The Round Table

The Founders, the Evolution of America, and the Road to Civil War

On Sunday, December 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present historian and author Eric Jacobson, who will speak on “The Founders, the Evolution of America, and the Road to Civil War.” The question and key issues on how a new country found itself on the path to a bloody civil war [...]

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Civil War Sentinels: Franklin’s Antebellum Buildings

On Sunday, November 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host local historian Rick Warwick, who will speak on “Civil War Sentinels: Franklin’s Antebellum Buildings.” The Civil War weighed heavy on Williamson County, and although the participants and residents have long since gone, there are still witnesses to the war in its surviving [...]

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The Civil War Along The Cumberland Plateau

On Sunday, October 11th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host professor,, author, and historian Dr. Aaron Astor, who will speak on the his new book, The Civil War Along Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. The terrain, the people, and the politics of the Cumberland Plateau combined to become the perfect setting for the most vicious [...]

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The 1861 Project at September Round Table

On Sunday, September 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host songwriter and producer Thomas Jutz, who will speak on “The 1861 Project.” Created by Jutz, The 1861 Project is a 3-CD collection of songs about the soldiers and civilians touched by the Civil War, and features artists such as Marty Stuart, John Anderson, Kim [...]

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The Tullahoma Campaign at August Round Table

On Sunday, August 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host author, historian, and tour guide Gregory S. Biggs, who will speak on “The Tullahoma Campaign.” Prior to June 27th, 1863, the Confederate cavalry in the West consistently dominated their Federal counterparts. Leaders like Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joe Wheeler and John Hunt Morgan had [...]

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Reclaiming the Franklin Battlefield

On Sunday, July 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host community leader and preservationist Julian Bibb, who will present “Reclaiming the Franklin Battlefield: An Update.” The acquisition of core battlefield property in Franklin has increased in pace and acreage since the 2005 purchase of the Eastern Flank property. Much has been [...]

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June Round Table Visits Historic Hiram Masonic Lodge

On Sunday, Jun 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will meet at the historic Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 7 to hear historian Rachael Finch  speak on the history of the building before, after, and during the Battle of Franklin. There will also be a display of historic artifacts. Hiram Masonic Lodge is [...]

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Religious Interest in the Civil War: 1861-1862

On Sunday, April 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian and author Dr. Kent Dollar, who will present “Religious Interest in the Civil War: 1861-1862.” Religion played a major role in both the life of the Civil War soldier and the politics of the war at the national level. Waves of [...]

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Thinking in Pictures and Sound: Making Civil War Films

On Sunday, March 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian, writer, and filmmaker Robert Lee Hodge, who will present “Thinking in Pictures and Sound: Making Civil War Films.” Hodge has a wide range of experience working in the national media in the area of Civil War history and research. He has appeared in dramas [...]

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The Lost Papers of General John Bell Hood

On Sunday, February 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Stephen “Sam” Hood, who will speak on his new book, The Lost Papers of Confederate General John Bell Hood, which is being released just in time for his presentation. A few years ago Hood, a descendent and vigorous defender of Army of [...]

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Divided Loyalties: Life Behind the Lines at January Round Table

On Sunday, January 11th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Gregory L. Wade, who will speak on “Divided Loyalties” and the incredible challenges for civilians during the Civil War. While Civil War battles are well researched, documented and discussed, life behind the lines has not been as deeply explored. The home [...]

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The Battle of Spring Hill at December Round Table

On Sunday, December 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian and author Jamie Gillam, who will present a discussion on the Battle of Spring Hill and the controversial events that led up to the Battle of Franklin one day later. Having marched into Tennessee under General John Bell Hood, the [...]

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On the Eastern Flank: Attack of the Confederate Right

On Sunday, November 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Robert D. Jenkins, an expert on the Army of Tennessee and the Atlanta campaigns, who will speak on the “Attack of the Confederate Right.” This will be the 75th presentation of the Round Table commemorating the attack across the Eastern Flank for [...]

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Improbable Civil Warriors: Forrest and Thomas

On Sunday, October 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Dr. Brian Steel Wills, Director of the Center for the Study of the Civil War Era and Professor of History at Kennesaw University in Georgia, who will present “Improbable Civil Warriors: Forrest and Thomas.” Dr. Wills has written extensively on the [...]

