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We are offering an in-person event via ZOOM, on December 12, 2024 at 7:00 pm - A Civil Conversation with author Nigel Hamilton and NCWM CEO Jeff Nichols discussing LINCOLN VS. DAVIS The War of the Presidents By Nigel Hamilton. Click the link to register- It's Free A Civil Conversation with Dr. Nigel Hamilton - Lincoln Vs. Davis From renowned biographer­­­ Nigel Hamilton, author of the epic FDR at War trilogy and the bestselling JFK: Reckless Youth, comes the greatest untold story of the Civil War: how two American presidents faced off as the fate of the nation hung in the balance — and how Abraham Lincoln came to embrace emancipation as the last, best chance to save the Union. Of all the books written on Abraham Lincoln, there has been one surprising gap: the drama of how the “railsplitter” from Illinois grew into his critical role as U.S. commander-in-chief, and managed to outwit his formidable opponent, Jefferson Davis, in what remains history's only military faceoff between rival American presidents. Davis was a trained soldier and war hero; Lincoln a country lawyer who had only briefly served in the militia. Confronted with the most violent and challenging war ever seen on American soil, Lincoln […]

Dread Danger: Cowardice and Combat in the American Civil War by Dr. Lesley J. Gordon, via ZOOM. Click here to join: Civil War Book Talk with Dr. Lesley J. Gordon Zoom Link When confronted with the abject fear of going into battle, Civil War soldiers were expected to overcome the dread of the oncoming danger with feats of courage and victory on the battlefield. The Fire Zouaves and the 2nd Texas Infantry went to war with high expectations that they would perform bravely; they had famed commanders and enthusiastic community support. How could they possibly fail? Yet falter they did, facing humiliating charges of cowardice thereafter that cast a lingering shadow on the two regiments, despite their best efforts at redemption. By the end of the war, however, these charges were largely forgotten, replaced with the jingoistic rhetoric of martial heroism, a legacy that led many, including historians, to insist that all Civil War soldiers were heroes. Dread Danger creates a fuller understanding of the soldier experience and the overall costs and sufferings of war. Professor Lesley J. Gordon earned her BA in History from The College of William and Mary, and her MA and PhD in American History from […]

LOS ANGELES TIMES “TOP TEN BOOKS TO READ IN 2025” Join us on May 29, 2025, 7:00 pm -8:00 pm for a ZOOM Civil Conversation with the author, Michael Vorenberg. Click here to register: Civil Conversation with Dr. Michael Vorenberg - Lincoln's Peace About the book: One historian’s journey to find the end of the Civil War—and, along the way, to expand our understanding of the nature of war itself and how societies struggle to draw the line between war and peace. We set out on the James River, March 25, 1865, aboard the paddle steamboat River Queen. President Lincoln is on his way to General Grant’s headquarters at City Point, Virginia, and he’s decided he won’t return to Washington until he’s witnessed, or perhaps even orchestrated, the end of the Civil War. Now, it turns out, more than a century and a half later, historians are still searching for that end. About the author: MICHAEL VORENBERG is a professor of history at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment, which was a finalist for the Lincoln Prize and a key source for Steven Spielberg’s […]

Rebels at the Gates - The Confederacy's Final Gamble and the Battle to Save Washington by Robert P. Watson Join us on Friday, June 13, 2025, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm for an In-person presentation by author Robert P. Watson, followed by a book-signing. About the book: Rebels at the Gate chronicles an intriguing series of events that nearly changed American history. In the last full year of the Civil War, Washington, DC came within hours of being invaded and Lincoln within inches of being shot. During the summer of 1864, General Ulysses Grant was laying siege to Petersburg (near Richmond), deploying every available Union soldier in an effort to end the bloody war once and for all. His counterpart, General Robert E. Lee and his famed Army of Northern Virginia, were trapped inside Richmond, and recognized that the Confederate capital would fall. Lee knew Grant, and understood that he would never stop attacking until he had Richmond. It was then that the southern commander hatched a desperate and bold plan to save the Confederacy and perhaps bring the war to an end… but on the Confederacy’s terms. Historian Robert Watson provides the definitive account of this largely forgotten attack on […]

Fan favorite, James Hessler, joins us on August 23, 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm for a book talk, The First Day at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, followed by a book signing. About the book: The summer of 1863 started off disastrously for the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater. In early May, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia defeated and humiliated Major General Joseph Hooker’s army at the Battle of Chancellorsville. While both armies reorganized in the wake of Chancellorsville’s massive losses, Lee then maintained the initiative and launched an invasion of Pennsylvania. Throughout June, Lee’s army advanced deeper into Pennsylvania and Northern efforts to stop his progress were ineffective until Major General George Meade replaced Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac. On July 1, 1863, Meade and Lee’s large armies collided outside of the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The stakes were never higher for either army as the newly promoted Meade defended Northern soil, while General Lee risked everything by taking the war into enemy territory. The 2025 Lessons in History program is free to the public. Regular museum admission applies for entrance to the museum galleries. About the author: James Hessler […]

