DAY 2 OF 3

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2024

This year’s theme is “The Information War.” Although wars are ultimately decided on the battlefield, intelligence, propaganda, and even rumors play pivotal roles. We’ll explore the influence of different types of information on the course of the Civil War, ranging from Lincoln’s use of the telegraph to photographs and newspapers to communication among enslaved people. A highlight of the weekend will be a first-person portrayal of Confederate spy Rose Greenhow. 

You can also join us for an optional two-night field trip to Fredericksburg, VA. Led by renowned tour guide and retired National Park Service historian John Hennessy, we’ll study the changing nature of warfare at the epicenter of the Civil War’s Eastern Theater. In addition to exploring the historic town of Fredericksburg, site of the remarkable Union failure of December 1862, we’ll visit sites connected to Grant’s Overland Campaign of 1864. 

Saturday Schedule:

7:30 a.m.    Breakfast 

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.    Registration

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Lauren K. Thompson, “‘Holding Correspondence with, and Giving Intelligence to the Enemy:’ How Soldiers Shared Information Across the Lines.”

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Wayne Hsieh, “‘Look to your left, you are turned’: Observation and Signals from First Bull Run to the Overland Campaign.” 

11:00 – 11:30 a.m.  Break

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Barbara A. Gannon, “War in 3-D: Stereoviews and Civil War Memory.”

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Paul Quigley, “A War of Words: Newspapers and the Battle Over Slavery.”

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Virginia Tech Civil War History Showcase

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.    Cash bar 

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.    Dinner

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Emily Lapisardi, “The Dangerous Mrs. Greenhow: A First-Person Portrayal.”

For more information about this event, copy and paste this link into your browser: https://civilwar.vt.edu/civil-war-weekend-2024/