The Bicentennial has Really Begun

I've been meaning to write a post summarizing the various War of 1812 Bicentennial activities I've taken part in since OpSail in Norfolk. Things have been hectic to say the least. Aside from many work-related projects, I've had lots of work to do surrounding my classes and some professional development, which I may get into later. I was talking with Mike Hill from the Office of Archives and History Research Branch earlier this week and was reminded that I really needed to write this post, so this one's for Mike.

On Friday, June 29 the NC Department of Cultural Resources War of 1812 Bicentennial Planning Committee hosted its Bicentennial kickoff symposium at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort. I had been very much looking forward to this symposium for a number of reasons. I knew it would give me a chance to see colleagues I don't often see like the aforementioned Mr. Hill, Josh Howard, LeRae Umfleet, Dr. David Brook, and others. I was also very interested in hearing a number of the speakers on the program, particularly Stephen Budiansky, author of the excellent book Perilous Fight. Mr. Budiansky did not disappoint; his keynote address was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his presentation. Tommy Sheppard's discussion of American sailors impressed into the British navy was unique and interesting. Most folks know that impressment was one of the causes of the war, but to hear stories of the sailors who suffered that fate was a nice change of pace. Thus ended the morning session and I was off to lunch at the Royal James Cafe with Josh and Dr. Larry Babits. The conversation was stimulating and the fellowship enjoyable.

Gerald Thomas was the first speaker of the afternoon. He has authored numerous works on the history of Bertie County, NC including a recently published work on the county during the War of 1812. My feelings on this presentation are decidedly mixed. I didn't agree with some of his conclusions and though his research seems pretty thorough it just seemed like there were some holes that were left unfilled. Next was a panel discussion featuring Dr. Wade Dudley, Dr. Lindley Butler, and William Thiessen. Each gave a short presentation on a particular "niche" of the war. All three were great, and could have easily done a full-length presentation if not for the time constraints of the program. The symposium wrapped up with Dr. Larry Babits' presentation about doing living history on the USS Niagara. It was a real treat listening to one of the foremost maritime and military historians in the state talk about a craft that many of us strive to be as good at as he is.

All in all, this was an excellent symposium and the committee should be proud of their efforts. The attendance was, I think, better than expected with about 75 folks in attendance throughout the day. The unveiling of the museum's new War of 1812 exhibit was icing on the cake. Friday evening there was a harbor cruise and dinner; I did not take part in that activity and I'm not certain how many did.

The following day, a living history encampment was held on the Beaufort Historical Association grounds, just a block or two from the museum. Reenactors representing the NC Militia, British 4th Regt. of Foot, and the privateer Snap Dragon were on hand to interpret the war for visitors. Musket demonstrations were conducted throughout the day, but visitation was somewhat light due to excessive heat. Still, the reenactors all had a good time and were well taken care of by the BHA staff who provided lunch and other amenities. Toward the end of the afternoon a number of us trekked the two blocks to the Old Burying Ground and visited the graves of many notables, including the privateer captain Otway Burns. I would definitely consider the weekend a success and think it was a quite commendable way to kick off the War of 1812 Bicentennial in North Carolina!

War of 1812 Bicentennial Kicks Off in NC

This past weekend a group of dedicated War of 1812 reenactors gathered in Raleigh, NC on the grounds of the State Capitol and at the Mordecai Historic Park to reenact and commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States' declaration of war against Great Britain in 1812. At the State Capitol the declaration was read and the Wake Volunteer Guards militia fired muskets and a cannon. Later that evening a ball was held at the Raleigh City Museum to cap off the day's activities. And with that, the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 officially began in North Carolina.

This weekend the NC Department of Cultural Resources War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee officially begins its commemoration of the little remembered and even less understood war that was pivotal in creating a sense of national pride and unity both here in the United States and in Canada. The Committee will kick off it's commemoration with a day-long symposium focusing on the naval war on Friday, June 29 at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Saturday the commemoration will continue with a living history program on the grounds of the Beaufort Historical Association featuring US Regulars, militia, British forces, and sailors.

There are also activities taking place in the colonial capital of New Bern, at Tryon Palace. "The War America Forgot" will include character based tours of the site's Federal era house, the Stanly House, as well as children's activities in the North Carolina History Center. Also, on Sunday afternoon, yours truly will be giving a lecture called North Carolina War of 1812 Personalities featuring brief character sketches of five North Carolinians of the period.

