Upcoming CCWRT Program
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

February 2025 Roundtable Meeting: Dr. Chris Mackowski – “Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg”

The February 2025 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable will take place on February 12, 2025 beginning at 6:00 p.m. This will be an in-person meeting. The speaker will be Dr. Chris Mackowski, and the title of Chris’s presentation is “Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg.”

It’s the most-asked ‘What If’ of the Civil War: What if Stonewall Jackson had been at Gettysburg? It’s not just an impossible question to answer (because Jackson was dead), but it would have been such an impossible scenario to begin with. Let’s look at all the reasons why, which may help us better understand some of the assumptions people make when they ask the question in the first place.

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War and the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie. Chris is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, where he also serves as associate dean for undergraduate programs. In addition, Chris is historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has worked as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania) as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died.

Chris has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen books and edited a half-dozen essay collections on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines. Chris serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, and he serves on the advisory board of the Civil War Roundtable Congress and the Brunswick (NC) Civil War Roundtable – the largest in the country. He is also a member of the Antietam Institute and the U.S. Grant Homestead Association. In 2023, he was honored with the Houston Civil War Round Table’s Frank Vandiver Award and was also selected as the Copie Hill Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust.

The February 2025 meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Independence (6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131). Reservations should be made by sending an email to the Roundtable’s reservation email account (ccwrtreserve@gmail.com). Reservations must be made no later than eight days before the meeting (i.e., no later than February 4, 2025). When making a reservation, please include your name and the number and names of any guests. Please also indicate the meal choice for you (and any guests). The three meal options are chicken cordon bleu, parmesan-encrusted whitefish, and stacked eggplant parmesan. If a reservation needs to be canceled, it must be canceled no later than February 11, 2025. Dinner will be provided to anyone who has a reservation. The cost of dinner is $35 per person. Other details can be found on the Reservations web page by clicking on this link.

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Meeting Summary, January 2025: Dick Crews Memorial Debate – “The Table Is Set, So Who Are You Bringing Along?”

“Which individual from the Civil War would be the most interesting to sit down and speak with over dinner or a tasty beverage?”

The January 2025 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable featured the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate. The topic was “The Table Is Set, So Who Are You Bringing Along?” Debaters presented their opinion regarding which individual from the Civil War they consider to be the most interesting to sit down and speak with over dinner or a tasty beverage. The debaters also shared the subjects that they would discuss with the Civil War figure with whom they chose to have a conversation. As in past debates, William Vodrey served as the debate’s moderator. In his opening remarks, William pointed out that he had less difficulty recruiting debaters this year than in past debates, which is evidence that this year’s debate topic, which was formulated by Roundtable President Gene Claridge, was considered by the Roundtable members to be very interesting and appealing.

The format for the 2025 debate was like that of past debates. Each debater had five minutes to present an argument. Then, after each debater’s presentation, that debater fielded questions from the meeting’s attendees. This was followed by an open discussion period (the so-called “scrum”) in which all five debaters fielded questions from the audience and also gave questions or comments to each other. The order for the presentations was determined randomly.

The first presentation was by John Syroney, who chose Dan Sickles. John asked Sickles, over scotch, why the general chose to move the III Corps forward from Cemetery Ridge to the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. John indicated that Sickles told him that the position that was assigned to Sickles’ corps was untenable. Sickles further stated that because he assessed that his position could not be held, he determined that it was advantageous to move his corps forward to a much more favorable position. Sickles asserted that his corps absorbed and thwarted James Longstreet’s assault on July 2, 1863, and this is clear evidence that Sickles’ movement forward was tactically correct. Sickles also insisted that the disruption of Longstreet’s assault on the battle’s second day led to ultimate Union victory at Gettysburg. John also noted that after the war Sickles was instrumental in preserving the Gettysburg battlefield and initiating the process of making the battlefield the renowned Civil War destination that it has become. In answer to the criticism that there is no monument to Sickles at Gettysburg, Sickles claimed that his Gettysburg monument is the entire battlefield.

The next debater to present was Emily Dickinson, who chose to discuss with Ulysses S. Grant, over London Fogs, how Grant’s experiences in the Mexican-American War shaped his military plans during the Civil War. Emily pointed out that Grant learned a valuable lesson from Zachary Taylor about how to conduct himself as a commander. Specifically, Grant observed that Taylor was unpretentious and that this helped Taylor’s men to relate to him. Grant was likewise famously unpretentious when he was in command of an army during the Civil War. Grant, who had an affection for animals, came to realize the horrors of bloodshed while watching a bullfight, and this made him appreciate the terrible sacrifices of those who fight in a war. Because it seemed to Grant that the U.S. had unfairly gone to war with Mexico, Grant believed that nations are punished for their transgressions. But perhaps the most important lesson that Grant learned came from the time he met Robert E. Lee. This experience taught Grant that Lee was mortal and should not be considered unbeatable.

