UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The second installment of the Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m. at the historic Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.

The topics for the coming meeting will be “The Formation of the Confederate States of America” and “Attempts at Compromise” followed by a roundtable discussion.

The roundtable was created to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and intends to follow the events of the war chronologically month by month. The first meeting was Jan. 3 and had 26 in attendance.

Presenters will be Zane Jensen and Phil Smoley, founders of the group.

“Starting in the March roundtable, we will have additional presenters coming online,” Smoley said. “We are attracting the area's leading historians to the group and it is evolving into a very dynamic, mature group of history buffs. We all don't agree on what happened, but it's been great to hear various diverse opinions, even those that are outside the current mainstream.”

While the group includes some serious historians, it's not limited to them.

“We want to keep the discussions at a level that most everyone can enjoy and learn from,” Smoley said. “High school and college students with an interest in history would enjoy the presentations, and it would help them in class.”

There is no charge, but there will be a donation can to help offset some of the costs related to the venue.

The neighboring Blue Wing Saloon (next to the Tallman Hotel), is offering 10-percent dinner discounts for roundtable attendees the night of the event.

For more information, contact Zane Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Phil Smoley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..