Carson-Newman professor David Needs will give a presentation on “A Test of Leadership: How Small-Scale Battles Define the Civil War Experience for Those Who Led and Fought” during the January meeting of the Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable.
The monthly event that focuses on American Civil War history will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Christ Lutheran Church at 481 Snead Drive, Fairfield Glade.
Small-scale battles in East Tennessee during and after the Battle of Knoxville were the epitome of the type of battles which brought forth tests of leadership of both Union and Confederate armies. These were the battles which tested the ability and skills of the command in each army.
In the late fall and early winter of 1863, Union forces pushed north of newly liberated Knoxville into what today is known as the Lakeway area, then a fertile stretch of land between the Holston and French Broad rivers.
With the bridges destroyed and armies reliant on what could be carried or forged, elements of the Union’s Army of Ohio and Army of the Cumberland met Confederate Gen. James Longstreet’s army with the overall goal of denying forage. The battle became a fight for corn and bacon.
Junior and non-commissioned officers were making everyday decisions that led to the overall survival or destruction of those they led.
This experience, because of tactics, supply and logistics, was far more typical for the average Civil War soldier whose battlefield experience was loaded with many small sharp engagements and not large battles that happened less frequently.
Needs will examine this common experience through the prism of the Battle of Mossy Creek, fought Dec. 29, 1863.
The Battle of Mossy Creek was a minor battle – one of several – in Jefferson County, TN, close to Morristown and Jefferson City.
Needs is a graduate of Carson-Newman University with a degree in political science and a minor in history and military science. He was president of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society, while a student.
He was also in ROTC and was commissioned a second lieutenant in field artillery.
Needs serves as a Carson-Newman professor in the history, education and physical education departments, as well as director of Athletics Development.
During his coaching career he was a National Assistant Coach of the Year for college football and twice Regional Coach of the Year for track and field coaching in 21 straight National Championships. He was recently elected to the Carson-Newman Athletics Hall of Fame.
Among the many classes Needs teaches at Carson-Newman is Mossy Creek History 1850 to 1900 and the Evolution of Sport.
In 2019, he received the Community History Award from the East Tennessee Historical Society for the work in preservation and sharing the Mossy Creek story. That was also the year he was named president of the Lakeway Civil War Preservation Association.
In the fall of 2021, Needs was named the first city historian for Jefferson City.
In 2023, he traveled to Austin, TX, and Colorado Springs, CO, to share information and speak about the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Mossy Creek.
Additionally, he led Jefferson City’s Dec. 29 remembrance of the battle.
In 2024, Needs received the Teaching Excellence Award from the East Tennessee Historical Society for work in the classroom and as a lecturer.
He has been active in the community of Jefferson City, doing research as well as researching, cemetery preservation, historical preservation, historical documentation, archaeological work, drone photography, leading tours, engaging student groups, planning events, and lecturing.
He is also currently writing a book about the personal stories of the men and units who fought at the Battle of Mossy Creek.
Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable issues an invitation to the public to attend this event in Civil War history.
First-time visitors are admitted free; a $5 donation is requested from repeat guests.
Roundtable memberships are available for the annual subscription of $25 per person, $35 for couples.
Civil War books will be on display for purchase. A question-and-answer time will be allowed to have discussions with Needs.
The Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtab;e is an organization of American Civil War enthusiasts.
The group in Fairfield Glade is open to all residents 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.