Civil War Memory

Virginia's Civil War Sesquicentennial is Less Than One Year Away

That's right, on April 29, 2009 the University of Richmond will host the first of a series of "Signature Conferences" which will take place through 2015.  Ed Ayers has organized this first gathering which has the tentative title, "America on the Eve of the Civil War."  Rather than a traditional conference setting Ayers is hoping to invite presenters who will play the roles of various characters in Virginia in 1859.  The idea would be for those individuals to respond to news on the ground in a way that would highlight the contingency or unknown as to how events might play out.  The details have yet to be worked out, but you can see how it neatly fits into Ayers's recent scholarship which attempts to present the history as unfolding within the context of an uncertain future.  It also points to his commitment to appeal to a wide range of people.  The event may also include a forum where issues of interpretation and memory can be discussed.  This event will be followed by a conference at Harper's Ferry on June 25-26. 

Virginians should be very proud of the hard work that has already been put into a broad range of events, which hopefully will appeal to a broad spectrum of the state's population.  Today's meeting of the Advisory Council to the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission was a bit draining, but well worth the time. In the morning we listened to a series of reports and in the afternoon divided up into smaller groups to discuss a number of issues.  Andrew Talkov, who is the Exhibition Coordinator at the Virginia Historical Society updated us with the work his organization is doing to put together two separate exhibits which will tour the state throughout the sesquicentennial.  Edward D.C. Campbell, who is in charge of document digitization at the Library of Virginia, gave us an overview on their plans to uncover as many private collections as possible from around the state and have them digitized for research and educational purposes. 

The commission still seems to be a bit wary about its position on reenactments.  At this point the commission will not endorse or support the organization of reenactments, which was the initial recommendation of James I. Robertson.  As many of you know Robertson was a prominent figure during the Centennial celebrations and knows all too well the controversy that was generated as a result of reenactments.  I understand the position, but I wonder whether the commission is giving in too quickly.  After all, these reenactments are going to bring the most visitors to Virginia and the commission may be losing an opportunity to reach out to an entire segment of the Civil War community.  Reenactments are going to take place regardless of whether the commission endorses them or not, but they may run the risk of generating some bad press with certain interest groups if they feel they are being snubbed.  I don't know what the solution is, but I wonder whether all options have really been exhausted in trying to find ways of packaging these types of events in a way that steers clear of potential problems. 

The other issues that seems to be more of a stumbling block is the question of under what conditions other organizations can use the commission's logo.  This is an important question since the goal of the sesquicentennial is commemoration and not celebration and we can all imagine a number of nightmare scenarios.  One place where this has come up is in the creation of local sesquicentennial commissions.  The state commission is encouraging every county to form their own commission, and at this point 55 out of 134 localities have done so. The issue at hand is whether the state commission will be able to exercise control over the types of events or the make-up of individual commissions.  Should there be guidelines in terms of the kinds of people that can serve on a local commission and who on the state commission should have oversight of all of this? What is the line between appropriate and inappropriate events?

This connects to the broader issue of private funding.  The most interesting aspect of all of this is the politics of fundraising, which I know nothing about.  We all know that the Civil War is a divisive subject so it stands to reason that private businesses may be apprehensive about making donations and having their names attached to various events.  One very interesting suggestion was to focus on the fact that private funds would be used to support a wide range of institutions throughout Virginia.  This would keep the focus off of trying to package the sesquicentennial around some vaguely defined Whiggish interpretation of American history.  I just don't have much patience for Victorian notions of moral progress and American Exceptionalism.  I don't mean to impugn the United States, I just don't think that such views make much sense regardless of where they are applied. 

In the end, the important point is that Virginia's commission is far in the lead of any other state commission.  In fact, the people in charge of the commission spend time consulting with other state's who are working to organize their own commissions.  I couldn't be more encouraged by the progress that Virginia's commission has made thus far. 

Advisory Council Meeting Today in Richmond

Today I head down to the Library of Virginia in Richmond to take part in a meeting of the Advisory Council for the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commision of the American Civil War.  Click here for the agenda.  If I have time I will post a brief report later today.

Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial License Plates Available in July

The General Assembly has enacted HB 631 and SB 73, which authorize the issuance of special license plates marking the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. These plates will be subject to a one-time surcharge of $15, of which $5 will be paid to the Virginia Sesquicentenniallof the American Civil War Commission Fund to support programs and activities to place Virginia at the forefront of this historic national commemoration.

South Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Adds Key Members

South Carolina's Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission seems to be making some progress of late.  They are not as far along as Virginia and North Carolina so it will be interesting to see if they can pull it all together before 20011.  As we all know they are pretty much up to bat first given the significance of Fort Sumter.  I came across an interesting little article which indicates that the commission is concerned about ensuring that events reflect multiple perspective and appeal to a wide array of the state's population, especially the African-American community.  To that end the commission added a representative from the Penn Center, which is historically significant in its own right:

"My concern was that the African-American experience was not being represented, and that's true of everything in South Carolina -- whenever it comes to these statewide events and committees, they forget African-Americans are (about 29 percent) of the state," said Jannie Harriot, chairwoman of the S.C. African-American Heritage Commission, who is slated to be part of the board and spearheaded the effort to include Penn Center. "If anybody knows anything about the history of South Carolina and the history of Penn Center, you know about the contributions of Penn Center right after the Civil War and even during the Civil War."

Patrick McCawley noted that, "The advisory commission is looking to commemorate events, not celebrate (events)."  "We want to be inclusive, and these (sesquicentennial) events should be designed to include all the multiple perspectives that go on when you have a cataclysmic event like the Civil War."

Easier said than done.  

If You Fight it All Over Again They Will Come

A good friend of mine and a very talented local historian fired off an email in response to Viola Baskerville's editorial on Virginia's plans to commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial.  It was a thoughtful response which I wanted to respond to on the blog:

What about the military historians? What about the literally tens of thousands of people who, hopefully, will be coming to Virginia just to do what Ms. Baskerville says they shouldn't—revisit & expand their understanding of the many bloody battles? Also, I really don't believe the commission will encourage people to "step away from the . . . military strategy" but will instead urge people to "come to Virginia to see where most of the war was fought."

First, I think it goes without saying that the majority of people who travel to Virginia will be doing so to see one of the many wonderful battlefields from the Shenandoah Valley to Petersburg.  For most Americans the Civil War is simply a series of battles which took place over a four year period and I think it is this that Baskerville was responding to.  There will be every opportunity for those visitors that are looking to tramp along a battlefield for the first or up-teenth time.  No doubt, scores of reenactments will take place during the sesquicentennial and the National Park Service will step up to the plate and offer a wide range of battlefield tours for those interested.  As an adviser for the Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission it is my hope that we can help to broaden our understanding of the causes, the battles, and the consequences of the war that we are still grappling with today.

Given that our popular perceptions of the war revolve around battles and leaders it seems to me that the commission's focus and resources should be on these broader issues from the reaction of Virginians to John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry and the role of slavery in the state to the way the war affected the home front to the consequences of defeat and Reconstruction.  I don't believe that this implies ignoring the battlefield at all; in fact, I believe that it enhances our understanding of what happened on those bloody fields and why.  That said, given the centrality of the battlefield in our popular imagination it is difficult to see how tweaking our explanations of where "Stonewall" Jackson was shot at Chancellorsville or the location of a specific regiment during the battle is as important as some of these bigger issues, which are less known.  I hope the commission continues to work to bring the best in recent Civil War scholarship to as wide an audience as possible and focuses specifically on providing resources for our classrooms.  We have already arranged to hold a series of panels, beginning with John Brown's Raid and proceeding into Reconstruction, which will involve some of the top scholars in the field.  A comprehensive film, under the direction of James. I. Robertson, will be made available to every history classroom in the state.  As someone who teaches a semester-long elective on the Civil War and requires students to spend an entire day on a Virginia battlefield I devote just as much time discussing tactics as I do the broader issues.  When we travel to Chancellorsville I discuss the Chancellor family and their slaves, the motivations of the men who fought there, and national politics.

I can see how Baskerville's editorial might leave the impression that Virginia's Sesquicentennial will be battlefield-free, but this is not the case at all.  We want to ensure that Virginians have the opportunity to think about the war from multiple perspectives.  This stands in sharp contrast with a Civil War Centennial which highlighted a relatively narrow range of themes that had everything to do with the state of scholarship and a commitment to white political control along with a complimentary national memory.

Editorial on Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial

I urge you to read Viola O. Baskerville's excellent editorial on Virginia's Civil War Sesquicentennial which recently appeared in Richmond.com. Because Ms. Baskerville serves on a Workgroup for the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission I got to read and comment on an early draft. I couldn't be more pleased with the final version as she gives all of us some important questions to think about.

We do not need to revisit and expand our understanding of the many bloody battles that occurred in that war -- a number of which were waged right here in Virginia. We must step away from the absorbing, intricate details of military strategy to do a proper accounting of how that unique war impacted our nation. We must ask: Why did our nation sacrifice so much blood and treasure in waging a civil war? Historians will disagree on the war's most important legacies. But, surely these three are among the most significant: 1. The end of slavery 2. The preservation of our Union 3. The birth of a historic struggle for civil rights and racial reconciliation. We accomplished the first two when the war ended. The third, however, took just short of 100 years before landmark Supreme Court decisions and new government statutes produced partial fulfillment. So, now, as we prepare to mark the war's sesquicentennial anniversary, we must not forget that the war's final chapters are yet to be written.

