Join us at 6:30 PM, February 24, at Jack’s Restaurant & Bar, located at the Northwest corner of the Westgate Shopping Mall in San Jose, near Campbell (1502 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129) and via ZOOM. This month’s topic is

Kirstein Ta on “Ars Moriendi – The Good Death”

Dying far from home and loved ones was a harsh reality that soldiers had to face. Many turned to comrades, religious leaders, nurses, or doctors to help them facilitate “a good death”—a death reflective of character and legacy, based on faith, repentance, and acceptance of God’s will.

“Civil War soldiers were, in fact, better prepared to die than to kill, for they lived in a culture that offered many lessons in how life should end. But these lessons had to be adapted to the dramatically changed circumstances of the war. Soldiers and their families struggled in a variety of ways to mitigate the cruel realities and to construct a good death amid chaos.” —Drew Gilpin Faust

Kirstein Hansen-Ta is a new student of the Civil War. In July 2024, she inherited ten six-inch binders containing her family history, dating as far back as 1630 to the present day. As incredible as all this history is, she found none as fascinating as her family’s experiences during the Civil War. Several men on both sides of her family fought for the Confederacy, including her second great-grandfather and a number of uncles. She is happy to report that, with the exception of one, they all returned home.

Among the hundreds of pages in these binders, Kirstein came across what she considers the most valuable: four typewritten pages of a letter from an uncle describing all three of his older brothers and their time in the Confederate army. Additionally, he describes what life was like for the family during the Civil War. After reading these stories, Kirstein realized that the most intriguing part of the Civil War wasn’t necessarily the battles or the politics, but rather the people who lived through it.

Wanting to learn more about the Civil War, Kirstein discovered the website for the South Bay Civil War Round Table and officially became a member in October 2024. She looks forward to learning more about this significant time in our country’s history.

Join us at 6:30 PM, March 31, at Jack’s Restaurant & Bar, located at the Northwest corner of the Westgate Shopping Mall in San Jose, near Campbell (1502 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129) and via ZOOM. This month’s topic is

Ron Vaughan on “The Mexican War”

How did the United States achieve victory in just two years, while failing to invade Canada in 1812—and while both Spain and France had previously failed to conquer Mexico? How did the USA succeed where others did not? This presentation will answer these questions and many more. It will also explore the critical role of U.S. junior officers who later rose to become generals in the Civil War.

Ron Vaughan holds an MA in History and a Secondary Teaching Credential. His master’s thesis was entitled “A Comparison of the Military Effectiveness of the U.S. Army and Mexico in 1846.” He is the author of two published books: Viva Juárez: A Source Book for the French Intervention in Mexico and Handbook for the Spanish Civil War, as well as numerous magazine articles on military history. His most recent article, “Joe Shelby’s Odyssey in Mexico,” appeared in the December 2022 issue of North & South magazine.

Ron has been an active historical re-enactor for the Roman era, the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II. He currently serves as Head Docent at the Tulare City Historical Museum and as Secretary and Editor for the San Joaquin Valley Civil War Round Table.