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Confederates in Canada at September Round Table

On Sunday, September 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Franklin native and retired physicist Dr. Gale Pewitt, who will present “Confederates in Canada: The St. Albans Raid.” The unexpected and successful Confederate attack at St. Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864 caught the Federal government off guard and shocked [...]

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“The Sultana Tragedy” at August’s Round Table

On Sunday, August 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Memphis attorney and historian Jerry O. Potter, who will speak on “The Sultana Tragedy.” The greatest maritime disaster in United States history occurred on April 17, 1865, when the Sultana, a Mississippi River side-wheel steamboat, exploded, killing an estimated 1,900 of her almost 2,500 passengers. [...]

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“The Funeral of General Leonidas Polk” at July Round Table

On Sunday, July 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present The Carter House’s Alan Corry, who will present “The Funeral of General Leonidas Polk.” Corry earned his Bachelors from Sam Houston State University and his Masters in Counseling and Christian Education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.An ordained minister, he has served [...]

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Citizen-General Jacob Cox and the Battle of Franklin

On Sunday, June 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present retired diplomat and author Dr. Gene Schmiel, who will speak on “Citizen-General Jacob Cox and the Battle of Franklin.” Jacob Donson Cox, with a degree in theology from Oberlin College and a practicing lawyer, joined the Federal service at the [...]

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Heritage Tourism at April Round Table

On Sunday, April 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Commissioner of Tourist Development Susan Whitaker, who will speak on the impact of heritage tourism in Tennessee. As the co-chair of Tennessee’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Whitaker is a strategic part of the planning and overseeing of Tennessee’s 150th Civil [...]

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Forbidden, Hidden and Forgotten: Women in the Ranks

On Sunday, March 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present author and educator Shelby Harriel who will speak on “Forbidden, Hidden and Forgotten: Women in the Ranks” during the Civil War. The wartime experiences and sacrifices of women were often similar to their male counterparts. There are many documented cases [...]

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“The Destructive Impact on Familes” at February Round Table

On Sunday, February 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present author and educator Amy Murrell Taylor who will speak on “The Destructive Impact on Families” during the Civil War. Amy Murrell Taylor is associate professor of history at the University of Kentucky.  She graduated from Duke University and received her [...]

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Shiloh: The Union Left, The First Day

On Sunday, January 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present former Shiloh National Military Park Superintendent, Woody Harrell who will speak on “Shiloh: The Union Left, The First Day.” Confederate success at Shiloh depended on pushing to the Tennessee River, then turning north to drive General Grant from Pittsburg Landing.  [...]

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December 17th, After Nashville

On Sunday, December 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Greg Wade, who will speak on “December 17th, After Nashville.” After Confederate General Hood dashed his army on the works at Nashville in December 1864, most books on the Army of Tennessee and the 1864 Tennessee campaign end, almost as [...]

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Civil War Veterans at Rest Haven Cemetery

On Sunday, November 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present historian and author Stewart Cruikshank who will speak on “Civil War Veterans at Rest Haven Cemetery.” The Rest Haven Cemetery, located just off Hillsboro Road in Franklin, was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Many of the [...]

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Failure at the Top: Why the Confederates Quit at Nashville

On Sunday, October 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Jim Kay who will speak on “Failure at the Top: Why the Confederates Quit at Nashville.” After a devastating loss of men and materials at the Battle of Franklin, General John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee was virtually destroyed at [...]

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Franklin Civil War Round Table co-sponsors Ed Bearss event

On Thursday, August 22 at Franklin’s Lotz House Museum, the Franklin Civil War Round Table co-sponsored “Dinner on the Battlefield and a Twilight Tour of the Franklin Battlefield” with American icon Ed Bearss. A capacity crowd enjoyed a wonderful Southern supper and an opportunity to tour the battlefield encompassing The Lotz House, Cotton Gin, and [...]

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The Battle of Rains’ Cut

On Sunday, August 11th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Brian Allison who will speak on “The Battle of Rains’ Cut.” On the first day of the 1864 Battle of Nashville, General George Thomas ordered a diversionary action on the far Federal left, near present day Polk Avenue in Nashville. [...]

