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Amateur & Professional Historians Dedicated to Understanding the Civil War

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Monument to the 19th Indiana Infantry at Gettysburg
Monument to the 19th Indiana Infantry at Gettysburg

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The Indianapolis Civil War Round Table is a group of amateur and professional historians in Central Indiana dedicated to studying and understanding the 1861-1865 consflict between the North and South. We welcome anyone interested in the American Civil War to join the ICWRT. Annual dues are $30 for an individual, $35 for a family, or $15 for a student. The dues are used to defray production costs of our newsletter, Hardtack, and other programs. We invite you to attend a meeting as a guest and we feel that you will enjoy your visit and enlist. To enlist for the upcoming campaign, Click Here for a membership form

All Programs are Free & Open to the Public


This Month's Topic What: General George G. Meade
Who: Kent Masterson Brown
When: Monday
April 8, 2024
6:45 P.M.
Where: MCL Cafeteria - Township Line
(2370 West 86th Street)
Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. But in this long-anticipated book, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers alongside diaries, letters, and memoirs of fellow officers and enlisted men, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory. Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work of military history deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.

Lexington, Kentucky native Kent Masterson Brown is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and attorney. Kent helped form the Perryville Battlefield Association, was appointed to serve as the Chairman of the Perryville Battlefield Commission, received a Presidential appointment as Chairman of the Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission, and served on the Board of the Gettysburg Foundation. His books include Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander, Retreat from Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics, and the Pennsylvania Campaign, and Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command. Kent was also the creator and first editor of the national magazine, “The Civil War.”


2023-2024 Program Schedule


September 11, 2023 A Campaign of Cat and Mouse: The Bristoe Station Campaign, October 9-19, 1863 Kevin Pawlak
October 9, 2023 Jackson at Cedar Mountain Greg Mertz
November 13, 2023 Harriet Beecher Stowe Dan Bauer
December 11, 2023 Infectious Diseases of the Civil War Steve Buxsen, Ph.D.
January 8, 2024 Civil War Show and Tell YOU!
February 12, 2024 Lincoln’s Views on Death Dr. Brian Direk
March 11, 2024 The Life & Legacy of Ulyesses Grant and the Women Who Molded the Man Chris Burns
April 8, 2024 General George G. Meade Kent Brown
May 13, 2024 But Not for My Children Scott Britton
June 10, 2024 19th Indiana & the Iron Brigade Phil Spaugy

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