There is always something new to learn about the American Civil War. Even after years of reading about the conflict, I still come across personalities, events, and perspectives I had never given much thought. Sometimes all it takes is the right speaker to make an unfamiliar subject interesting. That, more than anything, was my takeaway from attending the Emerging Civil War Symposium for the first time.
The 12th Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium was held August 7–9 at Stevenson Ridge in rural Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia. I’ve been contributing to ECW’s blog for a little over a year, but until this weekend, I had never attended the symposium. Unfortunately, I could only make it on Saturday, but I still came away impressed.
This year’s theme, “Partnerships and Rivalries,” gave the nine speakers plenty of material to work with. Dual keynote speakers Harold Holzer and Dr. Craig L. Symonds anchored the program, while the weekend also included vendors, awards, food, an informal gathering at Strangeways Brewing in Fredericksburg, and a Sunday battlefield tour.
One of Saturday morning’s speakers was Patrick Kelly-Fischer, who gave an engaging and often humorous overview of Henry Hopkins Sibley’s 1862 New Mexico Campaign and his rivalry with Union Colonel Edward Canby. I’m far from alone in being largely ignorant of the Trans-Mississippi Theater, and Kelly-Fischer did an excellent job bringing its characters and battlegrounds to life.
The speakers knew their subjects but, just as importantly, knew how to keep an audience interested.
Dr. Harold Holzer, director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City, presented “Presidents in Print: The Dueling Images of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.” In this interesting study in contrasts, Holzer examined how Lincoln and Davis were portrayed in lithographic prints during and after the war. Davis was initially shown most often in military uniform, reflecting his reputation as a Mexican War hero and former U.S. secretary of war. Lincoln, by contrast, was portrayed more as a “people’s president,” a humble, self-made man. Some of the images Holzer shared were quite rare.
My biggest disappointment was having to miss Sunday. Chris Mackowski, who recently stepped down as ECW president, led a morning tour of Prospect Hill on the Fredericksburg battlefield focused on Stonewall Jackson’s relationships with his various subordinates, revealingly titled “Stonewall Jackson’s Arresting Personality.” If it was even half as entertaining as Chris and Kris White’s recent discussion of Jackson on BOOM Goes the History, it must have been a good one.
A symposium like this is about more than sitting through a series of lectures, however. Stevenson Ridge provided an excellent setting, the food was good, and there were plenty of opportunities between presentations to talk with other people who share a passion for Civil War history. That camaraderie was as much a part of the experience as the presentations themselves.
After contributing to Emerging Civil War for more than a year, it was nice to finally experience the symposium in person and meet friends of Spirit of ’61 like Jon-Erik Gilot and Don Madar of Civil War Discovery. I only wish I could have stayed for the entire weekend. For anyone interested in the Civil War who can make it out to Virginia for a few days, it is well worth the trip.
Spirit of '61 