Adjutant’s Call - October 2021
Circular Memorandum #529 - October 2021
“Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln: A Comparison” Will be Presented by William C. Davis on Sunday, October 10 at Big Spring Country Club.
Meet Our Speaker – William C. “Jack” Davis
We welcome back longtime friend of the Round Table William C. “Jack” Davis. Specializing in the American Civil War, Davis has twice been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize (for Breckinridge: Statesman, Soldier, Symbol and Battle at Bull Run). He has written more than 40 books on the American Civil War and other aspects of early southern U.S. history. He is the only three-time winner of the Jefferson Davis Prize for Confederate history and was awarded the Jules F. Landry Award for Southern history. Davis earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts of History in 1969 from Sonoma State University. For many years he was editor and publisher of Civil War Times Illustrated and lived in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Davis's expertise on Confederate and southern U.S. history has made him a valued consultant for newspaper articles as well as television productions, including the Arts & Entertainment Network/History Channel series "Civil War Journal". Davis served as a consultant for the creation of a United States postage stamp of Jefferson Davis and has had input into the formation of the Museum of the Civil War in Petersburg, Virginia.
He was awarded the Sonoma State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993. He is a past president of the National Historical Society. In 2000, Davis became a professor at Virginia Tech, where he served as director of programs for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. He is now retired and lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln: A Comparison”
Inevitably Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis have been compared to each other in their roles as commanders-in-chief, and inevitably Davis has always come out second best. Yet, a dispassionate look at their acts in office suggests that Davis deserves more credit than he has been given, and in some areas he performed as well as, if not better than, Lincoln. 'Lincoln and Davis as Presidents' takes a close look at their performance in several key areas, with results that some may find surprising.
The 9th Annual Bourbon and BBQ Huge Success!!!
The 9 th Annual Bourbon and BBQ fundraiser was held on September 4th . Fifty-five folks attended this years event and were treated to a talk on “Devils and Spirits of Kentuckiana” presented by Dr. James Fuller on a Civil War serial killer. The whiskey tasting featured Michael Veach and Indiana whiskeys. Our thanks go to everyone who attended and special thanks to Art Boerner who again hosted this event at his lovely home on the Ohio River and treated us to his wonderful smoked ribs! Thanks to everyone who attended and to everyone who contributed food and helped with the setup and clean up. It takes a lot of work by a lot of people to pull this off each year. Thank you Doug Krawczyk for directing this year’s event and to Marc Oca for his great pulled pork! We raised $2247.00 for the Round Table that will toward paying our speaker expenses this year!
Price Increase at Big Spring
We were informed this summer that the price of the buffet dinner at Big Spring would increase from $28 to $32. It was explained that this is due to the rising costs of food and of the personnel needed to prepare and serve the dinner. The Round Table Board of Directors voted to subsidize this increase for the 2021- 2022 year. At the September meeting, the Round Table paid the $4 difference for all members. For the remainder of the year, the Round Table will pay a $2 subsidy for each dinner so that the cost will be $30 thru the May meeting. We feel this is still a good deal for the buffet and the facility. The normal price charged for the buffet is $45 so we are getting a significant discount on the meal. We hate to see any price increase, but this seems to be the way things are going at present with the cost of food going up and the cost of labor rising. We are happy to report that the fried chicken tastes just as good as ever!
Please Renew Your Membership!
As we continue to monitor the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the social unrest that has dominated our thoughts for the last six months, please know that we intend to return to our usual meetings and events as soon as possible. I mention this because it is now more important than ever that those of us who value our history must continue to do so. As stated in our by-laws, “The purpose of the Louisville Civil War Round Table, Inc. is to study all aspects of the American Civil War and to promote the interchange of knowledge about it.” By studying, reading, and learning from great historians and speakers about this crucial time in our history, we insure that the sacrifices of those “who gave the last full measure” should not be forgotten or devalued and their memory forgotten. That is why I hope you will renew your membership and stay the course with us. We will come back and provide you with the very best in speakers, field trips, the Bourbon and BBQ, and yes, the fried chicken will return!
Help Save 407 Acres of Western Theater Battlefields
The Opportunity:
Over the course of a little more than two years, five battles across three states in the Western Theater of the Civil War were fought that changed the course, and ultimately, the outcome of the American Civil War. Union and Confederate forces fought fiercely on these tracts of land to control the means of transportation in the south — both on the river and by railroad. We have an opportunity to save these lands so that the history that unfolded on these hallowed grounds is never lost or forgotten.
The Battle of Corinth
The first small parcel of ground in Corinth, Mississippi we have an opportunity to save— just six-tenths of an acre — played a big role in the fighting, eventually giving the Union Army control of the railroads that converged there and an opportunity to strike towards the garrison city nicknamed the “Gibraltar of the South”— Vicksburg. This small parcel has been listed for sale in the local real estate market and is literally across the street from the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, making it an incredibly valuable addition to the National Park Service site. With your generous support, we can buy the land outright, stewarding it until we can transfer it to the Park Service.
The Battle of Champion Hill
Recently, thanks to your generous support, we were able to meet our fundraising goal to secure a 144-acre tract at the heart of the Battle of Champion Hill. Now, the Champion family who have faithfully protected their ancestral lands since the fighting took place, have agreed to let us acquire an even larger parcel of land at the northern portion of the battlefield — 393.7 acres to be exact. Saving the Champions’ land from commercial development or new housing projects is what is best for this tract so this important chapter of our nation’s history can be available to future generations.
The Siege & Battle at Port Hudson
When Confederate forces surrendered at Port Hudson, the Union Army secured a vital port on the Mississippi River. You and I have the chance to purchase — and save forever — this incredibly historic 2.6-acre tract that lies well within the Confederates’ defenses that were impacted heavily by an almost nonstop bombardment of Union artillery. The property also contains a portion of the post-siege earthworks that were constructed by the Union’s Corps d’Afrique, a unit that later became part of the United States Colored Troops — adding to its historic nature. Also listed for sale in the local real estate market, this tract will be a lost opportunity unless we buy it outright and care for the land until we can transfer it to the state of Louisiana for inclusion in the Port Hudson State Historic Site.
The Battle of Chattanooga
Finally, there are two preservation opportunities that figured prominently in the Battle of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. The first tract, a 7.6-acre parcel includes the area near Lookout Creek at Light’s Mill, where Federal troops struck the main Confederate picket line before climbing the western slope of Lookout Mountain to launch a flank attack against Confederate forces positioned above them.
The second is a 2.2-acre tract across the street from the first tract. Both are either listed for sale or are about to be and are the envy of developers because they have easy access to Lookout Creek or can be subdivided into multiple lots for new homes.
Given the history of all these tracts, and given the threats they face, we want to purchase them as quickly as possible. Please make your most generous gift today to help us raise $307,450 and save 407 The Adjutant’s Call 6 October, 2021 critical acres of land in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee, where four decisive battles won by Union forces eventually led to the end of the war itself. Every $1 you give will be matched by $9.27! You can mail your gift to save these battlefields to American Battlefield Trust; P.O. Box 1751; Merrifield VA 22116. You can also visit the American Battlefield Trust website at Battlefields.org.