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As Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, it is our duty to remember and honor the Union Civil War Soldiers who fought to preserve the Union and end slavery. Some of our members are willing to offer free speaking services to schools and public groups (occasionally, some costs may be asked to be offset our expenses, depending on distance, etc). Here is a list of topics we offer. Contact our secretary to begin setting up a date.
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Jim Gallen- Rev. John B. Bannon: St. Louis Pastor, Chaplain of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade and Confederate Agent In Ireland. The fascinating story of the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. Louis, according to Gen. Sterling Price "greatest soldier I ever saw" and envoy of President Jefferson Davis to stem the flow of Union Soldiers from Ireland.
Jim Gallen- Talk & Powerpoint: Old Abe - The War Eagle This mascot of the Eighth Wisconsin served a three year enlistment during which it served in 30 battles in Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana from 1861-1864 before retiring to the state capitol in Madison as a War Relic where it continued to serve as a memento of the its stirring days at war. |
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Attorney Robert Amsler, Jr – Talk & Powerpoint: Railroads During the War of the Rebellion. 1 hour |
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Walter Busch – Talk & Powerpoint: The Battle of Pilot Knob, MO. Walt is the past, longest serving director of Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site and author of a book concerning the site. This presentation can be trimmed to class time or go 1 ½ hours depending on your needs. It covers the battle and a general history of General Sterling Price’s 1864 Raid through Missouri.
Walter Busch – Talk & Powerpoint: General Thomas Ewing & Order No. 11 - Order No. 11 removed non-combatants in 4 counties in Western Missouri making it a relative wasteland. Or did it? Have Missourians created a story steeped in suffering that never really happened? What are the real facts about this order that has been compared to the Japanese relocation camps and by President Truman to Nazi Extermination Camps. Join the author of General Ewing’s biography to consider these questions. Walter Busch – Talk & Powerpoint: Defending Lincoln's Assassination Conspirators and a Difficult President- Join the author of General Thomas Ewing’s biography as he covers the time the General defended the assassination conspirators and also President Andrew Jackson, who was hated by many. Did General Ewing influence the vote on impeachment? One class hour. Walter Busch – Talk & Powerpoint: General Thomas Ewing - Lincoln’s Brat – As the author of General Thomas Ewing’s biography, Walt highlights the many controversies of this General. Why did Lincoln support Ewing’s Order No. 11, but not Generals Grant or Hunter’s Order No. 11s. Did Ewing make a difference to US history by defending Pilot Knob and later President Johnson? The talk can be 1 class hour, but ideally at least 1 ½ hours. Walter Busch – Talk & Powerpoint: Civil War Monuments – What “Lies” do monuments teach us? As the Sons of Union Veterans National Monuments Chairman, Walt knows his monuments. With all the controversy over Confederate monuments, what is a monument and what is a grave marker? What do monuments teach us about history? Walt is the national Civil War Monuments Officer for the Sons of Union Veterans and also the state officer. Having visited many of the monuments in the state, what can we learn about Missouri’s history? Talk can be trimmed to class time or go 1 ½ hours depending on your needs. Walter Busch - Talk & Powerpoint: General Orders, No. 11 - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly General Grant, General Thomas Ewing and General David Hunter all issued General Orders (numbered 11) during the Civil War and all caused President Lincoln some grief. Racial issues involved two of the orders and one involved creating 10,000 refugees. What were these orders and what General Order, No. 11 issued after the Civil War by General John Logan can be called the only good one? |
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Monsignor Michael John Witt was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1990 and was elevated to the rank of monsignor in a Papal Honor accorded by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. Before that, he served the Church for twenty-two years as a Christian Brother teaching in Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee.
Msgr. Witt holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History from Saint Louis University and a Masters in Divinity from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. He has served the Archdiocese in various positions and is currently pastor of All Saints Parish in University City and teaches at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Witt is finishing a four-volume history of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and has assembled a 169-part series on church history at michaeljohnwitt.com as well as over one hundred half-hour programs on local church history. Among the Civil War topics he is willing to give presentations on includes: 1) The careers of General Franz Sigel and Father John Bannon. Both were Saint Louisans when the war broke out. Sigel went on to be a Union general with German-American troops. Bannon became a chaplain for the Missouri State militia and later the Confederate army. Both were at Camp Jackson on May 10th and both were on the field at Pea Ridge. It’s a unique way of looking at the war from a local perspective. 2) The Issue of Slavery, Dred and Harriet Scott, and Catholic moral theology regarding slavery. |