Between the battle of Kennesaw Mountain and the battles for Atlanta, the millworkers of Roswell and New Manchester Georgia were arrested, charged with treason and shipped north of the Ohio River. These millworkers consisted mainly of women who were the Civil War equivalents of World War II's "Rosie the Riverters". Many of the women found themselves trapped in the north with no means of transportation back to Georgia when the war ended. The fate of these women remains a mystery to this day since many were unable to read or write, and never returned to Georgia.
Our speaker this month is our own Round Table member, Kathy Ralston, who stumbled onto this topic while visiting friends in Roswell, GA.. Kathy is responsible for the computer systems running at the Smart & Final stores. She has been working in the computer industry for 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her interest in Civil War history began when she was visiting Revolutionary War battlefields in Virginia. She then found her great-great grandfather was part of the Stonewall Brigade. She is President of the Board of Directors of the Drum Barracks Society & Garrison, the support group for the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington, and also serves as the webmaster for two Civil War Round Tables.
Come join us as we follow the story of these amazing women through Nashville, Louisville and into the mists of history
Janet Whaley
Program ChairReturn to Home Page Past Presentations