The Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable welcomes the public to an meeting of American Civil War history on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church at 481 Snead Dr., Fairfield Glade.
Guest speaker John Banks is author of A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime, as well as Connecticut Yankees at Antietam and Hidden History of Connecticut Yankees.
His work has been featured in such notable publications as The New York Times, Civil War Times, Civil War Monitor, Civil War News, America’s Civil War and Military Images.
Banks attended Mount Lebanon Pennsylvania High School, and graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
A longtime journalist writing articles for The Dallas Morning News and ESPN, Banks is the secretary-treasurer for The Center for Civil War Photography and a board member of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation.
His presentation’s topic is the story of a road trip of over more than a year. Banks crisscrossed the country exploring battlefields, historic houses, forts and more, recording his trip in U.S. history in A Civil War Road Trip of a Lifetime.
Banks’ adventures included riding on the back of an ATV with his “psychotic connection” in Mississippi, going under the spell of an amateur hypnotist at a U.S. Army fort in Tennessee, admiring a sunset from the grounds of the notorious Andersonville prison camp in Georgia, praying during a tense boat ride in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina and briefly interviewing Louis the wild boar in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Banks will take those at the Roundable along a road trip like no other with humor, history and a story of the American Civil War.
Books will be available during the meeting. First-time visitors are admitted free; a $5 donation is requested of repeat guests.
Annual memberships to the Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable are available for $25 per person or $35 for couples.
A question-and-answer time will be allowed to have discussions with Banks.
In conjunction with the Military Memorial Museum, tickets will be available for the Dec. 7 “Raise the Roof Concert” to benefit the Military Memorial Museum.
The concert featuring California Dreamin’ with songs from the ’60s and ’70s will be from 7-9 p.m. at the historic Palace Theatre in downtown Crossville.
The Cumberland Mountain Civil War Round Table is an organization of American Civil War enthusiasts. The group is in Fairfield Glade and is open to all citizens of Cumberland County.
Presentations from authors, college professors, historians are presented on the second Wednesday of the month at Christ Lutheran Church in Fairfield Glade.
The purpose of the roundtable is to educate, discuss and bring to focus the events and historical facts concerning the American Civil War.
Visit the group on Facebook or call Ken Patton at 901-292-9312 or Dennis Flynn at 913-948-3499 for more information.