All in all, both weekends included, I think North Carolina has done quite a good job getting the Bicentennial commemoration started. Another symposium and living history program will be held in October, along with many other living history programs, lectures, etc. in between. I hope that you will find time to attend one or more of these great events!

Changing Focus

My streak of 18th century programs came to an end this weekend with the annual commemoration of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. Due to a number of issues, the reenactor turnout for the event was lower than usual, but that was OK. Sometimes bigger is not always better and I think we put on a quality program for the park.

Now I am rather abruptly switching gears and preparing for a string of Civil War programs. In the month of March, I will be presenting a paper at the Civil War Navy Symposium at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA, as well as participating in that museum's living history program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads. I will also be taking part in the annual living history program at Bentonville Battlefield and the 150th anniversary of the occupation of Beaufort, NC being sponsored by the NC Maritime Museum. In the midst of all this, I will also be making a two-day road trip to Lexington, VA to attend the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Signature Conference for 2012.

Two more Civil War events are on the horizon in April as well, including the largest 150th anniversary event that my group will take part in this year. The only thing that might steal my attention away from the Civil War over the next two months is the possibility of attending the annual War for Empire event at Fort Dobbs, a French & Indian War event. With everything else I have going on, I haven't decided whether or not I'll be able to make that trip this year. At any rate, things are shaping up to be very busy for the next few months. I'm preparing to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Two Road Trips Down

I have not been intentionally neglecting this blog for the past three weeks; I've simply been too busy to find enough time to post. A lot has happened since the reenactment of the 1802 duel between John Stanly and Richard Dobbs Spaight, the topic of my last post.

I was in Pennsylvania for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. As most of you know, Flight 93 went down very near to where my father's family home is. I was not in PA specifically for the commemorations, but it was an interesting coincidence. I didn't go anywhere near the crash site memorial, but instead watched many of the proceedings on television with my grandmother. My mother and I were there for the annual Mountain Craft Days festival at the Somerset County Historical Center, which this year seemed to be greatly overshadowed by the 9/11 activities. It didn't help that it had rained there all week long and the grounds were nothing but mud and muck. I also got a chance to go fishing with my brother, as he and his girlfriend went up for a visit too. I caught two largemouth bass, the first being pretty nice (about 2.5 pounds and 14-15 inches long), so I was pretty pleased. My brother and I also got a chance to talk to a fellow who is working on restoring an old farm up in the mountains (we were fishing in his pond) which includes a house built in 1870. Not only is the farm a wonderful, peaceful, and beautiful place, but Jim is a really interesting guy who has a passion for making that place the best it can be. I may post some photos later.

After a quick turnaround, I was back on the road last weekend. I was in Richmond, VA on Friday and Saturday for the annual meeting of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) where I was on the program as a session moderator. I put together a session titled "Aren't We Forgetting Something? The War of 1812 Bicentennial in the South." I had presenters from North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia; each one did a great job and the panel was better attended and more well-received than we ever expected. I sat in on some other very good panel sessions, got to catch up with folks I hadn't seen in a year or two, and met some new folks as well. It was one of the best conferences I've been to in a long time even though I was only there for part of it. Before leaving Saturday I had a chance to catch up with a friend from college who lives in Richmond. We hadn't seen each other in 15 or 16 years and it was real nice to catch up. And that leads us to........

Dueling on Labor Day

This afternoon I will be taking part in the annual reenactment of the duel between John Stanly and Richard Dobbs Spaight at Tryon Palace. I do not have a speaking part in this event, but will serve as one of the pistol loaders alongside my long time reenacting friend, Ken Sewell. It should prove to be interesting.

This event will begin a very hectic few weeks for me. On Thursday morning I am leaving to take my mother to Pennsylvania for the annual Mountain Craft Days event at the Somerset County Historical Center. For the past few years I have participated in this event as well, but I am taking this year off since I am still rehabbing my ankle and I'm not sure it would stand up too well for the entire weekend. Instead, I plan to visit friends, finally make that visit to Fort Necessity I've been wanting to make, and find a good bar at which to watch the Steelers game on Sunday.

