Civil War Round Table to host program on the Battle of Mobile Bay

Dover, Ohio - The next meeting of the Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table will feature an engaging and informative look at the Naval battle at Mobile Bay.

On Thursday, November 8th, beginning at 7 p.m., the group will welcome historian Paul Huff, who will share insights about the battle that was part of the Union's first combined operation to stop the Confederate blockade running from Mobile, Alabama, and eventually capture the city. The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the library's Community Room.

Huff says the battle is one that serves as a microcosm of all Civil War Naval strategy, ships, weapons and techniques.  

"Consider in this one battle: the naval blockade and the failures of the naval blockade; the first Admiral of the United States versus the first Admiral of the Confederacy; this is a combined operation; we have ships versus forts; ships versus mines, ironclad versus wooden-hulled ships; ironclads versus ironclads and the industrial power of the U.S. versus the lack of industrial capacity of the South and of course, the battle itself," he says.

Huff graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a degree in History and Political Science in 1980. He retired several years ago from the City of Cuyahoga Falls where he worked as the Lab Technician of its water plant. 

Throughout the late 1980's, Huff worked as a "stringer reporter" for the Cuyahoga Falls News-Press and the Stow Sentry. One of his stories, on the rededication of the Civil War Monument in Cuyahoga Falls, rekindled his interest in the Civil War. 

Huff currently serves as the President of the Cuyahoga Valley Civil War Round Table. He also wrote for and edited its newsletter - "The Buckeye Hardtack" - for many years.

Huff has been an active member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War for decades. He was one of several co-founders of Cleveland's James Garfield Camp and also helped found Aand served as Commander for Akron's General A. C. Voris Camp. 

He has spoken throughout Northeast Ohio on various topics with presentations including "Mobile Bay: The Ultimate Naval Battle of the Civil War," "The Women in the Window: Summit County Women and the Civil War," "The Best and Worst of It: Cuyahoga Falls' Civil War P.O.W.s" and "Summit County and the Sultana Disaster." His biggest success was organizing the 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Civil War Monument at Oakwood Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls in October of 2016.

Brian Hutras is the co-organizer for the Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table. He says the group invites the public to attend its free monthly programs, each featuring a different speaker offering an engaging and informative look at a particular aspect of the Civil War.  

"Ever since Appomattox, historians, military tacticians and amateur scholars have been fascinated by the Civil War. We want the public to know they are welcome to our programs," he says.

The Dover Public Library is located at 525 N. Walnut Street, directly across the street from Dover High School. For more information, call the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123.

TUSCARAWAS VALLEY CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE