Steele County Historical Society hosts Civil War Lecture with Barry Adams

The Steele County Historical Society welcomes historian Barry Adams for a lecture on Thursday, September 18th at 7 pm in the History Center located at 1700 Austin Road, Owatonna.

No battle in the Civil War involved more men from Minnesota than did the Battle of Nashville. And no battle in the Civil War had the men from Steele County in a more up-front, in the center-of-the-action role than did the fight on Shy’s Hill at Nashville.  A painting depicting the fight on Shy’s Hill hangs in the Governor’s Reception Room in the state capitol.

The program on September 18th will introduce the audience to dozens of Steele County Civil War veterans.  Several died as a result of the battle and others lived on and had a profound impact on the county’s history.  You will meet Tom Kelly, the founder of Kelly’s Store, Anthony Jones, a school custodian whose death brought the closure of the school on the day of his funeral in his honor, Cornelius O’Neal and Smith Stowers, who led the Steele County Guard as the first Union troops over the Confederate breastworks, and the six local men who died as a result of this battle.

One historian said of the battle: “Nashville ranks as probably the most complete battlefield victory of the war.”  Another claimed that the battle may well represent “the Civil War equivalent of the World War Two atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”  Governor Lucius Hubbard, himself a participant in the battle, noted after the war that “Minnesota had more of her troops represented, and gave more of her sons as a sacrifice to the country, in the battle of Nashville than in any other battle of the war.”  and, the boys of Steele County were the first to plant Union colors on the Confederate works.

“We’re honored to have Barry back to share this Civil War and local history with us. His expertise and knowledge of the Civil War is second to none and his presentations include so many details, pictures and information.”

said SCHS Director, Laura Resler.

The presentation on September 18 will recall the biggest day, hours, and minutes of that four year tragedy.

Admission to the lecture is free for SCHS members and $2 for non-members. The History Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 am until 4 pm, Thursdays from 10 am until 8 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am until 3 pm. For more information, please call our office at 507-451-1420 and ask for Laura.