Civil War Round Table to host Ohio State historian for June program

The Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table will host its next meeting Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the community room of the Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St., Dover. The program will feature Dr. Joan E. Cashin, professor of history at Ohio State University, who will present on her book, “War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War.”

In “War Stuff” Cashin examines the toll the Civil War took on both people and the environment in the South. The book explores how both Confederate and Union forces relied on human skills and material goods such as food, timber and housing often taken from civilians without compensation. Initially cooperative, civilians on both sides eventually shifted focus to their own survival as the war's demands intensified. Cashin argues this drain on local resources ultimately crippled the South's war efforts.

Drawing from personal accounts and using insights from environmental history and material culture studies, Cashin offers a perspective on the Civil War’s effects on the civilian population and landscape.

Cashin earned her doctorate from Harvard University and has written or edited seven books. She specializes in the social, economic and cultural history of 19th-century America.

A book-signing will follow her presentation.

The Tuscarawas Valley Civil War Round Table promotes public education about the Civil War, helps preserve its heritage and honors those who lived through the conflict.

Call the Dover Public Library at 330-343-6123.