MCCWRT Meeting This Tuesday: Presentation on Confederate Railroads

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table will have the opening meeting of the 2024 year this coming Tuesday, March 12 at the Woodstock Library (Illinois).

We will be having a special presentation by Charlie Banks on Confederate Railroads.

The meeting starts at 7 pm at the library at 414 W. Judd Street.  It can also be seen on ZOOM.

Before the meeting some of us will be getting together at 3 Brothers on Illinois Highway 47 in Woodstock for dinner or snack.  (And, we don't just talk Civil War.)  Meets at 5 pl.

--Old Secesh

Something Maybe You Didn't Know About the Civil War

From the August 14, 29022, Chicago Tribune.

"How to dine like a local in New Orleans" by Alan Behr.

"It was not until I arrived at Cafe Du Mond that I realized you now have to stand in line to get your beignets and coffee with chicory.  The beignet -- a puffy, fried doughnut swimming in powdered sugar -- has been a New Orleans tradition since the city was French.

"Cutting Columbian coffee with chicory has been a New Orleans practice since the Union blockade during the Civil War made it a necessity."

Well, considering that the city fell in April 1862, it wasn't long under the Union blockade.  But, it does make for an interesting jolt in your coffee.

Those Beignets and Chicory Coffee.   Mighty Good!!   --Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table Meets Today: USS Merrimack

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, August 9, at the Woodstock Library at 7, both in person and via Zoom.

David Noe will speak on the USS Merrimack, the ship that was turned into the ironclad CSS Virginia by Confederates and fought the famous battle against the USS Monitor.  (Which ship were you pulling for?)

All are invited to attend.  You do not have to be a member, just have an interest in history.

There will also be several of us meeting at 3 Brothers restaurant in Woodstock (on Illinois Highway 47) at 5:30.  Come for dinner or dessert.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting Today Talk Will Be Mysteries of the Hunley

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table will be having our monthly meeting tomorrow at the Woodstock Public Library in that town.  

The topic will be of great interest to me because it is on the Hunley.  I'm really into all things naval during the war.

The speaker is Bruce Allardice and the subject is "Mysteries of the Hunley."

It will be in person or via Zoom (and we're slowly getting better at that).

Some of us will be getting together for a pre-presentation meal or snack at 3 Brothers Cafe on Il. Highway 47 in Woodstock at 5:30.

The meeting starts at 7 pm.

Everyone welcome, even non-members.  Just an interest in the war is all you need.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table June Meeting-- Part 1

It was so great getting together with the other members and friends of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table last month in Union, Illinois (I don't know about that name), but still the first time together since March 2020.  Little did we know what was in store for us when we met at the Woodstock, Illinois, Public Library that second Tuesday in March.

It would be 15 months before we met again.

However, we did have several monthly discussion group meetings outside at the Algonquin Panera Bread Co. and Stucky's in Johnsburg.

Right now, the MCCWRT is having the presentations via Zoom, but, I don't do Zoom, so this meeting was special to me.  Also special because of the dinner several of us had together at Checkers II beforehand.  I agree with Frank Crawford when he said after one of our pre-meeting dinners at 3 Brothers Restaurant in Woodstock that he actually enjoys those meals with friends even more.

Anyhow, it sure was good to have this opportunity to have our meeting (with social distancing and face masks) at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table Meeting, June-- Part 2: The Portabella Burger Incident

And, even better, eight of us met up at Checkers II restaurant in "downtown" Union (there isn't much of a downtown) before the meeting and enjoyed conversation and good food, including me being "trucked" by what they called the Portabella Burger. 

It was listed under handcrafted sandwiches (which also included burgers) and I figured it was a hamburger paddy topped by a huge mushroom and it also included three of my favorite things on any sandwich, but especially on a burger and that would be  sauteed onions, peppers and melted bleu cheese.  All served on a pretzel roll.

Wow, my mouth watered at this prospect.

But, when I got it. there was no hamburger.  A huge slice of portabella mushroom took the place of the burger paddy.  Disappointed, but I bit into it and boy, was that good.  I'd order it again, even without a burger.

We then adjourned over to the McHenry County Historical Society Museum for the meeting.

Everyone was required to wear face masks and social distancing was practiced.

--Old Secesh

Boy, Was That Fun Last Night in Union. First In-Person Round Table Meeting Since March 2020.

Last night I drove 30 miles from Spring Grove, Illinois, to Union, Illinois, for the first in person McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) meeting since March of 2020 (because of you-know-what).  We had an excellent presentation on Civil War generals by Bruce Allardice.

The meeting was held at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum located in an old school in Union.  We normally have our monthly meetings at the Woodstock (Illinois) Public Library, but their meeting rooms remain closed.  (Hopefully next month we can meet there.)

Just as fun, we also had a pre-meeting dinner group at the Checkers II restaurant in Union which had eight in attendance.  When we used to meet in Woodstock, we had the pre-meeting eat and greet at 3 Brothers restaurant.

I must admit that I used to take these get-togethers for granted, but believe me, no more.

In addition, I joined the McHenry County Historical Society.  While there I got to see the journals the MCCWRT has paid to have preserved and an exhibit on the GAR in McHenry County.

This, by the way, was the second farthest I'd been from home since March 2020.  The farthest was over Memorial Day weekend a couple weeks ago when I went to the Indy 500.

Sure Good to Be Back.  --Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting June 8 in Union, Illinois

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table will be having its first in person general meeting since March 2020 at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union this Tuesday, June 8, at 7 pm.

We have already had several in person discussion group meetings, but this will be the first regular meeting like that.

