Picnic Meeting of September 6, 2025

The regular August meeting will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, as an afternoon picnic. Details are in the attached PDF at the bottom of the page. The meeting topic will be:

Tonya McQuade on “Visits to ECW Symposium in Fredericksburg and the Gettysburg Battlefield”

Tonya McQuade will be speaking about her recent attendance at the 11th annual Emerging Civil War Symposium in Fredericksburg, VA, at Stevenson Ridge, Spotsylvania Courthouse, August 1–3. This year’s theme was “The Cities of War,” with keynote speaker Ted Savas presenting Handshakes, Gambling, Gunpowder, and Augusta: How George W. Rains and Jefferson Davis Changed the Course of the American Civil War. Other speakers addressed a variety of topics, including “Confederate Privateering in San Francisco,” “The Richmond Bread Riot of 1863,” “Grant in St. Louis: The Desperate Years,” and “Suffering, Death, and Destitution: Charleston, South Carolina Burned and Shelled.” Tonya will share highlights from the conference and the battlefield tour of Fredericksburg, as well as stories and photos from her first-time visits—with her husband—to both Gettysburg and Fort McHenry after the conference.

Tonya Graham McQuade is the author of A State Divided: The Civil War Letters of James Calaway Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri, 1862–65, and is a contributing writer to the Emerging Civil War website. She has a love for both history and historical fiction, as well as a passion for writing, music, travel, and genealogical research.

In the summer of 2023, Tonya visited Ireland and Scotland with her husband, Mike. Her first night in Dublin, she heard a live performance of the ballad “Paddy’s Lament,” and the song planted itself in her brain. She continued to think about the song’s haunting lyrics as she visited Dublin’s EPIC Immigration Museum, viewed the nearby Famine Memorial, and climbed aboard the replica Jeanie Johnston famine ship. Once she returned to San Jose, she began researching the song’s history, listening to its various versions, and studying the Irish experience in the Civil War—particularly as part of the Irish Brigade. She eventually wrote two related articles for the Emerging Civil War website. This presentation expands on those articles.

A long-time English teacher at Los Gatos High School, Tonya lives in San Jose, California. She is an active member of Emerging Civil War, South Bay Civil War Round Table, South Bay Writers/California Writers Club, National League of American Pen Women, and Poetry Center San Jose. You can learn more about Tonya on her website at tonyagrahammcquade.com, where you’ll also find photos related to the book and her research trips to Missouri. You can also find links to her Chasing History and Emerging Civil War blog posts, her poetry and photography, and her social media sites.

September 6, 2025 PicnicDownload

Quiz for September 6, 2025

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Dred Scott Decision?

Q#1 – What was the official name for the Dred Scott Decision?

Q#2 – What error did the U.S. Supreme Court clerk make when creating the trial document that was registered with the Court?

Q#3 – Who was Dred Scott?

Q#4 – Who was Dred Scott’s owner at the time of Scott’s first court filing for freedom in 1847?

Q#5 – What action did Scott attempt that failed, which resulted in him seeking his freedom through the legal system?

Q#6 – What was the reason that Scott lost his first trial, Dred Scott v. Irene Emerson, in Missouri in 1847, where he sued for his freedom and that of his family?

Q#7 – With new lawyers, Scott’s case was heard in St. Louis Circuit Court in January 1850, challenging the ruling that testimony in the previous try was hearsay. What was the verdict in this trial?

Q#8 – In February 1850, Emerson’s defense filed a bill of exceptions, which was certified, setting into motion another appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court. What was the result of that trial?

Q#9 – Who was Dred Scott’s owner at the time of the Supreme Court case?

Q#10 – What was President-elect James Buchanan’s interest in the Supreme Court case?

Q#11 – How many Supreme Court justices voted with the majority in the Dred Scott case?

Q#12 – What did the Supreme Court see as the ‘core issue’ in the Dred Scott case?

Q#13 – What was the primary rationale for the Court’s ruling?

