Marj Heyduck (554-0878)-presidentJudy Wasko (331-1470)-v. presidentVonnie Shelton (554-2188)-secretaryJudy Lanier (519-4499)-treasurerDavid Wetherington (554-0018)-researchNathan Lynn (442-2510)-sp.collectionsBill Courter (559-7900)-newsletter

MEETINGNOTICE

Wednesday Jan. 11, 2017Library Meeting Room

1:30 P.M.

McCracken County Genealogical and Historical Society

NewsletterJanuary 2017

To collect, research, preserve and promote

Paducah: a Pivotal Point in the Civil WarJohn Cashon

JohnPhilipCashonisanativeofPaducah.Hisloveofhistorybeganwhenhelearned,atayoungagefromhisfa-ther,thathis5thgreatgrandfatherDavidCashonwasaminute-manduring theRevolutionaryWar.David, at the endof thewar,servedwithGeneralLafayettewhenLafayettetookcom-mandinVirginiaandLordCornwallisenteredthestate.DavidwaspresentatthesurrenderofYorktown.LearningthishistorysparkedJohn’sloveforhistoricalresearchandwriting. Johnalsohada familymemberwho fought in theCivilWar.His2ndgreatgrandfather,EphraimDavenportOs-burn,wasaConfederatesoldierfromCanton,Kentucky.HeservedinCompanyB,whichlaterbecameundertheEighthKentuckyMountedInfantryincommandofGeneralNathanBedfordForrest. JohnreceivedaBachelor’sDegreeinHistoryfromMurrayStateUniversityinwesternKentucky.Occasionally,Johnisadocentat theLloydTilghmanHouse&CivilWarMuseum,andhehasbeenamemberoftheJacksonPurchaseHistoricalSociety.

John Cashon

John Cashon be-lievesthatthetakingofPa-ducah by General UlyssesS.Grantwas themost im-portant action that he tookin the CivilWar’s westerntheatreofoperations. When Grant tookPaducah after GeneralLeonidas Polk took Hick-man and Columbus, Ken-tucky, his quick actioncountered the Confederatemove that took control oftheMississippiRiveratthatpointbytakingcontroloftheconfluenceoftheOhioandTen-nesseeRivers;theTennesseeRivergavehimasupplylineac-cessdeepintothesouththroughTennesseeandnorthernMis-sissippiallthewaytoChattanooga,Tennessee,andalsoaccesstotheCumberlandRiveratSmithland,Kentuckythatgaveac-cessstraighttoNashville. ThevictoriesthatGeneralGrantwasabletoaccom-plishcanbedirectlytiedtohiscontrollingPaducahthatwassuchacrucialpointontherivers.

John’s program be-gins with understandingthe people who settled inPaducah before the CivilWar, and will show howthenewsofthecomingwarwas received in the city. Itwill also highlight GeneralGrant’s taking of PaducahandhowthecitizensofPa-ducah accepted Union oc-cupationofthecity,aswellassomeoftheproblemstheUnionhadpreparingthede-fensesandtrainingsoldiersin the city for the comingbattlestocome.

John is an author, historian, and photographer from Paducah, Kentucky. He wrote the book, Paducah and the Civil War, that was released on October 10, 2016. It tells the full sto-ry of Paducah, Kentucky during the War of the States. John says that History helps us all remember the truths about our past and helps us discover new paths for the future.

Paducah and the Civil War by John Philp Cashon, published by The History Press, 141 pages, many historic photographs, available on Amazon.

McCracken County Public LibraryFamily and Local History Room

Open 7 days a week Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday – Saturday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Society Business and DuesPresident Marj welcomes new member Diana Yancey.

Society business—please contact Marj Heyduck, 165 Rue Thierry Dr., Paducah, KY 42001. Phone 270-554-0878.

Congratulations to Marj Heyduckwho will serve as president this year.

2017 Dues(January through December)

Please send your 2017 dues ($12/yr.) to Judy Lanier, 5100 Valley View Dr., Paducah, KY 42001

270-519-4499 or E-mail dejalanier89@bellsouth.netGive Judy your email address to receive newsletter.

ThisisthemostdetailedmapofwesternKentuckythatIhaveseen.ThefullmapcanbefoundattheLibraryofCongress.Thismapshowsmanyofthesmallertowns,aswellastheroadsintheregionin1865.Source:JohnCashon’swebsite.

Western Kentucky in 1865John Philip Cashon — Civil War, History, Kentucky, Paducah History