The next weekend (Sept. 16-17) will find me in Richmond, attending the annual meeting of the American Association for State and Local History. There, I will be serving as moderator and presenter on a panel entitled "Aren't We Forgetting Something? The War of 1812 Bicentennial" which will take a look at three southern states' (TN, NC, and VA) efforts to commemorate the Bicentennial while being overshadowed by the much larger and more popular Civil War Sesquicentennial. I will also be attending a breakfast sponsored by the AASLH Military History Committee (of which I am a member) and Presidential Sites committee. The featured speaker will be from James Madison's Montpelier. Of course, I'll also be trying to catch up with a few old friends in the brief time I am in Richmond as well.

All in all, it looks like the next few weeks are going to be very busy, but in a generally good way. I'll report as I am able on all these activities.

Busy Week (and things aren't going to slow down)

A week ago yesterday the doctor told me to take the walking boot off and start wearing a regular shoe again. I have to say the first few hours of wearing a shoe, after three months of not wearing one, felt kind of weird. I still have to do some physical therapy, I still have some swelling and pain, but the doctor says I should be 100% within another month or so.

I tested things out right away, spending a weekend on the Battleship USS North Carolina in Wilmington. Our living history group did a Civil War living history there on Saturday and saw over 1,500 visitors come through. We also spent two nights aboard "The Showboat" which was really fun.

Fall semester classes at both colleges started this week, so I've been busy answering student emails, adding students who registered late, and doing all manner of administrative work that has to be done at the start of a semester. So far things seem to be going well and hopefully that will continue for the next three and a half months.

Things will really start picking up both at work and on the living history front over the next six weeks or so; be on the lookout for lots of posts from me in the next couple of months. Next weekend will kick it all off, as I'm headed to Cape Hatteras with the artillery crew from Fort Fisher to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Hatteras. We'll actually be doing artillery demonstrations on the ground of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which should make for some really cool photo ops!

VA Sesquicentennial Signature Conference - May 21

Virginia's Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission has already sponsored two Signature Conferences in Richmond (2009) and Norfolk (2010), both of which were excellent. This year, the conference was hosted in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech. Dr. James I. Robertson, one of the leading scholars in the field, was the conference host and it was his last official act prior to his retirement. That made this conference a little more special than the previous two. Dr. Robertson was presented with the annual award given by the Commission for lifetime achievement at the start of the conference and he presided over the event like a proud grandfather all day long, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd at the end.

This year's theme was Military Strategy and the list of speakers was impressive, as always. The opening session outlined military strategy at the onset of the war. Dennis Frye, Chief Historian at Harper's Ferry, gave an impassioned speech about the use of John Brown's raid on the arsenal as a rallying cry for the newly seceded Confederate states. Richard Sommers, Senior Historian at the Army Heritage and Education Center and US Army War College, discussed the military education system of the time and the general lack of preparedness and bloated seniority system of the US Army at the war's outbreak.

The next session focused on strategy in the eastern theater of the war. Sommers was once again at the podium to begin, discussing the failure of Union strategy in the first two plus years of the war. From there Dr. Gary Gallagher of the University of VA took over and discussed the mid-war period. Gallagher was as solid as ever in his presentation. The panel was concluded by Dr. Joseph Glatthaar of the University of NC talking about the Army of Northern Virginia and Confederate strategy, while wrapping up the end of the war. This panel was very good and certainly met expectations, if not exceeding them.

Lunch featured a performance of the Stonewall Brigade Band. I'm not a big fan of marching band music anymore these days so I took the opportunity to check out the rest of the coliseum, the book shop, and the rest of the exhibitors.

The first afternoon session focused on strategy in the western theater of the war. William C. Davis of Virginia Tech gave an excellent overview of both Union and Confederate strategy in the west early in the war. Dr. Richard McMurry discussed the horrible relationship between Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. He basically laid the failure of Confederate strategy in the west at the feet of Davis and his poor relationship with Johnston. The session was brought to a close by Dr. Steven Woodworth of TCU, discussing the western theater after the fall of Vicksburg. I was looking forward to hearing him speak, and though he was good, I was a bit disappointed. I'll give him a pass though, because he did agree to sign three books for me outside of the assigned book signing time. Thanks to him and the Virginia Tech conference organizer for allowing that to happen.