Q#14 – What did the U.S. Supreme Court conclude from extensive review of laws from the original American states that involved the status of Black Americans at the time of the Constitution’s drafting in 1787?

Q#15 – What were the three key conclusions documented by the U.S. Supreme Court’s justices in their dissenting opinion?

Meeting of July 29, 2025

Tom McMahon on “An Aging Historian Objectively Views The Civil War”

A life spanning nine decades, the last five of which have involved taking an objective view the Civil War, many of life’s basic values and principles have been influenced by the study of the lives of the millions of Americans who fought or were affected by the conflict of 1861-65. Those lessons and values are applied to 21st Century living in this presentation.

Tom McMahon was born in San Francisco in 1928. He served as a Roman Catholic priest for 26 years and was pastor of the historic 1897 church in New Almaden. He later married Elaine (deceased 2021) and together they had two sons and five grandchildren.

A retired mental health therapist, Tom has been a member of the San Jose South Bay Civil War Roundtable for 16 years. He is also an amateur historian, founder of the History Club at the Almaden Senior Center, and an active writer and researcher. Above all, he is someone who enjoys life and connecting with people.

Meeting Minutes July 2025Download

Quiz for July 29, 2025

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About John Singleton Mosby?

Q#1 – Where and when was John Singleton Mosby born?

Q#2 – What issues did Mosby face as a young boy going to school?

Q#3 – What was the reason that Mosby was expelled from the University of Virginia?

Q#4 – What profession did Mosby study for while serving time in prison?

Q#5 – What was Mosby’s view on Secession?

Q#6 – What was Mosby’s first Confederate Army unit when he decided to support Virginia’s decision to secede?

Q#7 – What was Mosby’s first combat action int the Civil War?

Q#8 – What happened to Mosby when during the Peninsular Campaign where he was supporting Stuart’s “Ride around McClellan”?

Q#9 – In January 1863, what action did both Robert E. Lee and Jeb Stuart authorize Mosby to perform?

Q#10 – In March 1863, what incident helped forge Mosby’s reputation in the Civil War that involved Union Brig. Gen. Edwin H. Stoughton?

Q#11 – What role did Mosby perform that led to JEB Stuart’s delay in arriving on time at the Batlle of Gettysburg?

Q#12 – On September 14, 1864, what actions by Mosby resulted in him being seriously wounded?

Q#13 – What was Mosby’s closest brush with death during the Civil War?

Q#14 – After learning of Lee’s Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, what action did Mosby take?

Q#15 – What incident occurred where Robert E Lee granted Mosby to right to execute seven captured Union prisoners?

Meeting of June 24, 2025

Ron Vaughan on “The Battle of Big Bethel, First Battle of the Civil War”

‘The Battle of Big Bethel’, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. June 22, 1861

The Battle of Big Bethel was the first battle of the Civil War. While casualties were relatively small, there were several participants whose names would become well known.

Ron Vaughan has an MA in History and a Secondary Teaching Credential. His MA thesis was entitled “A Comparison of the Military Effectiveness of the US Army and Mexico, in 1846.” He has written two published books: Viva Juarez, A Source Book for the French Intervention in Mexico, and Handbook for the Spanish Civil War, plus many magazine articles in military history related publications, most recently “Joe Shelby’s Odyssey in Mexico” in the “North & South” December 2022 issue. Ron has also been a re-enactor for periods of Roman times, American Civil War, WW I, and WW II. He is the Head Docent at the Tulare City Historical Museum and Secretary and Editor for the San Joaquin Valley Civil War Roundtable.

Meeting Minutes June 2025Download

Quiz for June 24, 2025

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Edwin M. Stanton?

Q#1 – Edwin McMasters Stanton was born to David and Lucy Stanton on December 19, 1814. In which town was Stanton born?

Q#2 – Edwin’s early formal education included attending a private school and a seminary located behind the Stanton family’s residence. What was the name of this seminary?

Q#3 – At the age of ten, what medical condition began to afflict Stanton, sometimes causing convulsions that haunted him for life?

