Announcements

2025 Battlefield Tour - Shiloh/Corinth. April 23-27 See our Battlefield Tour page for more information.
2026 Battlefield Tour - Charleston. April 29-May 2, 2026. More info to come.

Grapeshot

People should check whether the event will be broadcast on Zoom.

Oct. 3rd, Northern Illinois CWRT: Jerry Allen on "General James Steedman"
Oct. 6th, Rock Valley CWRT: Harold Knudsen on "James Longstreet and the American Civil War"
Oct. 8th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Oct. 10th, Chicago CWRT: Kim Harris as "Libby Custer"
Oct. 11th, Stellwagen Farm, Orland Park: Civil War encampment
Oct. 14th, Southwest Michigan CWRT: Brian Dirck on "Abraham Lincoln and Death"
Oct. 18th, Salt Creek CWRT: Annual Book Sale. Father Bob Miller on "From Rome to Appomattox: Military Chaplains Throughout History"
Oct. 19th, Northwest Indiana CWRT: Serena Ard on "The Underground Railroad in Northwest Indiana"
Oct. 21st, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Frank Garmon on "A Civil War Con Artist"
Oct. 25th, South Suburban CWRT: Kevin Connelly on "Civil War Ghost Stories"
Nov. 3rd, Rock Valley CWRT: Paul Brueske on "Digging All Night and Fighting all Day"
Nov. 8th, Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago: Veteran's Day observance
Nov. 11th, Southwest Michigan CWRT: Mollie Watson on "Niles in the Civil War"
Nov. 11th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Nov. 14th, Chicago CWRT: Chris Kolakowski on "Civil War to World War: Simon Bolivar Buckner Sr. and Jr."
Nov. 15th, Salt Creek CWRT: Terry Arliskas on "Fort Donelson"
Nov. 16th, Northwest Indiana CWRT: Ron Carlson on "General Alpheus Williams"
Nov. 18th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: William Kolasinski on "Allen Pinkerton"
Nov. 21st, South Suburban CWRT: No Meeting
Nov. 21st, Minooka Public Library: Dennis Doyle on "Will County in the Civil War"
Dec. 1st, Rock Valley CWRT: Dave Byrnes and Bob Presman discuss "The Legacy of the Civil War"
Dec. 9th, McHenry County CWRT: Dave Mowery on "Cincinnati in the Civil War" (zoom only)
Dec. 12th, Chicago CWRT: Brian Jordan on "Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War"
Dec. 16th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Father Bob Miller on "Faith of Our Fathers"
Dec. 20th, Salt Creek CWRT: Memorabilia Show and Tell
Dec. __, South Suburban CWRT: Holiday Party
Jan. 9th, 2026, Chicago CWRT: Guy Fraker on "Lincoln the Lawyer"
Jan. 13th, McHenry County CWRT: Darryl Smith on "The Fort Donelson Campaign" (zoom only)
Jan. 20th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Arne Bernstein on "Chicago's Historic Sites"
Jan. 22nd, South Suburban CWRT: Bjorn Skaptason, TBA
Feb. 10th, McHenry County CWRT: Stuart Sanders on "Aftermath of Battle: Perryville" (zooom only)
Feb. 13th, Chicago CWRT: Keith Bohannon on "Wheeler's Cavalry During the Atlanta Campaign"
Feb. 17th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Steve Alban on "England and Russia as a Cause of the Civil War"
Feb. 26th, South Suburban CWRT: Chuck Rebesco on "The Gibraltar Brigade of the Army of the Potomac"
Mar. 13th, Chicago CWRT: Clifford Roberts on "Castle Pinckney and the Siege of Charleston"
Mar. 17th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: James Pula on "Dan Butterfield"
Mar. 19th, McHenry County CWRT: Charlie Banks on "The Battle of South Mountain"
Mar. 26th, South Suburban CWRT: Dan Wykes on "Illinois Underground Railroad"
Apr. 10th, Chicago CWRT: Wayne Motts, Nevins-Freeman Address, TBA
Apr. 14th, McHenry County CWRT: Bob Grenier on "General Edmund Kirby Smith"
Apr. 21st, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Bbo Grenier on "The Swamp Fox of the Confederacy"
Apr. 23rd, South Suburban CWRT: Eric Benjaminson on "82nd Illinois Infantry at Gettsyburg"
May 8th, Chicago CWRT: Chris Mackowski on TBA
May 12th, McHenry County CWRT: Kathy Springhorn on "KInston Hangins: Civil War North Carolina 1864"
May 19th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Bruce Allardice on "Aloha Oe! Hawaii and the American Civil War"
May 22nd, South Suburban CWRT: Dennis Doyle on "Battle of North Anna"
June 9th, McHenry County CWRT: Steve Alban on "The Confederacy's Secret Weapon"
June 12th, Chicago CWRT: Alex Rossino on "The Maryland Campaign of 1862"
July 14th, McHenry County CWRT: Bruce Allardice on "Aloha Oe! Hawaii and the American Civil War"
Aug. 11th, McHenry County CWRT:
Sept. 8th, McHenry County CWRT:
Oct. 13th, McHenry County CWRT:
Nov. 10th, McHenry County CWRT:
Dec. 8th, McHenry County CWRT: (zoom only)

Speakers Bureau
Looking for a good presentation on the Civil War for your library, school, historical society, or civic group? The Coalition of CWRTs of Northern Illinois has put together a Speakers Bureau to help you find one.

Best of all, most presentations are FREE!! Click here for a Speaker Registry printable list, with details and contact information.

House Divided Series
Bjorn Skaptason at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop reminds us of their series of Civil War talks. For more information on these and upcoming events, visit Abraham Lincoln Bookshop.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please Contact Us