The final session focused on "forgotten elements" of the Civil War. John Bowen, a highly regarded veterinarian talked about the horses and mules that perished in the war effort. William C. Davis did an interesting presentation on weather, how it effected operations, and how often and in detail soldiers wrote about it. Finally, Dr. Robertson ended the day with a discussion of water and how important (and scarce) it was for both armies.

All in all, this was a very good conference. The staff at Virginia Tech was by far the friendliest of any of the three conferences so far. They went above, beyond, and well out of their way to make the conference easy for me (remember, I've got one leg in a cast and have to use either crutches or a knee walker to get around). They were very accommodating and helpful all around and I can't thank them enough! Next year's conference will be held March 22 (the day after my birthday) at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, the topic being Leadership and Generalship. I can't wait!

NC Civil War Sesquicentennial Symposium - May 20

I'm finally getting around to writing my reflections on the two Civil War symposiums that I attended last weekend. I'll start with the first of three programs being held in North Carolina throughout the commemoration, this one dealing with the topic of Memory, held at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh.

The keynote speaker for this conference was David Blight, and as you all know I am a big fan of his. I could listen to him talk all day long and he did not disappoint in Raleigh last Friday. His address was thought provoking, timely, and humorous.

I can only evaluate the speakers that I heard (sessions ran concurrently throughout the day), but generally I heard plenty of good remarks about all the sessions. Shannon SanCartier, soon to embark upon her Ph.D. work at Penn State gave an excellent historiographical presentation tracing the field of Civil War memory from the centennial in the 1960s to the present. Her presentation was very good and I felt she really separated herself from her co-panelist who clearly was nearing the end of his career. I won't say anything much about him except to say that I was not impressed.

John Coffey of the NC Museum of Art did an interesting presentation on the history of a marble bust of John C. Calhoun in the museum's collection. While his presentation was nice and quite humorous, he went way over his allotted time. Tom Vincent of the NC Office of Archives and History did an excellent presentation on his specialty, North Carolina Confederate soldier monuments. Chris Meekins of the NC Archives wrapped up this session with a discussion of the NC sarcophagus/monument at Appomattox and the controvery it stirred when it was originally placed and unveiled on the battlefield.

Historian and blogger Michael Hardy did an excellent presentation on Civil War monuments in western North Carolina. This is the first time I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hardy in person and I really enjoyed his presentation. He was followed by Leonard Lanier, a doctoral candidate at LSU, who presented a talk about the opposing memories of eastern North Carolinian Gen. Bryan Grimes and the attempts to secure his legacy by his son and wife in the wake of his untimely murder after the war. I didn't stick around for the entire presentation, but what I heard sounded pretty good.

Finally, I got to hear one of my mentors speak at the end of the day. Dr. John Haley gave a presentation called "Risky Remembrances: African American Accounts of the Civil War and Reconstruction." Click the link to see this presentation on YouTube. Dr. Haley, though he went past his allotted time and was not at his best, was still very good. I really enjoyed hearing him speak again and remembered how great it was to sit in his classes at UNC-Wilmington.

As an aside, many of the presentations were videotaped and will be uploaded on YouTube. I really hope that David Blight's keynote address is available soon. Go to YouTube and look up the channel "ncculture" for more. All in all, I think this was a very successful effort for the North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, especially considering they had almost no budget to speak of. The next symposium will be on the topic of Freedom and will be held in 2013 at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.

Civil War Sesquicentennial Begins Officially in NC

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the Civil War Sesquicentennial in North Carolina, the anniversary of the state's secession from the Union in 1861. To get things started on a proper note, the NC Civil War 150 Committee is sponsoring thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif first of three symposiums to be held in the state over the next five years. Tomorrow's symposium focuses on Memory and will be held at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh. Click on the link for an excellent Washington Post article about the symposium and the commemoration.

240th Anniversary, Battle of Alamance

I received a report from the field today from my friends who are attending the 240th Battle of Alamance event this weekend. I certainly wish I could be there with them, as it sounds like they are having a good time. The big festivities this wehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifekend included the unveiling of new exhibits at the site and the release of a new book by Elon University professor Carole Troxler entitled Farming Dissenters: The Regulator Movement in Piedmont North Carolina. I'll post more about this event later, and I can't wait to get a copy of the new book, which one of the gang will be bringing back from the event for me.

