HARRISBURG, PA February 12, 2001 - The ceremonies commenced at 2:30pm with opening comments by Harrisburg Mayor, Stephen R. Reed. The Mayor's remarks were followed by the unveiling of a bronze statue, "Moment of Mercy" by renown sculptor Terry Jones, and finally by the official ribbon cutting. The doors opened to the public following the ceremony at approximately 3:30pm and the museum remained open until 8:00pm.

"Moment of Mercy" commemorates one of the most memorable acts of courage in the tragic four-year period of the American Civil War. It also sets the humanistic theme for The National Civil War Museum's presentation of the great American drama involving American families from both the North and the South.

The Museum hopes to engage the visiting audience on both the intellectual and the emotional levels. Civil War scholars, buffs and enthusiasts alike will be pleasantly surprised with the stunning collection of Civil War artifacts and memorabilia, largely collected under the direction of Harrisburg's Mayor Stephen R. Reed. The collection objects are from both the Union and Confederate forces. They include General Robert E. Lee's personal pocket Bible, General Ulysses S. Grant's sword belt, General George Pickett's Kepi worn at the battle of Gettysburg, General J.E.B. Stuart's sword, a cased set of pistols presented to the Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, by Col. Samuel Colt, a restored period hospital wagon and many more items.

The impressive display of artifacts is complimented by the very real human drama of the period. Visitors will step back in time to the days of the American Civil War. They will meet the composite cast of "We the people..." as they share the trials and tribulations of living in war-torn American. The visitor will look into the youthful eyes of young men in camps and those poised for battle, all with a fate yet unknown. They will also experience the humiliation of slavery, the loneliness of camp life and the horrors of Civil War surgery.

The National Civil War Museum is the only museum of its kind in the nation. It is the only museum to portray the great American tragedy from start to finish, and on a national scale. Portrayals of battles and leaders are impartial and factual without prejudice or undue consideration to either side. In many cases, the stories are the written and spoken words of the men and women who laughed and cried, lived and died in the American Civil War. It is the story of the war of brother against brother and of father against son.

For many visitors, the museum experience will be a reminder that the Civil War was a period of significant innovation in technology, medicine and society. The Civil War ushered in the first income tax, the use of national paper money, the introduction of the repeating rifle, the first battle between iron ships, the first sinking of an enemy ship by a submarine, the introduction of the Medal of Honor, the first photographic images of casualties on a battlefield and many other firsts.

The museum experience is an intensely personal one. It is also a reminder that many of the issues that divided the nation in 1860 are with us today, in 2001. Economic disparity, racial prejudice, sectionalism, individual states rights, the role of a central government and the rights of the individual are all issues found on the front page of newspapers around the nation.

About The National Civil War Museum

The National Civil War Museum is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information which are directly relevant to the American Civil War of 1861-1865 and the aftermath period of the war as related to Civil War Veteran's service organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic, United Confederate Veterans and the Daughters of the Confederacy to 1920.

The National Civil War Museum
1 Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park
Harrisburg, PA 17103

Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm
Saturday & Sunday 10am to 5pm

Admission
Adults . . . . . . . $7
Seniors . . . . . . $6
Students . . . . . $5
Families . . . . . $20

Contact Information
Debra Lavelle
Director of Marketing
The National Civil War Museum
1 Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 260-1861 ext. 1201