Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States on March 4, 1861. He stated, in his address, "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists."
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who traveled south after the Civil War with goals of profiting off the Reconstruction. They sometimes partnered with Southerners known as scalawags.
The two-day Battle of Shiloh, near Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee, ended on April 7, 1862. Confederate General Albert S. Johnson and his troops had battered the Union Army until reinforcements arrived and Union General Ulysses S. Grant's command on the battlefield shored up the sagging Union lines. The battle ended with the Confederates pushed back to where they had started - less 10,700 casualties, including Johnson, who bled to death from a leg wound. The North narrowly avoided defeat, but at the high cost of 13,000 casualties.
Union General Nathaniel Banks lost so many supplies to Confederate General Jackson's infantry during the Valley Campaign that the southern soldiers referred to him as "Commissary Banks."
Communicable diseases were a large factor in the failure of the Confederate's Cheat Mountain campaign in September of 1861. Although southern General Robert E. Lee had about 11,000 men in his six brigades, more that northern General Joseph J. Reynolds' opposing force, almost half of Lee's soldiers became ill at the same time. These sick troops were not only unavailable for combat but also consumed needed food. They also delayed incoming supplies as wagons were used to move them to the rear. Other soldiers were also taken out of combat to attend to the sickened men.
The Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table is on its summer break. We will return on September 16 when Roger Rosentreter will give his presentation on "Cavalry Troopers and Their Horses. Until then, have a safe and blessed summer.
Membership fees for the 2025-2026 season are $30.00.
Checks can be made out to GRCWRT.
Get your membership/renewal form on our website
membership page or at one of our meetings.
Dues are based on the meeting year, September - June.
We are always looking for new speakers. If you would like to give a presentation to the GRCWRT, or can recommend someone, please contact our program director.
Wednesday
September 16, 2026
Roger Rosentreter
Cavalry Troopers
And Their Horses
We Meet At:
Orchard View Church of God
2777 Leffingwell Ave. NE
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Located at the southwest corner of
3 Mile Road NE and Leffingwell Avenue NE
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Program begins at 7:00 pm
Civil War Notes
Our Next Meeting
Special Announcements:
Third Michigan Infantry Monument
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