Bruce Allardice will give his presentation "Poltroons, Patriots and Politicians:  Civil War Generals" at that time. 

Also, a group of us will be meeting at Checkers restaurant at 5:30 pm.

Everyone is welcome.  Come on by.

Looking Forward to Learning What a Poltroon Is.  --Old Secesh

MCCWRT Discussion Meeting 3/27/21: Civil War Prisons, North and South

Four members of our McHenry County (Illinois)  Civil War Round Table met yesterday at Stucky's in Johnsburg, Illinois, for our monthly discussion group.  Stucky's had a nice layout of fresh fruit, pastries and plenty of coffee.  Thanks, Stucky's.

This was a hybrid meeting in that we also had Zoom going, with another four joining us, including one of out members in Florida.  How about that.  This was the first time I had had first-hand experience with Zoom and I was impressed.  Not enough to get it going for myself yet, anyway, nut nonetheless.  I'm thinking all of our discussion group meetings will also be Zoom in the future.

Something good coming from trying times indeed.

Much of our discussion was on prisons in Illinois, though many others were mentioned.  I'll have more on that later.

The last discussion group meeting we had was in October and at Stucky's again (our usual month meetings are in a room at Panera Bread in Crystal Lake but, of course, the room has been closed since last March).

Anyway, it is good to talk Civil War with like-minded folk.

I'll also have the answers to yesterday's prison questions (and some more questions) in tomorrow's post.

--Old SeceshZoomer

MCCWRT Discussion Group Meeting at Stucky's This Saturday, Oct. 24: Topic 'Civil War Fun and Games'

The McHenry County (Illinois)  Civil War Round Table discussion group will be meeting at Stucky's Bar and Grille  in Johnsburg, Illinois, this Saturday, October 24.

They have both outside and inside seating in case of bad weather.  It is located at 4000 N. Johnsburg Road in the Angelo's Supermarket shopping center.

Open to members and anyone with an interest in the Civil War.  The topic is "Civil War Fun and Games" this month.

Masks and social distancing required.

See You There.  --Old Secesh

Learn All About Yankee Buzzards at MCCWRT Meeting Tuesday

This Tuesday, September 10, the McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) will find out all there is to know about "The Yankee Buzzard Regiment."

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at the Woodstock Library in Woodstock, Illinois.  Our speaker will be Jerry Allen.  Everyone invited.

The library is located at 414 West Judd Street, just a couple blocks off the historic 1850s Woodstock square where much of the movie "Groundhog Day" was filmed.

Some of the members will be meeting at 5:30 p.m. at 3 Brothers Restaurant on Illinois Highway 47.  Grab a bite to eat and talk about whatever (not just Civil War).

Then Saturday, September 28, the MCCWRT Discussion group meets at Panera Bread in Crystal Lake, Illinois, 6000 Northwest Highway (US-14) at 10:00 a.m..  This month's discussion is about the Chickamauga/Chattanooga Campaign."

Come see  how long we stay on topic.

I Couldn't Find Anything About a Yankee "Buzzard Regiment" So This Will Be Interesting.--Old Secesh

Fort D, Cape Girardeau, Missouri-- Part 1: A Shiloh and John Powell Connection

From Wikipedia.

A Civil War fort along the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, about 115 miles southeast of St. Louis.  (It is 35 miles from Sikeston, home of the original Lambert's Cafe, home of the "Throwed Rolls".)

During the Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Cape Girardeau on April 26, 1863.  The forces engaged in  a minor four-hour skirmish, each side sustaining casualties in the low double digits.  Fort D was not involved in it.

Work on Fort D began on August 6, 1861, under the direction of Lieutenant John W. Powell of Illinois.  He later recruited a company of Cape Girardeau men for service in the Union Army.  These men eventually became Battery F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery (Powell was from Illinois)   After a short period of training, they were at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862.

As Powell raised his hand, a bullet shattered his wrist and the arm was later amputated to stop infection.  In 1868, a one-armed John Powell led the first successful  navigation of the Colorado River through what Powell named "The Grand Canyon."

--Old Secesh

To Union for Lincoln Commemoration-- Part 1: Checkers II and Mission

This past Tuesday, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination, this Old Rebel took a trip out to that strangely-named town of Union (Confederate would be better), Illinois, and heard an excellent presentation on William Herndon, a man who knew Abraham Lincoln well from his Springfield days.

The presentation started at 7 p.m., but I arrived in town at 5:30, intending to get a bite to eat at a local establishment.  At first I was considering Clasen's, which has been there for over 100 years, but had been there once before, so decided on Checker's II, noted for their German food.

The place was packed, so sat at the bar and talked with a guy about this past Thursday's storm.  He said he had been there (at Checkers) with another seven people and had ridden the storm out, but were ready to get into the crawl space had a tornado been seen (and was reported just a few miles away).

I ordered the German sausage platter and while waiting, got into a conversation with a woman who, as it turned out, was the Mommie of Mission.  Mission is Northern Illinois' current Huskie (NIU spelling) mascot.  She is a dog breeder and he lives with her when not doing Northern stuff.  That is one really spoiled dog.

--Old Secesh

Lamar's Restaurant

I couldn't find out too much at the website for this place I mentioned Saturday in conjunction with the Chattanooga and Chickamauga battlefields in Tennessee and Georgia. The article Saturday said they were famous for cocktails, fried chicken, old school Rhythm & Blues, Christmas lights and velvet wallpaper.

Sounds like a great place to visit...maybe the next time NIU plays in the Orange Bowl?

Anyway, they are located at 1020 East Martin Luther King Boulevard in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Civil War and Eating, Two of My Favorite Things. --Old Secesh