July 23, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Join us on Thursday, July 23rd, for our Little Round Table Discussion Group as we explore the life and legacy of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, one of the most significant military leaders of the Civil War’s Western Theater. A West Point graduate and seasoned soldier, Johnston served in the Black Hawk War, the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican War before entering Confederate service in 1861. He was placed in command of Confederate forces west of the Appalachians and faced the immense challenge of defending a vast and vulnerable front against a growing Union advance. Our discussion will examine his strategy, his leadership under pressure, and the difficult circumstances that shaped his campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. We will also consider how the fall of Fort Donelson and the Battle of Shiloh changed the course of the war in the West and sealed Johnston’s fate on the battlefield. John Scales will be leading this discussion, so you can say we will the truly unique situation of having one general teach us about another general. This is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of a commander whose career, sacrifice, and controversy continue to fascinate Civil War students and historians alike.