Commemorating the Scuttling of an Ironclad

On Saturday, March 12 the CSS Neuse State Historic Site in Kinston commemorated the anniversary of the scuttling of the ship and honored the crew members who served on board. Our living history group was there portraying the crew of the ironclad. We had five displays for folks to look at and we were able to crew the 3-inch ordnance rifle, borrowed from Bentonville Battlefield for artillery demonstrations throughout the day.

The US Colored Troop Symposium was also in Kinston that weekend and they brought all their folks out to the site to commemorate and honor over 20 black men from Lenoir County who enlisted in USCT units during the war. It turned out to be a very nice day and a fairly well-attended program. The Kinston Free Press gave the event good coverage as well.

This was our only unit event scheduled for March, so we are taking a much needed breather. April will be moderately busy, but May and June will be absolutely crazy.

AAR for a Busy February

February is finally over and I have a month to relax a little. I figured I'd post a report from the field, so to speak. The February 19-20 program at Brunswick Town-Fort Anderson went very well. I was concerned that blending two separate programs on the same weekend wouldn't work so well, but it went off much better than I ever expected. In fact, the evening Stamp Act Defiance program went off better than I could ever have expected and should only need minor tweaking in the future. I'd like to see them conduct that program as a stand alone program eventually and I think they will.

We had a great time last weekend at the 235th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. We had a decent turnout from the Craven Regiment and probably had the best looking camp out there (at least in our opinion). We participated in musket demonstrations all weekend and ate A LOT. We had more food than we could ever have eaten and it was all good. The crowds for this event were larger than I've ever seen for Moores Creek National Battlefield, so the park staff and support group should be well pleased. There were some changes this year that ruffled some reenactor feathers, but then again reenactors are slow to change when they've been doing things the same for years and years. I personally saw no issues with the changes and hope that some of the grumblers won't stew about it all year long. Following is a photo (or maybe two) from the event. Next up, commemoration of the scuttling of the CSS Neuse on March 12!

A Busy February

This month is setting up to be one of a number of very busy ones on my calendar. There just seems to be a lot going on in terms of meetings, workshops, etc. But there are also a lot of events this month that are occupying my weekends (except for this weekend).

Last Saturday, members of the Craven Regiment held a militia muster at Tryon Palace in New Bern as part of their "Free Day." Eight members showed up to drill in the rain and hang out in the stables. A great lunch was provided and good fellowship was enjoyed by all. I'm hoping to have some photos soon.

Next weekend I'll be taking part in an interesting program at Brunswick Town-Fort Anderson. Not only are they marking the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Anderson, but they are also commemorating the 245th anniversary of the Stamp Act Defiance. I'm generally not in favor of blending two totally different programs, but we'll see how well they pull it off.

Finally, on the 26th and 27th the Craven Regiment will take part in the 235th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, one of the earliest battles of the American War for Independence. The weekend will feature the normal living history, wreath ceremony, etc., but this year they are having more musical performances and a couple of guest lecturers including the ageless wonder Ed Bearrs. He will speak on Sunday afternoon, the topic being military tactics during the American Revolution.

Lots of fun stuff going on, but I'll sure be glad when March arrives and I get a break.

Glory Enough for All - 146th Fort Fisher

This weekend marks the 146th anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. Along with the standard living history fare, a list of speakers include Josh Howard, Eric Kozen, and Bill Jayne. There will also be special tours available and children's activities. The program is this Saturday and for more information you can visit Fort Fisher's website and click on the link for their latest newsletter.

What Lies Ahead for 2011?

Admittedly, 2010 turned out to be a much busier year than I expected. In these last few days of December I am starting to think ahead to what 2011 will hold. There are a lot of things on the list at work, to be sure. With the state budget in bad shape there's only so much we're able to do, but we do the best we can with limited resources; this trend will definitely continue into the foreseeable future. Aside from that there's plenty to look forward to.

I'm hopeful that I'll get to attend a number of conferences in 2011, including ALHFAM, AASLH, and the Civil War Sesquicentennial conferences in North Carolina and Virginia. I've submitted a session proposal to AASLH, which would make it even more fun if my proposal is accepted.

