If you have not had a chance yet, please check out the North Carolina Sesquicentennial web site. I am really looking forward to this celebration.
However, I do have two concerns. One, I hope that the Sesquicentennial events move beyond the hallowed halls of academia. We need events, local events, in every county of the state, in an effort to get local people interested in Civil War history in their city or community. Every spot within the state has some ties to the events that transpired between 1861 and 1865.
Second, I hope that the western portions of the state receive their fair coverage. So many times we in the western part of the state get shunned as pro-Unionist hillbillies. Folks seem to forget that in the western part of the state, enlistment in the Confederate army outpaced enlistment in other parts of the state during the first part of the war. Folks also seem to forget that two western North Carolinians, W. W. Avery and Thomas L. Clingman, played a large hand in taking North Carolina out of the Union. Also forgotten is that our most famous governor, Zebulon Baird Vance, was from the western part of the state, along with most of our most famous regiment, the 26th North Carolina. Lastly, folks seem to forget that Asheville was once considered for the capital of the Confederacy.
4 comments:
Hey Michael, I share your concerns that these sesquicentennial events "move beyond the hallowed halls of academia." That will be up to the likes of you and me. I'll be doing my part!
Michael,
I think the concerns you and Richard raise are valid and appropriate. Too often our Western Civil War history is overshadowed by the events in the East.
Thanks to your writing efforts you have offset that and helped to illuminate the contributions of Western Carolinians.
I still tip my hat to the State for getting the ball rolling. Time will allow for modifications and fine tuning. You can't adjust fire until you fire at least one round.
Keep up your efforts and thanks for what you do.
Wade
Michael,
I can assure you that DCR will take the sesquicentennial to the people, so to speak. There will certainly be living history events and reenactments at all our state historic sites like Fort Fisher, Bentonville, and yes, Vance Birthplace! All Civil War themed sites (and really any sites that have a Civil War connection of any sort) are being asked to conduct two programs per year each year of the commemmoration. There will be plenty to do. Keep an eye on my blog over at Civil War Navy for all the info.
My concern is very different, as I have talked to both the chair and the co-chair of this committee. They have already set the tone of the event with their logo and the mural on the front page of the site. the FIRST word on the logo is "FREEDOM" then in their picture, colored union soldiers in the midst of slaves, then a colored federal soldier, then the predominate 2 union flags with the TINY Confederate flag in the background. What tone does this set? The PC crowd controls this group.
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