'The Tullahoma Campaign' at MCCWRT Tuesday

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table will have Dave Powell presenting "The Tullahoma Campaign" this Tuesday, April 11 at the Woodstock, Illinois, Public Library at 414 W. Judd Street (close to the famous Woodstock Square).

Probably on of  the lesser-known actions of the war, but one with significant results.  Find out about it.

It will be in person and via Zoom and will start at 7 and go to 9 pm.

There will be a pre-meeting get-together at 3 Brothers restaurant on Illinois Highway 47 at 5:00.

--Old Secesh

The Tullahoma Campaign

From Wikipedia.

Earlier this year, we had a talk at the McHenry County Civil War Round Table on this little-known Civil War campaign in Tennessee.  It was almost completely overshadowed by  the Battle of Gettysburg and surrender of Vicksburg, but was important nonetheless.

Also called the Middle Tennessee Campaign and lasted from June 24 to July 3, 1863.  Hence the overshadowing.

The Union Army of Cumberland under Major General William Rosecrans effectively drove the Confederates out of Middle Tennessee and threatened the strategic city of Chattanooga as a result of it.

Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his Army of Tennessee were in a strong position on the top of the Nashville Basin rim, south of that city.  But Rosecrans captured the strategic passes through the basin rim, partly aided by the new 7-shot Spencer repeating rifles.

As before mentioned, it was overshadowed by Gettysburg and Vicksburg as well as the Battle of Chickamauga two months later.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County Civil War Round Table Meets Tuesday, April 11

On April 11, 2017, the McHenry Civil War Round Table will be meeting at the Woodstock, Illinois, Public Library at 414 Y. Judd Street, right off the historic 1850s Woodstock Square.

The presentation will be given by Dave Powell on the Tullahoma Campaign.  I look forward to it as I don't really know a lot about it.

Before the meeting, several members gather to eat at Papa G's on the historic Woodstock Square.

--Old Secesh

Captain Alexander C. McClurg, 88th Illinois-- Part 2

Continued from May 18th.  McClurg was in the same regiment as John Peter, who I wrote about earlier this month as a Union veteran from McHenry County in Illinois.

McClurg spent most of the war as an advisor to a series of generals.  After the war, he returned to the bookselling house as a junior partner and eventually became senior partner in it and later that company became known as the A.C. McClurg & Co..

At the outbreak of the war, he enlisted as a private in Co. D, 16th Regiment Illinois State militia, which was disbanded after several months and McClurg returned to the bookselling company., but reenlisted with the Crosby Guards, which was merged into the 88th Illinois and he became a captain.

Within a few months, the 88th saw action at the Battle of Perryville.

Shortly after the unit arrived in Nashville, he was named Judge Advocate of the General Court Martial.  When Union general McCook met McClurg, he saw his military ability and appointed him assistant adjutant general.  Acting as an advisor, McClurg helped plan the Tullahoma Campaign.

--Old Secesh