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 Maryland and the Civil War:
A Regional Perspective

Saturday, March 15, 2008


 

Join the Historical Society and Carroll Community College for the 11th annual Maryland and the Civil War: A Regional Perspective conference.  The event focuses on various aspects of the Civil War and its impact on the region.  The 2008 program includes many new speakers and topics.

The expanded exhibit hall allows participants to visit with representatives from several Civil War sites and museums, re-enactors and vendors. 

Registration includes all sessions, lunch and concert.  On-site registration is available the day of the conference, however, lunch cannot be guaranteed for those registering the day of the event.  Advance registration is strongly recommended.

Maryland and the Civil War:  A Regional Perspective is sponsored by the Historical Society of Carroll County and Carroll Community College.  The conference is held at Carroll Community College, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster, MD.  Directions.

 

2008 Maryland and the Civil War program:

8:30

 

Registration begins

 

9:15

 

Welcome

 

9:30 – 10:30 General Session
The Desperate Engagement
 

Marc Leepson
On July 9, 1864, 12,000 battle-hardened Confederate troops led by Jubal Anderson Early did battle with 5,800 Union troops under the command of Lew Wallace in the fields south of Frederick in what became known as the Battle of Monocacy.  By the time the fighting was over some 1,300 Union troops were dead, wounded, missing or taken prisoner and Early had routed Wallace in the northernmost Confederate victory of the war.  Two days later with his troops approaching Washington’s defenses, Early would make one of the most momentous decisions of the war.   Author Marc Leepson uses memoirs, official records, newspaper accounts, diary entries and eyewitness accounts to examine the events surrounding what became known as “the Battle that Saved Washington,” its impact on the last nine months of the Civil War, and on the course of American history.

 

10:45 – 11:45 Concurrent Sessions
 

Artillery During the Civil War
Al Preston

Artillery came to play a major role during the Civil War.  Al Preston, ranger at the South Mountain State Battlefield, examines the types and uses of artillery, types and uses of ammunition, deployment, tactics and loading procedures. 

 

 

Civil War Medicine: Divided by Conflict - United by Compassion
Betsy Estilow

The phrase Civil War Medicine often conjures up a picture of whiskey, rusty saws and poorly trained medical men but this is not the real story. The medical corps of both the Union and Confederate armies, while often overwhelmed by the numbers of patients in need of care, developed into innovative and efficient functioning units. Although 620,000 lives were lost during these four years, the real story of wartime medical care is one of innovation and devotion. Betsy Estilow examines the advances in medicine developed during this frightful period that transformed the practice of medicine into the effective system we know today.

 

 

The B&O Railroad in the Civil War
David Shackelford

The Civil War was the first war in which railroads influenced the outcome of events on and off the battlefield. The Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad's unique geographic location and service to key cities such as Baltimore and Washington, enhanced its importance and made control of the railroad's operation critical to the outcome of the war.  David Shackelford, chief curator at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, will focus on key events impacting the railroad and show how the B&O was affected by both sides during the war.

 

11:45 – 12:30 Lunch
 

Exhibit Hall
Visit the displays in the Exhibit Hall. Exhibitors including the Historical Society of Carroll County; the Pipe Creek Civil War Roundtable; the Sons of Confederate Veterans; the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum; Friends of the South Mountain Battlefield; the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area

 

12:45 – 1:45 General Session
Dance and Music of the Civil War
 

Karin and Briant Bohleke
During the Civil War, dancing was enjoyed by almost everyone and balls provided an escape, at least for a little while, from the bloody reality of war.  Dancing followed strict rules of behavior and dances were executed both in formations of circles, squares or lines, as well as by couples alone.  Since everyone at a ball had a social duty to mingle and to ensure that all had a pleasant time, it was considered ill-mannered to dance with the same partner all evening.  Get ready for a rousing time - and some audience participation - as dance masters Karin and Briant Bohleke demonstrate some of the most popular dances of the day.

 

2:00 - 3:00 Concurrent Sessions
 

The Battle of South Mountain
Al Preston

On September 14, 1862, Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee fought a successful delaying action against General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac in the three most southern gaps of South Mountain. Discover how this battle, long overshadowed by the events that occurred at Antietam three days later, played a vital role in the Maryland Campaign.

 

Ready, Aim, Fire!: Firearms of the American Civil War
Timothy App

From the highly accurate Springfield rifle to new designs in breach-loading repeating rifles, the Civil War saw rapid improvements in weaponry.  Timothy App examines the weapons of the Civil War, including many in his personal collection.

 

 

 

 



Historical Society of Carroll County
210 East Main Street, Westminster MD 21157
(410) 848-6494