April 12, 1861 The American Civil War begins Hostilities begin at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, when the United States military installation is attacked by Confederate forces.
April 12, 2011 The Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War
Connecticut Commemorates the Civil War
In recognition of the 150th anniversary of this pivotal time in our history, Central Connecticut State University is hosting the Civil War Conference & Commemoration Kick-off event...
Not all of the states that played a role in the American Civil War have elected to establish an official sesquicentennial commemorative effort. However, the sites below will provide lots of overview information as well as links to those states that are participating. Although you will find some identical links on these sites, I thought that each provides a unique perspective.
The Civil War Trust "The Civil War Trust is America's largest non-profit organization (501-C3) devoted to the preservation of our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields. The Trust also promotes educational programs and heritage tourism initiatives to inform the public of the war's history and the fundamental conflicts that sparked it." --quoted directly from the Civil War Trust site
The National Park Service "In preparation for the Sesquicentennial, the National Park Service-through the collective efforts of the superintendents at Civil War-related parks- has undertaken a multi-faceted, multi-year, integrated program that will simultaneously transform and improve interpretation of the Civil War. Our national parks in partnership with state and local communities will provide a national forum on this website for this commemoration." --quoted directly from the NPS site
The Civil War Traveler "Your headquarters for 150th anniversary information. Civil War battlefields & sites in 29 states plus maps, events, reenactment schedules, podcasts, books, a travel-blog, e-newsletter and more — everything you need to plan your Civil War travel — it's all here." --quoted directly from the Civil War Traveller site
Connecticut Monument at Vicksburg
Dedication Ceremony
Vicksburg National Military Park
October 14, 2008
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What a wonderful experience... to be present at this historic unveiling!
Here are a few pictures taken at the dedication ceremony... Soon I'll be updating the entire site to reflect this milestone...
I made postcards, notecards and ornaments of our monument using some of my photographs at Cafe Press. If you are interested in checking them out, here's a link to my Cafe Press Store...
Rev. Lou Drew - Invocaton
Terry Winschel (Historian - Vicksburg National Military Park)
Stacy Mathieu - Etching Artist, Mathieu Memorials, Southington, CT)
Bob Larkin (Chairman - CT Monument Committee)
Mary Donohue (Grants Director - CT Commission on Culture & Tourism)
Karen Senich (Exec Director - CT Commission on Culture & Tourism & Representative of Gov Rell)Monika Mayr (Superintendent of the Vicksburg National Military Park & Representing the Sec of the Interior)
Fr. Michael Kelleher Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Pascagoula, MS.
and
Tom Callinan (CT State Troubadour Emeritus) performed two of his original pieces
The Knights of Columbus graciously hosted a dinner on the Monday evening before the ceremony, a wonderful opportunity for us all to meet in person and experience some of that famed Southern Hospitality. Indeed, we had a lovely time!
************************************************************** Many thanks to the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism for so generously sharing their working files of the exhibition invitation. It was from these files that we developed the dedication invitation. Here is a link to the dedication booklet that I designed and which was distributed at the event.
The exhibition invitation was prepared by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and was released on July 24, 2008.
The 1½ hour exhibit of the monument centerpiece with a speech by the Governor and coverage by CT-N on August 20 was the only opportunity to see the hand etched artwork before the monument dedication October 14 opposite Vicksburg.
This event went on without a hitch and indeed was a great opportunity to see the monument, learn a little about it and visit with the folks who made it possible.
I created the design and layout of the exhibition booklet that was distributed by the Ninth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. We ran out of copies at the event but, if you'd like to see a pdf of the booklet, you may click on the link above... (This file is in full color. The printed booklet had a color cover but the insides were printed in black and white...) The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism created the official program for the event, also available in pdf form for those who didn't get a copy (or are just curious!).
We were thrilled to have had several types of media covering this historical event. I have been adding links to articles, news stories and interviews as they have come to my attention. Please visit my Press Coverage page!
My pool of pictures is growing... (thanks to all who are sharing with me...) If you'd like to use any of these pics for your press story, please see note on my Press Coverage Page...
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