Q#4 – Stanton began his college studies at Kenyon College, which was affiliated with the Episcopal Church. What was the name of the society Stanton was involved in at the college?

Q#5 – What action by President Andrew Jackson in 1832 led Stanton to join the Democratic Party?

Q#6 – Stanton studied law and was admitted to practice in 1835 at a prominent law firm in Cadiz, Ohio. In what type of legal work did Stanton specialize?

Q#7 – What was the cause of death of Stanton’s wife, Mary Ann Lamson Stanton, in March 1844?

Q#8 – Why did Stanton gain national attention in a courtroom case where he successfully defended Caleb J. McNulty, a Democrat who was dismissed from his clerkship in the United States House of Representatives by unanimous vote and charged with embezzlement after thousands of dollars of the House’s funds went missing?

Q#9 – Daniel Sickles was charged with the murder of Philip Barton Key, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and son of Francis Scott Key, due to Key’s romantic affair with Sickles’ wife, Teresa Bagioli Sickles. Stanton, part of Sickles’ defense team, had Sickles plead temporary insanity. In his closing arguments, what did Stanton tell the jury that was instrumental in securing Sickles’ acquittal?

Q#10 – In 1860, what was Stanton’s first major political appointment?

Q#11 – Who was President Lincoln’s Secretary of War before Stanton’s appointment?

Q#12 – What action did Stanton order in January 1861 that nearly prompted the United Kingdom and France to recognize and support the Confederacy?

Q#13 – After learning that Lincoln had been shot, what four significant actions did Stanton order?

Q#14 – At the beginning of Reconstruction, as Secretary of War, what were Stanton’s main objectives for the United States military?

Q#15 – How did Stanton’s role as Secretary of War contribute to President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment in 1868?

Meeting of May 27, 2025

Kirstein Ta on “Reminiscences of Smithville in Dekalb County, Tennessee: A personal account of the Civil War through a child’s eyes”

William Thomas Foster was only three years old in the fall of 1860 when he witnessed the first signs of an impending civil war. After April 1861, he would see two of his older brothers Eratus D. Foster and Stephen M. Foster join up with Capt. Cantrell’s Company C, 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Confederate Infantry. His third brother John B. Foster would go on to join the 15th Mississippi Regiment.

In William’s personal account of his family’s experiences during the civil war he shares the hardships felt by many families during those tumultuous four years. Even more disconcerting is the stories he shares about his family’s encounters with a group of Confederate guerillas led by a young man by the name of Pomp Kersey.

Pomp Kersey and his gang spent the majority of 1863-1864 terrorizing the town of Smithville, but Pomp particularly liked harassing the Foster family due to the knowledge that William’s father was a known Union sympathizer. Pomp eventually found himself on the wrong end of a gun in July of 1864, but the wrong end of whose gun?

Kirstein Hansen-Ta is a new student of the Civil War. In July 2024 she inherited ten six-inch binders that contained her family history dating as far back as 1630 to present day. As incredible as all this history is, she found none as interesting, or as fascinating as the family’s experience in the Civil War. There were several men on both sides of her family that fought for the Confederacy. This included her second great grandfather, in addition to a number of uncles. She is happy to report that with the exception of one they all returned home.

Amid the hundreds of pages inside these binders Kirstein came across what she considers the most valuable four pages of them all. These four pages are a type-written letter from an uncle describing all three of his older brothers, and their time in the Confederate army. Additionally, he goes on to describe what life was like for the family during the Civil War, as well. What Kirstein realized after reading these stories was that the most intriguing part of the civil war wasn’t necessarily the battles, or the politics, but rather about the people who lived through it.

Wanting to learn more about the Civil War, Kirstein came across the website for the South Bay Civil War Round Table, and she officially became a member in October 2024. She looks forward to learning more about this significant time in our country’s history.

Meeting Minutes May 2025Download

Quiz for May 27, 2025

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Mexico, France, and the Confederacy?