I'm also looking forward to a good year of living history. We have a good number of events on our calendar, fairly evenly distributed amongst the time periods that we portray. Nothing should get too dull. Plus, we are embarking on a new endeavor with a group called the Craven Regiment. This new group is a collection of living history interpreters from three or four different units that have formed a loose association to portray North Carolina militia at 18th century events. It is a promising collaboration.

Of course, 2011 is the first of a busy five year cycle that has just begun with the opening of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Some years will be much busier than others with Sesquicentennial events and War of 1812 Bicentennial events (for instance, 2012 is going to be brutal for us), but 2011 will slowly ease us into this commemoration wave. I even had someone recently ask me what I thought North Carolina might do to commemorate the centennial of World War I. My answer: since US involvement in that conflict didn't start until 1917, we've got plenty of time to think about it.

I hope you have all had a great 2010, a restful and joyous holiday, and wish you all the happiest of New Years in 2011!

My Review of the 2010 VA Signature Conference

Friday's conference in Norfolk was outstanding. Overall, I don't think it was quite as good as last year's conference, but it was quite good nonetheless. Kudos to Norfolk State University for their excellent hospitality. I was very impressed with their Wilder Performing Arts Center; it is a very nice facility.

The morning session was good, although I was more interested in the afternoon session. Spencer Crew and Cassandra Newby-Alexander gave very good overviews of the Underground Railroad and its maritime counterpart. Edna Greene Medford's presentation on the quest for black rights in the midst of the Civil War was excellent. I must say, however, that I was most impressed with Ira Berlin's talk on African-American soldiers and the struggle for equality. His presentation was entirely off the cuff, with no notes and came across in a wonderful, conversational style that was just great. Bruce Levine's presentation titled "The Myth of Black Confederates" was also excellent, although unfortunately he was preaching to the choir. None of the folks who espouse the myth of black Confederates ever attend such academic gatherings.

Immediately following the lunch break, John Hennessy of the NPS site at Fredericksburg was honored with the first annual award for excellence given by the Virginia Sesquicentennial Committee. It was quite an honor for him and I'm glad I was present to see him receive the award. I just wish there had been something written in the program about it.

The afternoon session was everything I had hoped it would be and more. James McPherson's presentation on blacks in the Union Navy was good, though not quite as good as I had hoped. He certainly was the most polished, if a bit stuffy, of the afternoon presenters. David Blight was excellent, as usual. I could sit and listen to him talk all day long. I just think he's one of the best, most thoughtful speakers around. I was very impressed with Harold Holzer and not simply his presentation, but his involvement in the discussions as well. He interjected a lot of good commentary throughout the session. The only speaker on this session I was not impressed with was Jean Fagan Yellin. I felt she was certainly out of her league on this panel. Dwight Pitcaithley was also very good, though I wanted to hear more from him. I think most of what he has to say is very relevant and timely.

The one major disappointment to me with this conference was the moderator. I've heard James O. Horton speak at other conferences and he is generally very good. However, in my humble opinion, he failed miserably in his duties as moderator. Basically, he talked too much. Throughout the entire conference he interjected himself at times and in ways that I felt were just not as important as what the presenters were trying to say. I could see some of the afternoon panel members visibly getting tired of his interjections as well. By the end of the day, it seemed that every time he opened his mouth there was a collective sigh and eyeball rolling in the audience and to a lesser extent among the panelists. In some ways, he almost overshadowed the presenters, which is not what a moderator is supposed to do. Last year's moderator, Edward Ayers, was much, much better.

Next year's signature conference will be held on Saturday, May 21 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The theme is American Military Strategy in the Civil War. The list of speakers is impressive, to include Gary Gallagher, William C. Davis, Joseph Glatthaar, Richard McMurry, Steven Woodworth, and conference host James I. Robertson, Jr. among others.

Signature Conference in VA Tomorrow

First, I owe apologies to all of you since this is my first post in over a month. Seems I got a little slack in late August and early September. There really wasn't a whole lot going on to talk about, but I'll do another post to update everyone on a few things.

