Announcements

2026 Battlefield Tour - Charleston. April 29-May 2, 2026. See our Battlefield Tour page for more information.

Grapeshot

People should check whether the event will be broadcast on Zoom.

June 3rd, Kankakee Valley CWRT: Annual Dinner
June 5th, Northern Illinois CWRT: Pat McCormick on "General John A. Logan"
June 9th, McHenry County CWRT: Steve Alban on "The Confederacy's Secret Weapon"
June 12th, Chicago CWRT: Alex Rossino on "The Maryland Campaign of 1862"
June 16th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Valerie Gugula on "The Life of Mary Lincoln"
June 19th, Salt Creek CWRT: Annual Banquet: Mark Pohlad on "Abraham Lincoln and Chicago"
June 20th: Abraham Lincoln Symposium at Cantigny
July 6th, Rock Valley CWRT: John Cox on "U.S. Grant and the Efforts at Reconstruction"
July 13th, Gail Borden Library in Elgin: Armchair General Discussion Group
July 14th, McHenry County CWRT: Bruce Allardice on "Aloha Oe! Hawaii and the American Civil War"
July 21st, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: John Horn on "Lee Besieged"
Aug. 3rd, Rock Valley CWRT: Rachael Mellen on "The 55th Illinois"
Aug. 11th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Aug. 16th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Serena Ald on "The Underground Railroad in Illinois"
Aug. 27th, South Suburban CWRT: John Horn on "The Battle of Petersburg"
Sept. 8th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Sept. 11th, Chicago CWRT: James Marten on "The Sixth Wisconsin"
Sept. 14th, Rock Valley CWRT: Raymond McKoski on "David Davis: Lincoln Loyalist and Impartial Jurist"
Sept. 15th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Rob Girardi on "General John Logan"
Sept. 24th, South Suburban CWRT: Rachel Mellen on "55th Illinois Regiment"
Oct. 5th, Rock Valley CWRT: Steve Leonard on "John Bell Hood and the Battle of Nashville"
Oct. 9th, Chicago CWRT: Joshua Lindamood on "Black Thursday: the Battle of Sailor's Creek"
Oct. 13th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Oct. 20th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Ed Urban on "The Queen of the West"
Oct. 22nd, South Suburban CWRT: Ron Kirkwood on "Soldier's Stories from Gettsyburg"
Nov. 2nd, Rock Valley CWRT: Doug Dammann on "Elmer Ellsworth and the U.S. Zouave Cadets"
Nov. 13th, Chicago CWRT: Bob Miller, topic TBA
Nov. 10th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Nov. 17th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: Andrea Nolen on "Lincoln's Counterfeiters"
Nov. 19th, South Suburban CWRT: Eric Benjaminson on "The 82nd Illinois at Gettysburg"
Dec. 7th, Rock Valley CWRT: Jared Peatman on "Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine"
Dec. 8th, McHenry County CWRT: TBA
Dec. 11th, Chicago CWRT: Stuart Dempsey, topic TBA
Dec. 15th, Lincoln-Davis CWRT: John Beatty on "Shiloh"
Jan. 8th, 2027, Chicago CWRT: Dan Masters, topic TBA
Jan. 28th, South Suburban CWRT: Brian Seiter on "The Battle of Wilson's Creek"
Feb. 12th, Chicago CWRT: Rob Girardi, topic TBA
Feb. 25th, South Suburban CWRT: Debate Meeting: Election of 1864; Grant vs. Lee
March 12th, Chicago CWRT: Doug Dammann, Nevins-Freeman Address
March 25th, South Suburban CWRT: Ed Urban on "The Battle of Pea Ridge"
April 9th, Chicago CWRT: Dave Powell, topic TBA
April 22nd, South Suburban CWRT: Mark Laubacher, "Dr. George B. Todd: Medical Officer on Land, River, Sea"
May 14th, Chicago CWRT: Caroline Janney, topic TBA
May 27th, South Suburban CWRT: Jon Sebastian, Topic TBA
June 11th, Chicago CWRT: Kevin Donovan, topic TBA

Speakers Bureau
Looking for a good presentation on the Civil War for your library, school, historical society, or civic group? The Coalition of CWRTs of Northern Illinois has put together a Speakers Bureau to help you find one.

Best of all, most presentations are FREE!! Click here for a Speaker Registry printable list, with details and contact information.

House Divided Series
Bjorn Skaptason at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop reminds us of their series of Civil War talks. For more information on these and upcoming events, visit Abraham Lincoln Bookshop.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please Contact Us