Join the Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable on October 15 for “Iowans Who Fought Against the Union,” a Speakers Bureau presentation by historian Dave Connon.

Most Iowans think that the state was solidly pro-Union during the Civil War. After all, some 76,500 residents fought for the North. In reality, Iowa Democrats formed a spectrum of dissent. Most Democrats opposed abolishing slavery (and yet favored the Union war effort); a minority sympathized with the South. It might be surprising that at least 150 Iowa residents served the Confederacy. This talk will focus on four or five of them. David Connon will explore their motivations and describe their pre-war, war-time, and post-war experiences. After each soldier’s story, he will invite audience members to share their observations.