However, tomorrow is the day. Virginia's second Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Signature Conference will take place at Norfolk State University. The boss and I are leaving at the ever-popular "oh dark thirty" to get up there, and we will be met by a slightly larger contingent from the state archives in Raleigh. I'll be honest, I'm looking forward more to the second half of the conference than the first half, but the whole thing is chock full of renowned historians. Yes, tomorrow I will be in the presence of greatness. Should be a lot of fun, and I'm hoping to run into some old friends from Virginia while I'm there.

145th Fort Anderson a Good Event

I've been delayed in posting about the 145th Fort Anderson event due to lots of meetings this week and the head cold I brought home with me from the event. As previously mentioned, our merry little band gave up the navy impression for the weekend and fielded as Union infantry. Though we did have a few experienced ground pounders in our company, we generally looked pretty damn bad, but we had fun doing it. For most of the weekend, our company was paired with the 88th NY, a group from the Myrtle Beach area. Our two companies operated pretty much together on both days. Saturday's Battle of Fort Anderson was good, but I think Sunday's Battle of Town Creek was even more fun. Though we were ragged most of the weekend, our company had a couple of really solid volleys on Sunday; we almost started to look like a real infantry unit. The weather was beautiful all weekend, though cold at night, hence my current illness. The folks at Brunswick Town-Fort Anderson put on a good event that was enjoyed by reenactors and spectators alike.
Our company and the 88th NY (to the right of us) preparing to march toward the battlefield on Sunday.

145th Anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Fisher

Wow! Two weeks since my last post, but what a two weeks it's been. This late winter/spring is proving to be much busier than I thought (and I knew it would be busy). Spring semester is underway now at both colleges and I have four online classes I'm teaching. However, the big story for the next few months is the ongoing 145th anniversary of many Civil War events in eastern North Carolina.

Fort Fisher got the ball rolling in style this past weekend with a three day long program that focused on US Colored Troops in North Carolina and the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. Friday evening there was a panel discussion held at UNC-Wilmington featuring Dr. Chris Fonvielle and Dr. John Haley of UNCW, Dr. Mark Elliott of UNC-Greensboro, and Dr. Richard Reid of the University of Guelph in Ontario. The panel was well-attended and made me miss my old alma mater more than I have in a long while. I was reminded especially of how much I miss my old advisor Dr. John Haley. To continue the focus on US Colored Troops, Dr. Reid gave a lengthier presentation at the historic site on Saturday. There were also a nominal number of US Colored Troop reenactors in attendance at the event.

On Saturday, it was all about the battle. Saturday morning we conducted small arms inspections, the Union Army conducted battalion drill, and there were artillery demonstrations. After lunch the troops formed up for the battle scenario, reenacting the Union breakthrough at the River Road sally port, which sealed the fate of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865. I took the field with the Union Army in order to function as a safety officer and the battle went off quite well. There were a few glitches which are to be expected, but overall I think the public was well pleased with the action they witnessed. The program continued into the evening with lantern tours of the fort. Tour groups stopped at seven stations along the tour trail to encounter different "characters" from the fort's history. I played the part of Robert Watson, a Confederate sailor who served on one of the guns at the fort during the battle. The program closed with a night firing of the site's big 32-pounder cannon.

Due to heavy rains Saturday night into Sunday morning, the site staff decided to call off Sunday's activities. Aside from the fact that many of the reenactors had left, there was ankle deep standing water over much of the grounds. It was decided that having huge crowds out there would do more damage to the grounds and so the program was shut down early.

Still, I think that Fort Fisher has set the bar high for the rest of the 145th events going on this spring. Next up is the reenactment of the Battle of Fort Anderson, February 20-21.

Photo from Reilly Dedication

I just wanted to post a photo someone sent me from this past weekend's marker dedication ceremony for Major James Reilly. The photo shows our crew (one of three artillery pieces present) with the battery commander standing on the hill behind us. The ceremony was very nice, even though we had to endure one particularly over the top speech by an SCV official who wasn't even on the program, but was a last second addition invited by someone other than the ceremony's organizer. Luckily, I was in such a position that I couldn't hear much of anything, but what I did hear was more than enough to make me grit my teeth and simmer a bit. Sources tell me that most of the other folks who were present were not happy that this individual had been inserted into the lineup. Otherwise, it was a lovely ceremony and we managed to get the cannons loaded up and hauled out before the rain started. I also briefly visited General W.H.C. Whiting's grave and Captain Joseph Price's grave.