Tag: civil war

Talking About Delaware and the Civil War

Orders for the District of Delaware and Eastern Shore of Maryland from President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary Seward. Image Courtesy of the Delaware Public Archives
Orders for the District of Delaware and Eastern Shore of Maryland from President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary Seward. Image Courtesy of the Delaware Public Archives

New Castle County Reads 2013 has selected the book March by Geraldine Brooks at its feature title for discussions and programming in 2013.  The north is reeling under a series of unexpected defeats during the darkest days of the Civil War in this extraordinary novel, as Mr. March leaves his family to aid the Union cause.  The author tells the story of the absent father going off to war and the reopening of past relationships in the process.

To support New Castle County Reads 2013, the library system is hosting a number of Civil War themed programs this spring.  On April 7th, at the Bear Branch Library, I will be talking about the Mason and Dixon Line and the Civil War and the C & D Canal and the War.  These programs are supported by the Delaware Humanities Forum.

When I did the talk about the C & D Canal and the Civil War at the New Castle Public Library on March 27th, we had an informed, lively discussion.  Members of the Delaware Civil War Roundtable and Friends of Fort Delaware were there.  During the evening we talked about a number of seldom used sources that serve as evidentiary traces for exploring the old canal’s important role in the war. There is a lot to this story that hasn’t been investigated and it was an enjoyable evening discussing matters with this group.

canal 143a
Storm clouds over the C & D Canal and the replica of the Bethel Lighthouse in the summer of 2012.

 

 

The C & D Canal During the Civil War – A Talk at New Castle Public Library

New Castle County Reads 2013 has chosen March by Geraldine Brooks as its feature book this year.  The fascinating novel takes places during the dark years of the Civil War, as the north reels under a series of unexpected defeats and a father, Mr. March, goes off to aid the Union cause.  The New Castle County Library System is hosting a series of related programs to support the book discussion groups so I have been asked to talk about the C & D Canal during those troubling years.

There are many primary sources to help support a discussion such as this.  One, which I have found to be particularly insightful is a diary of a C & D Canal official.  During those unsettled times, the officer in charge of the waterway across the peninsula kept a daily journal of happenings on the Peninsula.  The talk takes place on Wednesday evening, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the New Castle Library.  This is a Delaware Humanities Forum program.

In the vicinity of the pump-house men are examining the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in 1867.
In the vicinity of the pump-house men are examining the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in 1867.

 

Serving as Scholar for ALA, NEH Program – “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War”

Samuel Harris of Brick Meeting House on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a young soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Co. E Purnell Legion.
Samuel Harris of Brick Meeting House on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a young soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Co. E Purnell Legion.

Let’s Talk About It:  Making Sense of the American Civil War is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and American Library Association (ALA) reading and discussion program.  Participants in this series read a common series of books, using the carefully selected titles to spark exploration, reflection, conversation and greater understanding of this pivotal period, throughout the sesquicentennial of the conflict.

The Wicomico Public Library, one of about 150 sites to host the ALA and NEH program, is sponsoring the national reading and discussion program on the Lower Eastern Shore.  Throughout the five-part discussion series, readers consider the legacy of the Civil War and emancipation through historical and contemporary literature as they discuss pivotal events in the selected works.

I am looking forward to serving as the scholar for the discussions and readings.  We will consider speeches, diaries, memoirs, and short stories, representing a broad range of perspectives from the era.