The third presentation was by Terry McHale, who argued in favor of Thomas Francis Meagher. Terry discussed with Meagher, over 69th N.Y. Regimental Cocktails, Meagher’s expectations for his veterans eventually helping him expel the British from Ireland. Terry spoke of how Meagher ardently advocated war to free Ireland from England. Terry also related that Meagher was extremely passionate about the plight of his downtrodden countrymen, both in Ireland and in the U.S., and that Meagher believed that English occupation was a major factor in causing the Irish to be so destitute. As Terry explained, this belief fueled Meagher’s intense desire to free Ireland from its oppression by England, even if war was necessary to accomplish this, and the wartime experiences of Irish soldiers in the Civil War could provide valuable training. Terry pointed out that Meagher gave sprigs of boxwood to the men of the Irish brigade to put in their hats as a way of showing that the men were fighting for both the U.S. and for Ireland. Terry also made sure to tell the audience the recipe for 69th N.Y. Regimental Cocktails: one part Irish whiskey and three parts champagne.

Jonathan Collens was the next debater to present, and Jonathan chose to have a conversation with Robert E. Lee over buttermilk. Jonathan wanted to learn what Lee might have done differently during the Civil War, and if Lee had any regrets. To this end, Jonathan had a number of insightful questions that he wanted to ask Lee. For example, Jonathan pointed out that during the years immediately preceding the Civil War, when secession fever was reaching its pinnacle, Lee stated that he was opposed to secession. But if Lee did not favor secession, then why did Lee fight on the side that had secession as its primary objective? Jonathan also noted that Lee had reservations about slavery. But again, why then did Lee lead an army in a war that had the preservation of slavery as one of its goals? In addition, Jonathan said that Lee advocated a defensive strategy because of the numerical superiority of the North. Yet Lee fought very aggressively, including invading the North more than once, so what would Lee do differently from a military standpoint? Jonathan’s probing questions for Lee address very well the goal of elucidating what Lee would have done differently and if Lee had any regrets.

Lastly, Paul Siedel chose to discuss with Patrick Cleburne, over Irish whiskey, neat, Cleburne’s proposal to let slaves serve in the Confederate army and thereby win their freedom. Paul indicated that Cleburne, being of European birth and upbringing, had different views on slavery than the typical Southerner, and this may have played a role in Cleburne’s thinking about arming slaves and making them soldiers. Paul pointed out that Cleburne understood that using slaves as soldiers would greatly increase military manpower for the South at a time when manpower had become a serious problem for the Confederate army. Paul also stated that Cleburne realized that arming slaves would have a psychological effect on the North. With regard to freeing slaves who fought for the South, Paul mentioned that Cleburne foresaw that improved farming procedures and better machinery would make slavery unnecessary. However, Paul noted that Southern sentiment was so much against Cleburne’s proposal that it was soundly rejected, and Cleburne was ostracized.

After all of the debaters made their presentations and answered questions individually, the “scrum” took place, and this proved to be a very lively exchange of information and opinions. Then the attendees at the meeting voted to decide which debater made the strongest case for the most interesting Civil War person with whom to have a conversation. The voters chose Emily Dickinson as the debater who made the best case, and Emily was awarded fabulous prizes.

The Roundtable thanks Jonathan Collens, Emily Dickinson, Terry McHale, Paul Siedel, and John Syroney for their excellent presentations and for a memorable debate. The Roundtable also thanks William Vodrey for moderating the debate and for all his work in organizing the debate.

Latest History Brief (December 2024) Now Posted

Roundtable historian Dan Ursu’s December 2024 history brief has been posted. Dan’s latest history brief is General Meade at Fredericksburg. This history brief discusses the actions of George G. Meade’s division at the Battle of Fredericksburg and how those actions could have reversed the battle’s outcome. Dan’s history brief can be accessed by clicking on this link.

January 2025 Charger Uploaded

The January 2025 issue of The Charger has been uploaded. It can be accessed by clicking on this link.

Membership Roster and Contact Information

We have worked very hard to improve our membership database and contact information this year, but we know we probably have more work to do. Please be sure to keep us advised of changes in contact information by sending us the information at clecwrt@gmail.com. We monitor that email account on a regular basis, so this would be a big help in making sure we can keep you informed of group activities. If you want to see what has been posted on our Facebook page or Twitter account, you do not have to become a member of the Roundtable. Everyone is welcome to view our Facebook page and Twitter account. These can also be accessed by googling “Cleveland Civil War Roundtable” and either “Facebook” or “Twitter” and clicking on the appropriate link in the search results.