Q#1 – What was France’s initial justification for invading Mexico in 1861?

Q#2 – What was French Emperor Napoleon III’s secondary reason for invading Mexico in 1861?

Q#3 – Who in Mexico provided support for the French invasion of the country?

Q#4 – Did France ever officially recognize the Confederate States of America?

Q#5 – What justification did the Confederate Government provide France (and other European countries) for recognizing the Confederacy and providing economic and military support?

Q#6 – Why did France and other European monarchies hope for a Confederate victory?

Q#7 – In 1863, what caused the famine du coton in France?

Q#8 – What was the economic impact on France of the famine du coton?
 
Q#9 – French Emperor Napolean III was eager to help the Confederacy. What prevented him from doing this?

Q#10 – What actions were taken in France to lessen the impact of the loss of cotton sales from the Confederacy?

Q#11 – For What was the position of French Newspapers regarding France’s possible support of the Confederacy?

Q#12 – How did Confederate Texas play a role in enabling France to invade Mexico in 1861?

Q#13 – In 1861, after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumpter and all 11 states had seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy, what did France think would be the outcome of the war?

Q#14 – In 1861, what actions did France take to support the Confederate war effort.

Q#15 – At the start of the Civil War, the Confederacy sought closer relationships with Mexico to obtain supplies from France, (this was before France invaded Mexico), but Mexican President Benito Juarez turned them down. How did the Confederacy circumvent this?

Meeting of April 29, 2025

Alan Sissenwein on “William B. Franklin, One of the Union’s Worst Generals”

William B. Franklin is a largely forgotten figure today, but he contributed to three of the worst defeats the Union army suffered. His military career began on a stellar note, graduating first in West Point’s 39-man Class of 1843, but the Civil War was to show he was no combat general. Appointed by George McClellan to command the 6th Corps, Franklin’s worst moment came during the Antietam campaign when he was charged with relieving the besieged Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry. Through his own timidity, Franklin failed in his mission, resulting in the surrender of over 10,000 Union troops. He continued to display poor generalship at the Battle of Fredericksburg, for which he became a political scapegoat. Transferred to Louisiana, Franklin committed an error that worsened Union losses at the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, a Federal defeat that led to the collapse of Nathaniel Banks’ Red River campaign.

Alan Sissenwein has been a member of the South Bay Civil War Round Table since 1997 and currently serves as its vice president. A professional writer, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He is currently writing the second draft of a book on the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Meeting Minutes April 2025Download

Quiz for April 29, 2025

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Fugitive Slave Act?

Q#1 – Was the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act the first law of its kind in the United States?

Q#2 – What actions did the States identified as “Free States” take regarding what actions to take when runaway slaves were discovered in their State?

Q#3 – Before the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, what rulings by the Missouri Supreme Court circumvented Federal laws regarding the return of enslaved people?

Q#4 – Why were the rulings by the Missouri Supreme Court regarding the return of enslaved ruled as being Constitutional?

Q#5 – Why in 1847 and 1849 did planters from Bourbon and Boone counties, Kentucky, lead raids into Cass County in the state of Michigan?

Q#6 – What was the general reaction by Southerners regarding how the “Free States” were dealing with slaves in their states?

Q#7 – What was the name of the politician who drafted the language for Fugitive Slave Act of 1850,?

Q#8 – What penalties were imposed on those found guilty of not arresting a suspected runaway slave?

Q#9 – What were the penalties imposed by the Act on any one who aided a slave in escaping slavery?

Q#10 – In 1850, what legislative action did the State of Vermont implement that rendered the federal 1850 Fugitive Slave Act effectively unenforceable in Vermont?

Q#11 – What is “Jury Nullification” and how was it used regarding criminal cases related to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act?

Q#12 – What was the first state to declare the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional and how did the US Supreme court rule?

Q#13 – In 1855, what law did the Michigan legislature pass that dealt with the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act?

Q#14 – Why did many Northern businessmen support the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act?

Q#15 – When was the Fugitive Slave Act formally repealed?