TN Valley Civil War Round Table Meeting, February 21, Presenting:
Phone: 256-539-5287
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/tvcwrt/

While northern Alabama saw few major engagements during the Civil War, it was of great strategic value to both sides because of its communications and transportation routes: the Tennessee River, running across the northern tier of counties, and the Memphis-Charleston Railroad that more or less paralleled the Tennessee River. The Memphis-Charleston crossed the Tennessee River at Decatur, where it T-intersected with the Tennessee-Alabama Railroad coming south out of Columbia, TN. Because of this communications and transportation network, northern Alabama was a contested area that saw the movement back and forth of Confederate and Union forces for much of the war as major campaigns were fought to the west in Mississippi, up in Tennessee, and over in Georgia. It felt the movement of armies, cavalry raids, and occupations and reoccupations as towns changed hands more than once. It also had its share of Unionist sympathies intermixed with those of Confederate persuasion, and no small amount of friction between the two groups. Bob Sackheim will describe for us some of the key Civil War personalities, places, and events that came into play in this critical piece of America.

Robert L. (Bob) Sackheim retired from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, where he served on the Center Director’s executive staff as a chief technical advisor in the areas of space propulsion and space transportation. Prior to joining NASA in 1999, Bob spent 35 years in various technical and management positions at TRW Space and Electronics Group, later acquired by Northrup Grumman. His last job at TRW/NG was manager of the company's Propulsion and Combustion Center.

After his retirement from MSFC, Bob opened the 5,000 square foot Blue and Gray Museum of North Alabama, at 723 Bank Street in Decatur, believed to house the largest private collection of Civil War artifacts in the country. In addition to conducting research on Civil War activities in this area, Bob continues to collect Civil War artifacts of all types, including edged weapons, Civil War firearms, and various Civil War accoutrements, as well as many other period items. Bob has authored various articles regarding the Civil War, including the multi-part series The Civil War in Northern Alabama currently running in Old Tennessee Valley Magazine and Mercantile Advertiser.

Presented by the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table, this free program will be held Thursday, February 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin St., Huntsville. And don't forget: A scrumptious chicken buffet is available at 5:30 p.m.if you so choose. All are welcome. For more information, phone 256-539-5287.