Austin Civil War Round Table

05/16/2026

Austin Civil War Roundtable –May 2026 Zoom Meeting

Topic: “Sending Lee to the Rear" zoom program
Time: May 20, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82622785127

"Sending Lee to the Rear and Inspired by a Frying Pan Waving Officer: The Texas Brigade at Wilderness and Spotsylvania"

Gregory Mertz

Greg Mertz has worked for 35 years for the National Park Service and is currently the Supervisory Historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Raised in what is now Wildwood, Missouri, he has a degree in park administration from the University of Missouri and a masters in public administration from Shippensburg University. He has written several articles for Blue and Gray magazine, is the founding president of the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table, and is a former vice president of the Brandy Station Foundation.

05/12/2026

Austin Civil War Roundtable –May 2026 Zoom Meeting

Time: May 20, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Zoom Details to Follow

"Sending Lee to the Rear and Inspired by a Frying Pan Waving Officer: The Texas Brigade at Wilderness and Spotsylvania"

Gregory Mertz

Greg Mertz has worked for 35 years for the National Park Service and is currently the Supervisory Historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Raised in what is now Wildwood, Missouri, he has a degree in park administration from the University of Missouri and a masters in public administration from Shippensburg University. He has written several articles for Blue and Gray magazine, is the founding president of the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table, and is a former vice president of the Brandy Station Foundation.

05/01/2026

Here is a link to the "Light Post" , a newsletter from the Civil War Roundtable Congress, with a video update on what's going on around the country in Civil War Roundtables.

https://www.cwrtcongress.org/resources/light-post.php

04/23/2026

🎥 **In Case You Missed It…**

Our April meeting of the Austin Civil War Roundtable featured a fascinating deep dive into one of the most unique prisoner-of-war sites of the Civil War—Johnson’s Island.

Brandi Oswald, Co-Chair of the Friends and Descendants of Johnson’s Island Civil War Prison, takes us inside the only Union prison built specifically for Confederate officers. Drawing on years of archaeological research and an unmatched collection of letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts, she brings to life the daily struggles, survival, and resilience of the more than 9,000 men held there.

From harsh conditions and daring escape attempts to the insights uncovered through modern archaeology, this is a program you won’t want to miss.

👉 Watch the full presentation here: https://youtu.be/ZHSOd_goTl0

04/13/2026

At our March 2026 meeting, the Austin Civil War Roundtable was honored to welcome historian Isaiah Tadlock for a compelling presentation on one of Texas’s lesser-known Civil War units.

“Fitzhugh’s Regiment: The 16th Texas Infantry and Its Men” explores the story of a regiment often overlooked in the broader narrative of the war. Through detailed research and engaging storytelling, Tadlock brings to life the experiences of the soldiers who served in the 16th Texas Infantry, shedding light on their service, hardships, and contributions.

This program offers a deeper understanding of the men behind the regiment—who they were, where they came from, and how they endured the challenges of war. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in Texas history and the individual stories that shaped the conflict.

Check out the video of his presentation

At our March 2026 meeting, the Austin Civil War Roundtable was honored to welcome historian Isaiah Tadlock for a compelling presentation on one of Texas’s le...

04/09/2026

📅 Austin Civil War Roundtable – April 2026 Zoom Meeting
🗓 Wednesday, April 22, 2026
⏰ 7:00 PM CDT

Johnson’s Island Prison Uncovered: An Archaeological Exploration of a Civil War Prison in Lake Erie

During the Civil War, thousands of captured soldiers endured life behind the walls of prisoner-of-war camps—none more significant for Confederate officers than Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie.

Join us as Brandi Oswald presents an engaging and illustrated Zoom program exploring this historic site, where more than 10,000 Confederate officers were held. Drawing on primary sources and nearly three decades of archaeological research, this presentation brings to life the experiences of the men imprisoned there and the discoveries that continue to shape our understanding today.

This is a fascinating look at a unique chapter of Civil War history you won’t want to miss.

🔗 Stay tuned for the Zoom link!

02/27/2026

What happened to Civil War letters and photographs that never reached home?

In this presentation, historian Melissa A. Winn explores the U.S. Dead Letter Office (est. 1825) and the thousands of undelivered Civil War soldier photographs—cartes-de-visite and tintypes—that remained in Washington, D.C. By war’s end, an estimated 5,000 images were left unclaimed

Discover how Third Postmaster General Alexander Zevely displayed these lost soldier portraits in the Dead Letter Office Museum in hopes loved ones might recognize and reclaim them

Learn how historians use studio backdrops, photographer backmarks, and visual clues to identify these powerful “interrupted sentiments”

Topics include:
• Civil War photography
• Dead Letter Office history
• Cartes-de-visite & tintypes
• Postal history
• Archival research methods
• Undelivered soldier letters

02/27/2026

What happened to Civil War letters and photographs that never reached home?

In this presentation, historian Melissa A. Winn explores the U.S. Dead Letter Office (est. 1825) and the thousands of undelivered Civil War soldier photographs—cartes-de-visite and tintypes—that remained in Washington, D.C. By war’s end, an estimated 5,000 images were left unclaimed

Discover how Third Postmaster General Alexander Zevely displayed these lost soldier portraits in the Dead Letter Office Museum in hopes loved ones might recognize and reclaim them

Learn how historians use studio backdrops, photographer backmarks, and visual clues to identify these powerful “interrupted sentiments”

02/27/2026

Wednesday night at the Austin Civil War Roundtable, we were honored to host historian Melissa A. Winn for her fascinating presentation, “Interrupted Sentiments: Dead Letter Office Images.”

Did you know that by the end of the Civil War, an estimated 5,000 soldier photographs—cartes-de-visite and tintypes—remained undelivered in the U.S. Dead Letter Office? These images, once enclosed in letters home, carried the faces of sons, husbands, and brothers… but never reached their intended recipients.

Melissa shared the remarkable story of how these lost photographs were displayed in Washington, D.C., in hopes that loved ones might recognize and reclaim them. She also demonstrated how historians today use studio backdrops, photographer backmarks, and other visual clues to identify these powerful and personal artifacts of the war.

It was an outstanding program that reminded us that beyond the battles and generals, the Civil War was deeply personal.

We are pleased to share the Zoom recording of this presentation below. We hope you enjoy it.

02/15/2026

Austin Civil War Roundtable –February 2026 Meeting
Time: Feb 25, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88901754859

Meeting ID: 889 0175 4859

The Austin Civil War Roundtable’s February meeting will feature Melissa Winn, Director of Marketing and Communications for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, presenting Dead Letter Office Images: The Civil War’s Lost Sentiments on February 25, 2026, at 7:00 PM CST. Drawing from her remarkable collection, Melissa will explore the poignant story of thousands of wartime letters—many containing small photographic portraits—that never reached home and instead languished in the Dead Letter Office in Washington, D.C. Her talk brings these interrupted sentiments to life, highlighting both the personal heartbreak of undelivered messages and the extraordinary, decades-long efforts by postal employees to reunite images with families. With a career spanning the American Battlefield Trust, HistoryNet, Military Images magazine, and leadership roles across the Civil War community, Melissa offers a moving, image-rich program that blends scholarship, photography, and human connection.