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall. Have a safe and fun summer.
Julie
2025 – 2026 Schedule
Saturday April 11 Will Greene “Lost Opportunity: Grant Crosses the James”
Saturday May 9 Harold Holzer “Abraham Lincoln”
Friday September 11 Brandon Carter “Savannah in the Civil War”
Friday October 9 Chris Mackowski “TBA”
Saturday November 7 William C. Davis “The Orphan Brigade”
Friday December 11 Phillip Seyfrit and George Ridings “The Battle of Richmond Kentucky”
Two Great Books
Our April speaker, Will Grene, is writing the definitive study of the Petersburg campaign. He has now completed two of the three volumns of “A Campaign of Giants: The Battle for Petersburg”. The “Giants” are of course Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Volume one, “From the Crossing of the James to the Crater” covers the struggle for Petersburg from Grant’s crossing of the James until the horriffic Battle of the Crater on July 30. After crossing the James on June 15, over the next four days Grant will try unsucessfully to take Petersburg by storm against the vastly outnumbered Confederates. Volume two, “From the Crater’s Aftermath to the Battle of Burgess Mill,” covers the campaign from August to the end of October 1864 during which Grant launches three major offensives against Lee’s defensives around Petersburg and Richmond. The Confederates are able to fend off these attacks but Grant will cut off one of the major supply routes Lee depends on and will strecht the Rebel entrenchments to 35 miles thus weakening his badly outnumbered army. Wade Hampton leads a spectacular cavalry raid behind Union lines and brings away 2,500 cattle that will help feed Lee’s army in the famous “Beefsteak Raid”.
These books are without doubt the best studies ever done on the Petersburg campaign and will stand as the definitive work. Will Greene spent 24 years of his distinguished career at Petersburg and now has devoted his time to writing these volumes. Exhausting research and a brillantly written account go into these volumns.
Historian Jeffrey Wert states, “no previous work can compare to this masterful account. Greene offers astute observations and a wealth of detail in a compelling narrative.” These books will be available for purchase at the April meeting.
New Name Badge Policy
We are implementing a new name badge policy. Each member will be responsible for keeping their name badges. No longer will the name badges be brought to the meeting and placed on racks. There will be a box with the name badge sorted alphabetically and you can check this box. When you leave the meeting do not leave your name badge, take it home with you and bring it to the next meeting. New members will be given a name badge and if you lose your name badge you can email John Davis at jddavis1122@gmail.com to get a new one.
We want to thank all the folks who have volunteered in the past who have worked to maintain the name badges. This new policy will greatly reduced the effort and time involved in bringing the name badges to the meetings.
Not Receiving the Newsletter?
If you are a member of the Round Table, you should be receiving the newsletter in your email. The newsletter is sent to your email about 12 days before each meeting. There are still a few members who receive the newsletter by mail but we want all members to receive it by email. If you are not receiving the newsletter, please let us know by emailing John Davis at jddavis1122@gmail.com. It may be that we do not have your correc address or you may have changed your email address to a new one.
The Newsletter is on our Website
If for some reason, you do not get the newsletter or lose or delete your copy, the Newsletter is on our website www.LouisvilleCWRT.com. It is posted on the website approximately 12 days before the meetings.
Stuart Sanders to Speak at the Kentucky Civil War Round Table
Stuart W. Sanders will be speaking about his book Anatomy of a Duel: Secession, Civil War, and the Evolution of Kentucky Violence, which examines a duel fought with Colt Revolving Rifles near Maysville, Kentucky, in 1862 between a Union colonel and a pro-Confederate civilian. Sanders’ book examines the secession crisis and how violence changed in Kentucky after the Civil War through the lens of this bloody affair of honor.
Link to RSVP for the meeting is here; anyone interested in attending should please RSVP and pay by April 15th at 4 PM.
12th Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge
Our friends at The Emerging Civil War have announced the full line-up of speakers for the 12th Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge. The event will be held August 7–9, 2025. Tickets are available for $325 each. The theme will be “Partnerships and Rivalries.” Several of our members have gone in the past few years and have really enjoyed this symposium.
They will be featuring TWO keynote speakers this year:
Harold Holzer—Presidents in Print: The Dueling Images of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
Craig Symonds—Admirals in Blue and Gray: Farragut and Buchanan
Plus, they have a line-up of eight other speakers:
Kris White—“Heavens, How They Hate Him”: Braxton Bragg and the Army of Tennessee’s High Command
Dr. Angela Zombeck—Partners in Escape: POW Escape Attempts and Plots, Successful and Stymied
Joseph Ricci—“Not with a Pen but a Sword”: George H. Thomas and John M. Schofield
Pat Kelly-Fischer—Duel in the Desert: Canby and Sibley’s Fight for the West
Neil Chatelain—The Mississippi River vs. Everyone: How Grant, Foote, Pope, Farragut, Porter, Butler, Lovell, Johnston, Beauregard, and Hollins had to fight the “Father of Waters” before fighting each other
Ryan Quint—“With Friends Like These…”: Ambrose Burnside and Joseph Hooker, Late 1862
Tim Smith (of the East)—Friction in Command: Personal and Professional Conflicts Between the Union Commanders During the Gettysburg Campaign
Evan Portman—Frenemies: The Partnership and Rivalry of Joshua Chamberlain and Ellis Spear
Our popular Friday evening panel also returns, and we'll have a Sunday morning tour—so we have lots going on!
For information or to order tickets, visit our Symposium page.
Attest: By Order of:
John Davis Julie Bartlett
Adjutant President