September 10, 2026 at 6:30 pm

George McGlothin

John Hunt Morgan was born in Huntsville, AL in 1825 and his daring career made him one of the most famous Confederate cavalry leaders of the Civil War. In Charlien McGlothin’s engaging speech, “John Hunt Morgan and the Tullahoma Campaign,” we will discover how Morgan’s bold tactics shaped one of the war’s most intriguing campaigns. The talk explores the tension, strategy, and mobility that defined the fighting in middle Tennessee. It also highlights Morgan’s reputation as a fearless raider whose actions captured public attention on both sides. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the Tullahoma Campaign and its place in the larger story of the Civil War. This is a compelling presentation for anyone interested in military history, Southern heritage, or the remarkable life of a Huntsville native.

Our speaker, George McGlothin, is the owner of and chief storyteller at Falcon Rest Mansion & Gardens in McMinnville, Tenn., a historic attraction open to the public since 1993.
 
Born in 1947, McGlothin grew up in McMinnville and graduated from high school there.  He married his wife Charlien in 1968, then earned a BA degree in history in Nashville and a Master of Historic Studies in New Orleans.
 
George’s passion for history blossomed through a love of old houses.  He has spent the last 50 years as a restoration-preservationist.  In 1994, his four-and-a half year restoration of Falcon Rest won the National Trust’s Great American Home award for outstanding restoration. With the mansion as his foundation, he has spent the last three decades proving that history is fun.
 
One of his favorite roles is as the star of interactive history-based shows for tour groups, where audience members become real people from history.  His first two shows cast him as Buffalo Bill Cody and the funny spectral host of a ghost convention.  When the county’s Bicentennial rolled around in 2007, he created a new show about local Civil War history.  Based on a three-month 1863  “honeymoon” John Hunt Morgan spent in downtown McMinnville with his new bride Mattie, the script’s creation sent him on a deep dive of research about the Civil War in general and Morgan specifically.  The resulting show makes the war and its people come to life.