On Sunday, February 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host author and historian Dr. Gene Schmiel, who will present, “Jacob Cox, Emerson Opdycke, and Competing Memories of the Battle of Franklin.”

After the November 1864 Battle of Franklin, several Federal commanders including Generals John Schofield, David Stanley, Jacob Cox and Emerson Opdycke all claimed credit for their victory. Opdycke and Cox, especially, conducted a post-war debate which ultimately ended their friendship. Dr. Schmiel will delve into their conflicting and competing memories of the fateful day of November 30, 1864.

Schmiel holds a Ph. D. degree from The Ohio State University and was an Assistant Professor of History at St. Francis University (PA) before becoming a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State which included service as a US Ambassador. He resides in Gainesville, Virginia.

Schmiel’s first book, Citizen-General: Jacob Dolson Cox and the Civil War Era, was published in 2014 by Ohio University Press. It was a History Book Club selection and deemed "best biography of the year" by Civil War Books and Authors.

Schmiel's second book, Lincoln, Antietam, and a Northern Lost Cause, was published in April 2019. It is a speculative history about the Battle of Antietam where an overwhelming Union victory there could have possibly resulted in the end of the war preservation of slavery. His third book, also released in 2019, is Ohio Heroes of the Battle of Franklin.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table