Civil War Round Table of Northeast Indiana

12/09/2025

Sad to report the passing of one of our long-time members. Steve was a great guy and loved history, both Civil War and other. He will be missed!

View Stephen J. Williams's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

11/26/2025

11/11/2025

Last night we learned a bunch of great history from Roundtable member Rod Strayer! He shared some pretty incredible history of the decade leading up to the Civil War here in Northeast Indiana. Did you know that the area had its own version of organized crime called the Blacklegs? Rod is working on finishing up a book on this segment of local history.....looking forward to it!

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day!

We would like to thank all veterans for their service to our community and our country. Veterans enjoy free admission to both Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum and the Shriver House Museum all day today, November 11th.

Active duty military members receive free admission to our museums every day.

11/06/2025

Friendly reminder to join us for our next Lincoln at the Library, "Mourning Lincoln,” where Dr. Martha Hodes explores reactions to Lincoln's death, which astounded a war-weary nation. This free virtual program will be held on Zoom on November 12, 2025, at 2 pm ET!

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The news of Abraham Lincoln’s death on April 15, 1865, just days after Confederate surrender, astounded the war-weary nation. Massive crowds turned out for services and ceremonies. Countless expressions of grief and dismay were printed in newspapers and preached in sermons. Public responses to the assassination have been well chronicled, but Dr. Martha Hodes’ book is the first to delve into the personal and intimate responses of everyday people—Northerners and Southerners, soldiers and civilians, black people and white, men and women, rich and poor. Through deep and thoughtful exploration of diaries, letters, and other personal writings penned during the spring and summer of 1865, Dr. Hodes captures the full range of reactions to the president’s assassination—far more diverse than public expressions would suggest—telling a story of shock, glee, sorrow, anger, blame, and fear. Hodes brings to life a key moment of national uncertainty and confusion, when competing visions of the country’s future proved irreconcilable and hopes for racial justice in the aftermath of the Civil War slipped from the nation’s grasp.
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Registration required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Zpv7iVygT1SqL6MF-tlHsQ #/registration

Email [email protected] for any questions.

Lincoln at the Library is sponsored by the Friends of the Allen County Public Library

11/06/2025

Congrats to one of our long time members (Steve Williams, not Steve Miller)!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FrtnzhrsX/

Mrs. Sharon Williams accepted the Virginia R. Miller Award for her husband, Steve Miller, from Huntington County Historical Society board member Mike Perkins, at left.

The award recognizes Steve's contributions to promoting historical preservation and education throughout the county. A lifelong resident of Huntington County, Steve is a Roanoke native who grew up on the outskirts of the town, graduated from Roanoke High School, and practiced law until his retirement in 2022. The Williamses live just outside Roanoke.

Though he lacked formal academic training in history, Steve Williams developed a deep appreciation for the past through his grandmother, Zola Zent Williams. The stories she and his maternal grandfather, Rev. Samuel Henderson, shared with him sparked an interest in Jackson Township history that led to many years of service on the board of directors of the Roanoke Area Heritage Center.

His grandmother also shared with Williams many accounts from the diaries of a family member, Union Army Colonel Sam Zent, of the 13th Indiana Regiment, which sparked a strong interest in the Civil War. Zent had enlisted in Roanoke and commanded troops during the storming of Fort Fisher in an 1865 battle that led to the capture of Wilmington, North Carolina — the last active Confederate port on the Atlantic Ocean. Williams, dressed in period costume, entertained local audiences for many years with “first-person presentations” of the colonel.

Williams has been actively involved for a long time in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Civil War Roundtable, both based in Fort Wayne. The Williamses are lifetime members of the Huntington County Historical Society, and, as a new society publication stated, “are exemplars of how we can honor those who came before us by sharing the stories of how they helped build the communities and values we hold dear today.”

The Historical Society established the Virginia R. Miller Award in 1984. Virginia Miller was a member of a local craft club that, as a 1976 American Bicentennial project, created a model replica of the village of Huntington as it appeared during the days of the settlers. She was the first recipient of this award, which was named in her honor. A panel consisting of previous Miller Award recipients selects the honoree.

11/04/2025

On this day, November 4, 1862, Indianapolis resident Richard Jordan Gatling received his first patent for the Gatling Machine Gun. According to sources, he designed the gun with hopes that it would "minimize the number of men needed to fight a war, and thus minimize the number of men exposed to its horrors."

Though not without problems, it was far more reliable than its predecessors, faster to load and could fire sustained bursts with less overheating. The first model had six barrels, which rotated round a central axis. The ammunition was held in a drum on top of the machine, which automatically loaded each barrel, fired a round and ejected the cartridge case.

Each barrel fired once in a full rotation. In a test in 1870 a Gatling fired 1,925 rounds in two and a half minutes. However, the Gatling gun, along with other machine guns, caused massive death tolls in the wars to come.

While in New York City to visit his daughter and to talk with his patent agency, Gatling died at his daughter's home on February 26, 1903. He is interred at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

09/17/2025

On September 8th, our Round Table was once again excited to host Dr. Curt Fields with his presentation as Gen. Ulysses S Grant. As always, he did an incredible job. This time the topic was how "Grant Saved Lee".
From the terms of surrender to advocating for leniency, the goal was to help our nation heal.

08/12/2025

Last night's meeting featured Dan Masters and his presentation on the Stones River battle in Tennessee. Very informative and engaging! Dan is a prolific Civil War author having published several books and has a couple more in the works. Interesting thing I have noticed that a lot of our presenters initial Civil War interest comes from diving into understanding ancestors' Civil War experiences. That was the case with Dan also.

08/04/2025

Sad to share that Eric Wittenberg, Civil War Historian and former presenter at our Roundtable, has passed away.

In Memory of Eric Wittenberg

A Tribute to a Dedicated Author, Historian, and Preservationist

It is with deep sadness that CVBT acknowledges the passing of Eric Wittenberg, devoted CVBT Board member, respected author, historian, and steadfast preservationist. For the past two years, Eric—at the age of 64—faced a courageous battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His commitment to history, his passion for storytelling, and his tireless work in preservation have left an indelible mark on all who knew him and on the communities he served.

Eric's contributions as a writer and historian have enriched the understanding of our shared past, while his leadership and advocacy for battlefield preservation ensured that vital stories would be safeguarded for generations to come. Eric's legacy is not only reflected in the written word but also in the landscapes and memories he helped protect.

In this difficult time, we invite you to keep Eric's wife, Susan, in your thoughts and extend your support and sympathy to her and their loved ones. Susan was Eric's steadfast companion throughout his journey, embodying strength and grace alongside him.

For those who wish to honor Erick's memory and provide support, contributions to the GoFundMe effort are welcomed and deeply appreciated. Your generosity will help the family during this challenging period.

Let us remember Eric not only for his professional accomplishments, but for his warmth, dedication, and the kindness he shared with so many. His loss is deeply felt, and his legacy will remain a guiding light within the preservation and historical communities.

May Eric Wittenberg rest in peace, and may Susan and all who mourn him find comfort in the enduring impact of his life and work.

07/16/2025

Looking ahead, Curt Fields as U.S. Grant will be joining us on Monday September 8th. Make sure to put it on your calendar.