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The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of a Confederate General

On Sunday, July 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Stephen “Sam” Hood who will speak on “The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of a Confederate General.” Hood, a descendent and vigorous defender of Army of Tennessee General John Bell Hood, a few months ago discovered a cache of formerly unknown [...]

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“Conflicted Friendships: John Bull, Uncle Sam and King Cotton – Union and Confederate Naval Strategies” at June’s Round Table

On Sunday, June 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Kent Wright who will speak on “Conflicted Friendships: John Bull, Uncle Sam and King Cotton – Union and Confederate Naval Strategies.” The first shots and the final shots of the American Civil War were fired from cannon aboard naval vessels. [...]

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THe Lotz House: Beauty and Tragedy

On Sunday, April 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present JT Thompson, Executive Director of the Lotz House, who will speak on “The Lotz House: Beauty and Tragedy.” The Lotz House, built in 1858 by German immigrant Johann Lotz, is a stunning example of craftsmanship seldom seen today.  And while [...]

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Round Table to Tour Parkers Crossroads Battlefield

Franklin Civil War Round Table members are invited to participate in an on-site tour of the Parkers Crossroads battlefield, Saturday, April 13th. This is a special event sponsored by the FCWRT.   Our friends with the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table (Huntsville) will also be participating. There will be a caravan leaving from the new [...]

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What the Yankees Did to Us at March’s Round Table

On Sunday, March 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. Steve Davis who will speak on “What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta.” In late July 1864 General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union army surrounded the city of Atlanta. After a prolonged shelling by artillery, [...]

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Robert Smalls and the C.S.S. Planter at February’s Meeting

On Sunday, February 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present FCWRT member and Battle of Franklin blogger Kraig McNutt to speak on “Robert Smalls and the C.S.S. Planter.” Robert Smalls’ remarkable escape from slavery came when, as a ship’s pilot he escaped with other slaves out of Charleston Harbor in [...]

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Battle of Chickamauga at January’s Round Table

On Sunday, January 13th at 3 P.M., Chickamauga National Park Ranger Jim Ogden returns to the Franklin Civil War Round Table to present his interactive “Battle of Chickamauga.” His presentation last year of “Campaign to Chickamauga” was very well-attended and received. The Battle of Chickamauga is considered by many to be a lost opportunity for [...]

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The War of 1812 and the Civil War at December’s Round Table

On December 9, 2012, at 3:00 p.m., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Myers Brown, curator of extension services at the Tennessee State Museum, who will speak on “The War of 1812 and the Civil War.” Tennessee played a major role in the War of 1812, which propelled Tennesseans including Andrew Jackson, Sam [...]

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Award-winning Author Peter Cozzens at November’s Round Table

On Sunday, November 11, 2012, at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present award-winning author Peter Cozzens, who will speak on the Cahaba Prison. The Cahaba Prison was established in Cahaba, Alabama June 1863 in a brick cotton warehouse above the banks of the Alabama River. It was intended to house only [...]

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J.D.B. De Bow: An Old New South at October’s Round Table

On Sunday, October 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. John F. Kvach of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) who will discuss the importance of J.D.B. De Bow, the antebellum South’s most influential editor. De Bow was one of the region’s most fascinating and influential individuals as [...]

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“Born to Battle: Grant and Forrest” at September’s Round Table

On Sunday, September 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present its 50th Roundtable event. Author Jack Hurst will speak on his recent work, “Born to Battle: Grant and Forrest – Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chattanooga.” Hurst will look at the Civil War’s Western theater through two great leaders, Ulysses S. Grant [...]

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Campaign to Chickamauga at August’s Round Table

On Sunday, August 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Chickamauga National Park Ranger Jim Ogden, who will present his interactive “Campaign to Chickamauga.” The Battle of Chickamauga is considered by many to be a lost opportunity for the Confederacy when Confederate forces defeated the Federals in an epic battle [...]

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Forrest’s Fighting Preacher at July’s Round Table

On Sunday, July 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present author and historian Dr. Michael Bradley, who will speak on David Campbell Kelley, a prominent Methodist who served as a Colonel under Bedford Forrest during some of their most dramatic campaigns and the subject of his latest book, Forrest’s Fighting [...]

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