Turning Points -- The American Civil War in 1863 Series July 10-21 at Library Center
A series of 12 scholarly presentations by Civil War historians, a live concert by Granville Automatic and six tours of battle sites are planned as part of a series, “Turning Points – The American Civil War in 1863,” July 10-21 at the Library Center.
The series focuses on the people and events behind the turning points of the American Civil War 150 years ago. All programs are free and open to the public. Reservations are required for the limited seating on the bus tours.
The presentations are sponsored by the Springfield-Greene County Library District and its partners, the National Park Service, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation, Civil War Round Table of the Ozarks, Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association, the Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library.
A full program with event descriptions and speakers is at http://thelibrary.org/programs/documents/turning_points_web.pdf
To set the stage: Union and Confederate forces longed for a decisive victory as the Civil War entered 1863. The South won two celebrated battles, but the Union returned with crippling blows that divided the Confederacy. By 1864, the stage was set for a series of Union offensives that would seal the fate of the Confederacy, making 1863 a turning point in the American Civil War.
Here is the schedule of programs:
- Wednesday, July 10, 7 p.m., Albert C. Ellithorpe, Union Colonel, 1st Indian Home Guards, by Jane Johansson, associate professor at Rogers State University.
- Thursday, July 11, 7 p.m., Civil War in Indian Territory, by Ralph Jones, retired superintendent of Honey Springs Battlefield Historic Site.
- Friday, July 12, 7 p.m., Ulysses S. Grant, Vicksburg and Freedom, by Pam Sanfilippo, historian and education director at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
- Saturday, July 13, 2 p.m., “It Haunts Me Night and Day,” The Baxter Springs Massacre, by Matt Matthews, military historian at the U.S. Army’s Combat Studies Institute.
- Saturday July 13, 7 p.m., Vicksburg: Crucial to the Outcome, by Jake Koch, Vicksburg National Military Park.
- Monday, July 15, 7 p.m., Common Foe of Mankind: Guerrillas, Civilians and the Nature of War in 1863, by Matt Stith, assistant professor of history at University of Texas at Tyler.
- Tuesday, July 16, 7 p.m. “Revenge Was the Watchword” – The Lawrence Massacre, Order Number 11 and Guerrilla War in the Summer of 1863, by Dr. Jeremy Neely, Missouri State University history professor.
- Wednesday, July 17, 7 p.m., The Campaign to Take Little Rock, 1863, by Mark Christ, community outreach director, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
- Thursday, July 18, 7 p.m., James Longstreet and the Gettysburg Controversy, by Dr. William Piston, Missouri State University history professor.
- Friday, July 19, 6:30 p.m., Victor of Gettysburg: George Meade and Civil War History, by Michael Price, local history associate, Springfield-Greene County Libraries.
- Friday, July 19, 8 p.m. Granville Automatic Concert of Civil War Music
- Saturday, July 20, 4 p.m., “One By One the Boys Pass Away:” The Hospital Diary of Corporal William Miller, 75th Indiana Infantry, by Jeffrey Patrick, military historian and librarian, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.
- Saturday, July 20, 7 p.m., From Virginia to Missouri: the Civil War in 1863, by Dr. William Piston, Missouri State University history professor.
Driving Tours
- Battle of Springfield: Saturday July 13, 10 a.m.-noon; Saturday, July 20, 2-4 p.m.; Sunday, July 21, 2-4 p.m. Reservations required, call 882-0714.
- Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield: Saturday, July 13, 2-5 p.m.; Sunday, July 14, 2-5 p.m.; Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Find this article at http://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=2452&lid=63