A Special Program with Wayne E. Motts: Brigadier General George Sears Greene: Soldier, Engineer, Visionary. Join us on March 14, 2026 | 11:00 AM. The Camp Curtin Historical Society/Civil War Round Table and The National Civil War Museum proudly present a special program featuring Wayne E. Motts, CEO of The National Civil War Museum. This program is Free and open to the public. Regular Museum admission applies for entrance to the NCWM Galleries. Mr. Motts will deliver an in-depth presentation on the life and legacy of Brigadier General George Sears Greene—one of the Civil War’s most remarkable, yet often overlooked, leaders. A Rare Artifact on Display As a special highlight of the program, Brigadier General Greene’s original jacket, preserved in the collection of The National Civil War Museum, will be on display during the event. Following the presentation, the Camp Curtin Historical Society will unveil a newly installed wayside marker at Reservoir Park, enhancing interpretation of the park’s important role in Harrisburg’s Civil War history. About George Sears Greene Though best known for his brigade’s steadfast defense of Culp’s Hill at the Battle of Gettysburg, Greene’s contributions extended far beyond the battlefield. Before and after the war, he enjoyed a distinguished […]

Lessons in History: Preserving the Past — The Conservation of Katherine Wilson Curtin’s DressSaturday, March 21 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM The National Civil War Museum is proud to present our March Lessons in History program exploring the remarkable conservation of a rare garment belonging to Katherine Wilson Curtin, wife of Pennsylvania’s Civil War Governor Andrew Curtin. Representatives from the Daughters of Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, Katherine Wilson Curtin tent will discuss their conservation efforts. This elegant French-made purple velvet and silk dress, dating to the late nineteenth century, offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the personal life of one of Pennsylvania’s most important wartime families. More than a beautiful artifact, the dress tells a story of status, mourning customs, craftsmanship, and the social world surrounding the Commonwealth’s wartime leadership. During this program, guests will learn how historians and textile conservators stabilized and preserved the fragile garment so it could safely be exhibited and studied for future generations. The presentation will examine the challenges of conserving historic clothing, the techniques used to protect delicate fabrics, and what such artifacts reveal about the people who lived through and shaped the Civil War era. Join us as we […]

Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PMLocation: Education Gallery (First Floor) Join The National Civil War Museum for a powerful and eye-opening program with author Jonathan S. Jones, as he discusses his new book, Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis. During the Civil War, opium and morphine were widely used and considered essential to battlefield medicine. These powerful drugs eased pain, treated illness, and saved lives. Yet when the war ended, thousands of veterans returned home physically wounded—and unknowingly dependent on the very medicines that had sustained them. In the decades that followed, addiction—often described in the nineteenth century as being “enslaved” to opium—became a hidden epidemic among former soldiers. Veterans and their families struggled with the medical, social, and emotional consequences of dependency. At the same time, prevailing cultural attitudes framed addiction as a sign of moral weakness, unmanliness, or mental instability, limiting effective treatment and deepening suffering. Drawing on veterans’ firsthand accounts, hospital and asylum records, government reports, newspaper coverage, and contemporary advertisements, Dr. Jones uncovers the largely forgotten story of America’s first opioid crisis. His research sheds new light on […]

A Hell of a Regiment: To Gettysburg and Beyond with the Twentieth Maine Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PMLocation: Education Gallery (First Floor)ISBN: 9780811778152 One of the most famous regiments of the American Civil War, the 20th Maine earned lasting renown during its dramatic defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Drawing on previously untapped sources, Peatman offers a fresh account of the regiment’s transformation from inexperienced recruits into one of the Union Army’s most legendary fighting units. His work explores the leadership, discipline, and determination that helped shape the regiment’s enduring legacy. Admission This program is free to attend. Regular Museum admission applies for those wishing to tour the National Civil War Museum galleries. About the Author Jared Peatman holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and is a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. He is also the director of curriculum for the Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg and the author of several works exploring leadership and the Civil War.

An eye-opening portrait of Lincoln behind the scenes: Here is the career-long party politician whose brilliant coalition-building during the Civil War set the political foundation for emancipation and Union victory. Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincolnwith author Matthew Pinsker Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PMLocation: Education Gallery (First Floor)ISBN: 9780393240788 Join Matthew Pinsker at The National Civil War Museum for a fascinating presentation on his new book, Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln. In this engaging program, Pinsker explores a side of Abraham Lincoln often overlooked — Lincoln as a skilled political strategist and party leader navigating the turbulent years before and during the American Civil War. Drawing from years of research, Pinsker examines how Lincoln balanced leadership, politics, and principle while guiding the nation through its greatest crisis. Matthew Pinsker is one of the nation’s foremost historians of Lincoln and the Civil War. He holds the Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History and serves as Director of the House Divided Project at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Admission to the presentation is free. Regular admission applies to the Museum galleries. “A landmark book…Team of Rivals on steroids…It is hard to […]