Check out the Commission's webiste for more information about what is being planned here in Virginia.

The Littlefield History of the Civil War Era

There has been a buzz about this series for a few years now.  The Littlefield Series will be comprised of sixteen volumes and is being edited by Gary Gallagher and Michael Parrish for the University of North Carolina Press and the Littlefield Fund for Southern History of the University of Texas at Austin.  While there has been nothing posted on UNC's website I did receive a brochure which includes a brief announcement that the inaugural volume is scheduled for publication this November.  The first volume is by Elizabeth Varon and is titled Disunion: The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859.  Additional volumes will be published through the Civil War Sesquicentennial and included by such notable scholars as Mark Grimsley, Mark E. Neely, and James McPherson.  If I remember correctly, McPherson is writing the volume on the navy, George Rable on religion, Joan Waugh on the common soldier, and Carol Reardon on the war in the East. 

Hey Grimsley, what subject are you tackling?

This promises to be an important series of books that should both synthesize the overwhelming amount of new scholarship which has emerged over the past few decades as well as offer new interpretations that will influence future scholars.

Honoring a Union Man in the Heart of the Confederacy

I had a great time last night in Fredericksburg where I spoke to the Rappahannock County Civil War Round Table.  My friend and fellow historian John Hennessy gave me a very gracious introduction and the audience seemed very receptive to the topic of the Crater and historical memory.  This is my second time speaking to this particular group and both occasions have been well worth the drive from Charlottesville.

Before the evening's program got underway I spoke with a gentlemen who is working with the National Welsh American Foundation to honor Sergeant Henry Reese of the 48th Pennsylvania with a Medal of Honor for his roll at the Crater.  Reese was actually recommended for the medal but for some reason it was not conferred.  Here is the recommendation:

Having performed a conspicuous act of gallantry on July 30, 1864.  In the undermining and destruction of the Rebel Fort No. 5 in front of Petersburg, Va, the fuse leading to the magazine had been spliced about 15 feet from the face of the mine, where the fuse was first lighted, it burned to the splice, when the fire went out, and, after the time set for the explosion had elapsed Sergeant Henry Reese volunteered to enter the mine and relight the fuse at the splice, which he successfully accomplished, and returned to safety to the mouth of the mine, and in one minute after the explosion took place.

Virginia's Sesquicentennial to Begin at Harper's Ferry

One of the questions discussed at the August meeting of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission was which event to use as the beginning of the commemorations.  If I remember correctly, the Centennial celebrations were kicked off with the firing on Fort Sumter in April 1961; this reflected both a traditional interpretation of the war which framed the conflict in terms of military affairs, but also made it possible to ignore anything that reminded Americans of the sectional debates over slavery.  A number of commission members suggested beginning Virginia's commemoration of the war with John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry.  The reasons should be obvious.  Any understanding of the Civil War must be understood in connection with slavery and the 1859 raid contributed to white Virginians and others in the South viewing the 1860 presidential election as a referendum on the future of the Union.  As an adviser to the Virginia Commission I am pleased to report that a tour and tentative lecture of Harper's Ferry are planned for June 25-26, 2009.

While I applaud this move I hope that the same amount of attention is given to the Sesquicentennial's close.  During the August meeting I suggested that the commission look beyond the neat textbook-style distinctions between Civil War and Reconstruction.  The more I read about the postwar period the more I am impressed by those who argue that the war did not really end in April 1865, but instead took on a different dynamic.  Perhaps a tour of the Freedman's Village at Arlington along with a lecture (in addition to other events) would make it possible to address lingering questions about black civil rights, reunion, and the legacy of the war.  Given the make-up of the commission I am confident that the issue will be taken seriously. 

I have little doubt that most Americans will be attracted by events involving military topics, but we cannot afford to ignore the causes and consequences of the war as was done in the 1960s.  The decision to begin the commemoration of the war in 2009 at Harper's Ferry is a sign that this will not happen in Virginia.

Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Endorses Battlefield Preservation Initiative

I was unable to attend last week's meeting of the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission so I am reading this for the first time.

At its meeting last week, the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the Civil War Preservation Trust's (CWPT) Virginia Sesquicentennial Battlefield Initiative. Initiative encourages state funding for battlefield preservation in Virginia during prior to and during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015).

Read more.