The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, July 19th, 2006, in the cafe 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 PM and it is open to the public.
This month we welcome Lenette Taylor from Kent State University in Kent, OH. Her topic will be based on her recent book "The Supply For Tomorrow Must Not Fail." This volume is a study of the Union quartermasters depots in Nashville and Stevenson, AL from 1862 onwards.
It is said that amateurs talk of war in terms of tactics and strategy while professionals speak of war in terms of logistics. While it lacks the sizzle of dashing charges and daring leaders, without logistics none of these can happen.
Logistics is how armies are supplied in war. Civil War armies required tons of supplies daily just to keep in the field and even more when campaigning. The rear area quartermasters, based in depots, were charged with keeping the armies supplied. Hundreds of train cars, horse-drawn wagons, and steamboats hauled supplies south from the manufacturing centers of the Midwest to supply the Union Army of the Ohio/Army of the Cumberland to the Nashville Depot. Later on, as the Army of the Tennessee moved into the Tennessee sector, it too was supplied by Tennessee and Alabama based quartermasters. This was especially important during the Atlanta Campaign.
Ms. Taylor's program will cover how this system worked, who was involved and how they got it done. These rear area soldiers had to interact with often hostile populations and Confederate cavalry raids which often broke the supply lines. It was a constant state of readiness that allowed them to keep the vital lines of supply open and repaired when broken. All of this will be based around the war experiences of QM Capt. Simon Perkins Jr. and how he was affected by the war and his important job.
Lenette Taylor received Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in history at the University of Central Arkansas. Her doctorate degree in 19th Century U.S. History came from Kent State University in Ohio, where she is currently an Assistant Professor of History. She also taught at the University of Central Arkansas. Besides her book mentioned above, Ms. Taylor has also published Civil War related articles in Tennessee Historical Quarterly and the Arkansas Historical Quarterly. Our friends at Borders already have her fine book in stock which she will be happy to sign for you!
Please join us for "The Supply For Tomorrow Must Not Fail" with Lenette Taylor on Wednesday, July 19th!
Greg Biggs
Clarksville CWRT