~~~~The Old Liner~~~~
- Online edition of newsletter -

Robert Ford, Interim Editor
Future Meetings: 4th Tuesday of each month
January 27, 2026, February 24, March 24, April 28, May 26, June 23, July 28, August 25, September 22, October 27, November 24, December 8.
(Time: Doors open at 7:00, Business meeting and Speaker: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Hiss United Methodist Church, 8700 Harford Rd, Parkville, MD 21234 (from the beltway (I-695) the church will be on your right. Pull into the upper parking lot-the lot just before the church building- and walk to the semi-circle at the front. Enter the first door on the right, go up the stairs to the second floor and turn right to the library (rm #208).
 
Views expressed in this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of members as a whole,
nor do they represent a position taken by the Baltimore Civil War Roundtable.
Next Meeting: February 24, 2026

  

In August of 1862, Senator James Lane organized and recruited the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment. They became the first African American regiment to fight in the Civil War when they defeated rebel forces during the skirmish at Island Mound, Missouri in October of 1862, a half year before the formation of the United States Colored troops (USCT).

 

The regiment was nearly decimated when they were ambushed by confederates in the Battle of Poison Springs in April of 1864. Join the Baltimore Civil War Roundtable as Temple University Prof. Dr. Greg Urwin presents "Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell: The Poison Spring Massacre" at our February meeting.

 

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the library of Hiss United Methodist Church, 8700 Harford Road, Parkville Md., 21234. (From the beltway (I-695) the church will be on your right. Pull into the upper parking lot-the lot just before the church building- and walk to the semi-circle at the front. Enter the first door on the right, go up the stairs to the second floor and turn left then right into the library (rm #208).

 

Dr. Gregory J. W. Urwin is a professor of military history at Temple University and the author of several books and articles. He has been at Temple University since 1999. Born in Cleveland, Urwin graduated from Borromeo Seminary High School in 1973. He graduated summa cum laude from Borromeo College of Ohio in 1977, received a Master of Arts degree from John Carroll University in 1979, and earned a Master of Arts from the University of Notre Dame in 1981. He also received a Ph.D. from Notre Dame. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on “The Defenders on Wake Island".

 

Among Dr. Urwin’s achievements are: Former General Editor, Campaigns and Commanders Series, University of Oklahoma Press; Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute; Fellow, Company of Military Historians: The Company of Military Historians – Exploring the material culture of the military in the Americas from Pre-Columbian times through the War on Terror. His Latest Podcast: Gettysburg: What the Filmmakers Got Right and Wrong with Historian Gregory J.W. Urwin – YouTube. His latest Digital Publication: The Yorktown Tragedy: Washington's Slave Roundup - Journal of the American Revolution. An Excerpt from Urwin’s Latest Documentary: The Heroic First Black Regiment of the Civil War | Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War is on YouTube.

 

Remember, join the BCWRT as Dr. Gregory J.W. Urwin presents "Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell: The Poison Spring Massacre" at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at Hiss United Methodist Church. If you can’t attend in person, register for the Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wtUg108eS9OkSAJRcpf0NQ

 

 

 Notes from the President


During the American Civil War, it was not uncommon for the warring armies to settle into winter quarters during the bleak cold months. After the union army's defeat at the battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862, the armies of Robert E Lee and Ambrose Burnside bivouacked miles apart from each other without much fighting. Plans for attacks were thwarted by the ice, snow and mud In Northern Virginia.

 

Hopefully, we at the Baltimore civil war round table we'll be able to move about and not suffer from the lingering ice which forced last month's meeting to be totally virtual.

 

Since 1866, many Areas of the country began to annually celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln (02/12/1809) following his assassination. Beginning in the 1890s, many black communities began celebrating the birthday of Frederick Douglass (02/14?/1818). In February of 1926, historian Carter G Woodson, founder of the association for the study of African American life and history (ASALH) Established negro history week as an annual celebration to focus On yearlong studies of the contributions of the “countless Black men and women who had contributed to the advance of human civilization.”  Beginning 1976, President Gerald Ford expanded the celebration to Black History Month.

 

Although the BCWrt Never limits it's study of the contributions of African American men and women during the civil war to one month, we’d like to point out Some significant occurrences for this month. Join us on February 24th at 7:30 PM when Temple University professor Gregory Erwin presents “cut to pieces and gone to hell: The Poison Spring Massacre". The story is one of the chapters in the history of the first Kansas colored infantry, The first black regiment to engage in battle during the civil war.

 

It is also noteworthy to point out a couple of articles in our newsletter “the old liner”, One of which focuses on a new trail at the new market heights battlefield. 14 African American soldiers received the Medal of Honor as a result of that battle, including five from the state of Maryland!
Links:  February News Articles    Previous Meetings 

Annual Dues Notice

Dues for the Baltimore Civil War Roundtable are due at the beginning of each Calendar Year. Please make check payable to
BCWRT and mail to:

Frank Armiger, 42 Norwick Circle, Timonium. MD. 21093, 410-591-9977.

NAME ____________________________________________$25 IND ___ $35 FAM ___ PHONE ___________

 

ADDRESS __________________________________________________EMAIL ______________________

Note: If you would like your membership card mailed to you please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Otherwise, you can pick it up at the meeting.