Mellen to discuss Civil War book June 25 at Oglesby library

Author Rachael Mellen will appear at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 at Oglesby Public Library to discuss her new book on the Civil War.

Mellen recently released “From Camp Douglas to Vicksburg: The Civil War Letters of William J. Kennedy, 1861-63,” co-edited with David A. Powell.

In her Wednesday talk “Prairie Patriot- A La Salle Soldier’s Experiences in the Civil War,” Mellen will discuss her family’s connection to William Kennedy and how she came to discover William Kennedy’s letters that evolved into an exploration of William Kennedy’s career in the Civil War and how his military service affected his family in La Salle.

Mellen is a graduate of the University of London and California State University-Dominguez Hills. Rachael has published three books on English genealogy as well as numerous articles and has taught genealogy classes and given presentations to many organizations. She is currently president of the La Salle County Genealogy Guild and lives in Peru.