cleveland – The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable

Lines Drawn in War: Cartographers, Cameras, and the Civil War Landscape

By Don Iannone
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in The Charger in April 2026.

The American Civil War is often remembered through movement. Armies advance, lines break, and commanders maneuver across contested ground. Beneath these visible actions lay a quieter discipline that made such movement possible. Cartographers, working as topographical engineers, surveyors, and mapmakers, translated uncertain terrain into usable knowledge. Their work shaped strategy, influenced outcomes, and helped define how the war would be remembered.

These men did more than record geography. They interpreted it. In doing so, they imposed order on chaos, sometimes accurately, sometimes imperfectly, but always with consequence.

Edwin Cole Bearss, 1923-2020

By Brian D. Kowell
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in The Charger in January 2026.

Edwin Cole Bearss was born on June 26, 1923 in Billings, Montana. His parents were Omar Effinger Bearss (1896-1981) and Virginia Louise Morse Bearss (1901-1964). He had one younger brother, Robert (Pat) Bearss. Ed was raised on a 10,000-acre cattle ranch that was 90 miles west of Billings and was named the E bar S. He grew up with kerosene lamps and horse-drawn plows. Ed and his brother Pat worked on the ranch when not attending school. Their first school, a one-room schoolhouse, Sarpy School, was six miles away, and sometimes the boys rode together on horseback to and from the school.

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 5

The Fall of Atlanta

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the April 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

Part 4 of this series (the March 2026 history brief) covered the previous phase of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign in the wake of General Ulysses S. Grant’s letter of April 4, 1864, which directed Sherman regarding the rebel Army of Tennessee: “to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” Part 4 specifically covered Sherman’s advance against the retreating Confederate army from the Chattahoochee River to the Battle of Peachtree Creek. With the aggressive Confederate General John Bell Hood now in command of the rebel Army of Tennessee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis thought that the momentum of the campaign could possibly turn in the South’s favor. But the rebel defeat at Peachtree Creek was a step in the wrong direction.

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 4

Chattahoochee River to the Battle of Peachtree Creek

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the March 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

Part 3 of this series (the February 2026 history brief) covered the previous phase of Union General William Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign in the wake of General Ulysses Grant’s letter of April 4, 1864, which directed Sherman regarding the rebel Army of Tennessee: “to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” Part 3 specifically covered Sherman’s advance against General Joseph Johnston’s retreating Army of Tennessee from Kennesaw Mountain to the Chattahoochee River. A formidable defensive general, Johnston throughout the campaign selected excellent defensive positions. But now, the Chattahoochee River was the last natural defensive position only a few miles north of Atlanta itself. As they say, Johnston “had his back up against the wall.”

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 3

Allatoona Pass to Kennesaw Mountain and the Chattahoochee River

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the February 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

Part 2 of this series (the December 2025 history brief) further examined Union General William Sherman’s continued Atlanta Campaign in the wake of General Ulysses Grant’s letter of April 4, 1864, which directed Sherman regarding the rebel Army of Tennessee: “to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” That history brief covered Sherman’s advance against General Joseph Johnston’s retreating Confederate army from Resaca to Allatoona, arriving there on May 20, 1864. A formidable defensive general, Johnston throughout the campaign selected ideal defensive positions, and Allatoona was among the best.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – Illinois

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? Illinois

By David F. Parchem
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: The subject of the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate at the January 2026 Roundtable meeting was: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Four members made presentations on the topic; the article below was one of those four presentations.

“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.”

General George S. Patton

The three most important men for winning the Civil War came from Illinois.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – New York

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? New York

By Don Iannone
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

New York and the Union War System: Men, Money, Movement, and Mind

Before I begin, I want to thank Judge William Vodrey for organizing this debate and the members of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable for hosting it. It’s a privilege to be part of a forum that takes history seriously and argues about it in good faith.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – Virginia

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? Virginia

By Jack Prause
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Good evening, fellow Civil War history enthusiasts. I stand to argue that no state was more pivotal in the American Civil War than Virginia. From its battlefields to its generals, from the halls of Richmond to the farms of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia was the beating heart of the conflict. It was the main battleground, the home of legendary leaders, the arsenal and breadbasket of the Confederacy, and ultimately the place where the war effectively began and ended.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – South Carolina

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? South Carolina

By Ryan Bailey
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

South Carolina and the Making of the American Civil War: Ideological Leadership, Political Escalation, and the Collapse of Compromise

The Great Debate of 2026: Opening Remarks

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?

By William F.B. Vodrey – debate moderator
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: The subject of the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate at the January 2026 Roundtable meeting was: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Four members made presentations on the topic; the article below was the opening remarks made by the moderator of the debate.

We’re here tonight for the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate, named after my longtime predecessor as moderator, Dick Crews. Dick once told me that the debate got its start as a Roundtable tradition because of the difficulty of finding speakers who were willing to travel to Cleveland in January. In moderating again tonight for, God help us all, my 22nd year, I stand on the shoulders of giants, including Dick.