The 27th Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale

Originally published March 2022 · pp. 4–8

DALTON, Ga.—The show held January 29th and 30th at the Dalton Convention Center kicked off the 2022 season for Mike Kent and MK Shows amid great expectations for a good year. The Dalton Show was originally founded by Robert Overstreet in 1995 as a 200-table event utilizing half the Convention Center’s 45,000 square foot exhibit hall. In 2002 Mike Kent assumed ownership and, over the years, has parlayed the show into one of the largest Civil War shows in the country at 500 tables. The Dalton Show is without a doubt one of the most popular events on the Civil War calendar each year and for good reason.

The venue is big and bright with easy, level access through wide lobby doors and multiple roll up doors. Parking is plentiful and free. The facility is conveniently located just off I-75 at Exit 333 and visible from the interstate. To top things off, there are multiple hotels and restaurants within a mile of the show’s location. The Dalton show was one of the few Civil War events to not miss a beat during the pandemic of the past two years. The 2020 show was held just prior to the nationwide shutdowns that began in March and by the time the 2021 show rolled around venues were beginning to open back up, although with some restrictions.

With Covid-19 still a factor in some people’s minds, all 500 tables were still filled at show time despite some last-minute cancellations; traffic was on a par with last year’s event. The mask policy was no longer in effect this year, but masks were provided to those who chose to wear one. Common areas were sanitized periodically, hand sanitizers were available everywhere, and concessions were served in individual boxes instead of buffet style. Overall, everyone questioned felt comfortable with the arrangements made to keep both vendors and attendees safe. Although ice and snow are always a threat in the Dalton area, CivilWarNews.com neither affected this year’s event, even though the temperature stood at a cool 20 degrees when the doors opened at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Foot traffic started out slowly but soon picked up as the sun came out and temperatures rose into the mid 30’s. The cold did not affect dealer participation as the regulars from Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and many other states all made their annual pilgrimage to Dalton. The Dalton Lecture Series has become a popular tradition for the show with state of the art break out rooms easily accessible from the show floor featuring audio visual equipment perfect for seminars and presentations. For the past few years Greg Biggs has been instrumental in organizing the series as well as presenting a lecture. This year Biggs performed his magic again with the following entertaining and informative speakers. Gene Andrews’ topic was “Forrest’s Strategy: If They Had Only Listened.” Gene detailed numerous well-known battles where Forrest recommended actions to his superiors, only to be ignored to the detriment of the campaign. It was obvious after Gene’s detailed analysis and explanations that things could certainly have turned out differently had Forrest’s suggestions been taken. Andrews’ background includes a lifelong interest in Confederate history, particularly Nathan Bedford Forrest, culminating with his current volunteer occupation as caretaker of the Forrest boyhood home near Chapel Hill, Tenn. Along the way, Andrews served as a USMC Lieutenant in Viet Nam, played minor league football for the Cincinnati Bengals, coached for 14 years, and worked for a company providing medical services to NASCAR, Indy car drivers, and crew members. Next up was Brad Butkovich who spoke on his new book

The Battle of Pickett’s Mill; Along the Deadline. Butkovich’s presentation was well organized with numerous visuals showing troop placement and movements as well as detailing what happened in the days immediately following the fighting in the Pickett’s Mill area. Brad Butkovich has a BA in History from Georgia Southern University and is a member of the American Battlefield Trust. In addition to publishing several books, Butkovich has recently finalized the website: C i v i l Wa r Vi r t u a l To u r s . c o m which provides detailed views of Civil War battlefields and engagements. Taking the 1 p.m. slot was Col. Ed Lowe (Ret.) whose topic was “James Longstreet in East Tennessee and the Problem of Confederate and Union Logistics” which was given using an excellent and informative slide presentation. Col. Lowe served on active duty with the U.S. Army including deployments to Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and Elizabethtown College, is working on two books for Savas Beatie, and is President of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Civil War Round Table. Greg Biggs finished up the Saturday lectures with, “Red Clay Banners: The Confederate Battle Flags of the Atlanta Campaign.” Biggs is well known in the Civil War community and a recognized expert on military colors of the 18th and 19th centuries. He has spoken to numerous Civil War Roundtables and SCV camps around the country, led battlefield tours, and is the Staff Ride Facilitator for Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Biggs has also been published in many Civil War publications and has consulted for museums, auction houses, and relic dealers Dr. Bill Blackman and his stunning collection of Confederate buckles.

This is Todd Klingenberg’s second Dalton show, but he looks like an old pro!

Kent Schweikert is a new book dealer at Dalton but plans to be back next year.

You can’t miss Rafael Eledge of Shiloh Relics with his yellow table covers!

Kerry Elliott and son John Ryan never miss a Dalton show. Kerry’s display, “Numbered Guns: Arms furnished to the Confederacy by Great Britain” featured an engraved gun with number “3.”

Relics of the Republic of Texas Navy were a hit at Robert Bushnell’s table.

Nick Periut’s tables contained everything from a rare warlog to artillery projectiles, antique firearms, and other hard to find excavated artifacts.