The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009, in the café of Borders Books in Governor’s Square Mall. This is located on Wilma Rudolph Blvd (Hwy 79) south of Exit 4 off I-24, then head south a bit. The mall is on the left. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and is always open to the public. There is no cost to attend.

OUR PROGRAM
"The Decker Twins; A Mission With the 32nd Indiana Volunteers"

John G. and Philip G. Decker were 21 year old twin brothers when recruited in Evansville, Indiana to serve in August Willich's 32nd Indiana Infantry regiment. Following their recruitment, the brothers are mustered into Co. "K", 32nd Indiana, on 21 Sept., 1861 at Camp Murphy, Indianapolis.

Using photographs, family letters, pension records and written histories of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a fascinating story unfolds about these German American privates. The battles and skirmishes at Rowlett's Station, Shiloh, the siege at Corinth, Chesser's Store, Stone's River, Chickamauga, and the Confederate prisons at Richmond, and Andersonville are in the future for these eager recruits.

John G. Decker, who wrote the majority of the letters used, suffers from multiple ailments which requires hospital treatment following the siege at Corinth. Philip G. Decker faces capture and imprisonment following Stone's River and Chickamauga; he later expires at Andersonville prison. Pension records and G.A.R. memorabilia belonging to John G. Decker complete the story of this veteran. The program will also touch on the officers and command changes affecting this proud German regiment. Germans were the largest foreign ethnic group to serve in the Union Army and still overlooked somewhat to this day but more and more study on their contributions is occurring every year.

T. Max Hochstetler is Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the Department of Art at Austin Peay State University. Retiring in 1999 after 32 years on the faculty, he remains active as art and antique collector. Known for his historic mural paintings at Opryland Hotel, and the Sundquist Science Building at APSU, his acrylic and watercolor paintings are found in many public, corporate, and private collections throughout the South and Midwest. No longer producing art, he has more time to devote to travel and his focused collection of 19th century Prussian/German carte de visitie and cabinet card portraits of theatre, opera, music, and royalty. Some of his photograph collection is scheduled for exhibit in Switzerland in 2010.

Greg Biggs
Clarksville CWRT