MCCWRT Sept. 2022 Meeting-- Part 1: 'Gen. John E. Smith: Galena's Forgotten General'

The McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table September 2022 meeting was held at the Woodstock Library.

The presentation was on a Union general I had never heard of, John E. Smith, described as one of the most important people of the Civil War that you've never heard of.  He was from Galena, now sometimes called the City That Time Forgot, but in the early 1800s it was a very important town and busy port.  

From 1827 to 1850, some 85% of lead mined in the U.S. came from the Galena area.  Galena was the largest river port north of St. Louis.

And, when the Civil War came, Galena supplied nine generals to the Union cause, the best-known being one U.S. Grant.   As a matter of fact, the U.S. Highway that runs through Galena, US-20, is called the U.S. Grant Highway.

--Old Secesh