Our Next Presentation

TThe Civil Warriors Civil War Round Table of the San Fernando Valley/Los Angeles will hold its next meeting of 2026 via the Zoom app at 7:00PM Pacific Daylight Time on Wednesday, September 9. We are pleased to be hosting a presentation by author Steven Eden entitled:

"Crisis at Antietam"

Crisis at Antietam: The Cornfield and West Woods, September 17, 1862, provides a meticulous tactical analysis of the opening brutal hours of the Civil War’s bloodiest single day. The Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee was in grave peril. With half his forces exhausted and straggling, Lee confronted McClellan’s Army of the Potomac—a force poised for decisive victory.

Eden’s study of the fighting on the Confederate left uncovers critical missed opportunities, profound command failures, and the unpredictable hand of sheer chance. The fighting in the Miller Cornfield and West Woods quickly spiraled beyond command control. Officers failed to restore order in the maelstrom; regiments and brigades acted independently, moving without orders or full awareness of the battle’s unfolding horror. Union forces drove the Confederate front to near-collapse on three occasions, only for the Rebels to miraculously rally each time, stabilizing their fragile lines against overwhelming odds.

Eden draws on extensive original sources and his own combat experience as an officer and military instructor. The story of Crisis at Antietam challenges even seasoned students to reconsider the traditional narrative by exposing the raw, brutal reality of command and combat.

Steven Eden is a retired Army officer and veteran of Afghanistan. He taught history at West Point and is the author of two books, including Military Blunders: Wartime Fiascoes from the Roman Age Through World War I, and numerous magazine articles for professional and historical journals. He specialized in conducting battlefield staff rides for military organizations in Europe and the United States, including Antietam, while an instructor at Fort Meade, Maryland. He currently resides within easy distance of the battlefield in Manchester, Maryland, with his wife Kathleen.

Miller is a writer, filmmaker, and photographer based in Los Angeles. He is best known for writing and producing the popular independent documentary “When Stand Up Stood Out,” about the “gold rush” of the 70s and 80s Boston Comedy scene, and for writing and editing the documentary “Bettie Page Reveals All,” which won “Best FeatureMiller is ale President of The Center for Military 

We will be meeting via the Zoom meeting app. We will send out the meeting on-line connection information shortly before our meeting day (7/9/2026). Please plan on beginning your hookup a few minutes before the 7:00PM Pacific meeting time. If you are a first-time visitor to the Civil Warriors, please contact us at cwrtsfv@gmail.com for information regarding the hookup. Guests, new members and returning members are always welcome to join us for this and future meetings! If you can’t make this meeting, please consider one of our exciting upcoming meetings noted in our Future Presentations section.

Future Presentations