On Feb. 16, 2013, Longwood University will play host to several people as they gather for the 14th Annual Civil War Seminar to impart knowledge for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The annual seminar is free and open to the public, be they Longwood students, Farmville residents, Longwood alumni or parents of current Longwood students.
This year, the focus of the seminar is “A Year of Decisions.” Different historians will reflect on mul- tiple events in 1863, including the Battle of Chan- cellorsville, the wounding and later death of Stone- wall Jackson and Gettysburg, the farthest north the Confederacy ever got during the Civil War.
The seminar begins at 9 a.m. and will be located in Jarman Auditorium, though the doors to Jarman will open around fifteen minutes prior. Dr. David Coles, chair of the history, political science and philosophy department, will start the event off with an introduction before handing over the floor to Frank O’ Reilly, the author of the book “The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahan- nock” and a Pulitzer Prize nominee.
Following him will be Robert K. Krick Sr., the award-winning author of twenty books and over two hundred articles, including “Conquering the Valley: Stonewall Jackson at Port Republic”, “Civil
War Weather in Virginia” and “Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain” (recipient of three national awards, including the Douglas Southall Freeman Prize for Best Book in Southern History).
“I know [the seminar] has been going on more than ten years,” said Dr. Charles Ross, dean of the Cook- Cole College of Arts and Sciences and author of three books on military history. “You’ll have to ask Dr. Coles to know for sure.”
Ross will also be speaking at the seminar as the last speaker to go before a break in the program for lunch, which will be available at Dorrill Dining Hall.
“I’m talking about Civil War acoustic shadows,” said Ross. “What I’m talking about is strange things that happened to sounds outdoors and how they affected battles in the Civil War. I’ve talked about it a lot. I’ve gone on TV several times, talked on the History Channel, PBS and written a book on it, so I think I can fill 45 minutes.”
After Ross, the focus of the seminar will shift to- ward Gettysburg, as both Troy Harman, a National Park service ranger, Gettysburg resident and author of the book “Lee’s Real Plan at Gettysburg”, and John S. Heiser, a historian and award-winning author of more than twenty books regarding Get- tysburg, will be speaking about it.
The Appomattox Court House National Histori- cal Park, Eastern National Bookstore and the Longwood department of history, political science and philosophy are sponsoring the seminar. Parking will be available in the Wheeler and Cox lots on Griffin Boulevard. Signs will be posted throughout Longwood University Campus.
For additional information, contact Dr. David Coles at 434-395-2220 or Patrick Schroeder at 434- 352-8987, extension 232.
