Our Next Presentation

The Civil Warriors CWRT of the San Fernando Valley/Los Angeles will hold its next meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, March 11, at 7PM Pacific Time via Zoom. We are pleased to host a presentation by Ben Cwayna, who will be speaking to the Warriors about:

"The Invincible Twelfth"

At a regimental reunion in 1880, former Confederate Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan lauded the 12th South Carolina as “The finest of that immortal army,” “foremost in the charge,” and “the invincible Twelfth.” The regiment, along with four others, served under McGowan from early 1863 through the end of the War. The regiment’s career commenced with defeat in its initial engagement on the South Carolina coast at Port Royal Sound in 1861. A change in leadership from a perpetually absent political appointee to a tenacious legislator born and bred in the upcountry altered its course. Dixon Barnes instilled discipline and robust leadership in the unit, transforming the raw recruits into some of the Confederacy’s most dependable soldiers.

The 12th was transferred to what would become the Army of Northern Virginia and was brigaded with four other regiments from the Palmetto State. Together, they participated in nearly every major engagement of the war in the Eastern Theater. The 12th earned a sterling reputation within the army but its proclivity for taking the fight to the enemy exacted a heavy toll. Only about 150 of the nearly 1,400 men who served in the regiment’s ranks surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Benjamin L. Cwayna is an attorney in private practice and a leader in the Civil War reenacting and living history community. For many years, Ben commanded the 12th South Carolina/4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Inc., a nationally recognized reenacting organization. He has been featured on the “Addressing Gettysburg Podcast” with Matt Callery and has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Civil War through living history demonstrations, presentations, and tours on numerous battlefields. A graduate of Michigan State University and Michigan State University College of Law, Benjamin resides in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

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 Feature Documentary” at thDouglas Miller is ale President of The Center for Military 

We will be meeting via the Zoom meeting app. We will be sending out the on-line connection information shortly before our meeting day (3/11/26). Please plan on beginning your hookup a few minutes before the 7PM Pacific meeting time. If you are a first-time visitor to the Civil Warriors, please contact us at cwrtsfv@gmail 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 on our Future Presentations section.

Future Presentations