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A Civil Conversation with Christopher Graham, via Zoom

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

Christopher Graham will speak about his new book Faith, Race, and the Lost Cause: Confessions of a Southern Church in a Civil Conversation with NCWM CEO Jeffrey Nichols. About the speaker: Chris is from North Carolina and earned his PhD in American history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is currently a curator at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia, where he lives with his wife. They are both members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. This is an online-only event and is free and open to the public. Click here to register.

2023 Lessons in History Presentation with Scott Mingus

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

Join us for our 2023 Lessons in History presentation with author Scott L. Mingus on July 8, 2023, 1:00 pm -2:00 pm. Mingus will discuss his book "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania"   About the Author: Multiple award-winning author Scott Mingus is a retired scientist and executive in the global specialty paper industry. The Ohio native graduated from Miami University. He was part of the research team that developed the first commercially successful self-adhesive U.S. postage stamps, and he was a pioneer in the early development of bar code labels. He has written more than 30 Civil War and Underground Railroad books and numerous articles for Gettysburg Magazine and other historical journals. He has appeared on C-SPAN, C-SPAN3, PBS, PCN, and several other TV networks. Mingus writes a blog on the Civil War history of York County, PA, where he and his wife Debi live. He also has written six scenario books for miniature wargaming. He received lifetime achievement awards from the York County History Center and the Camp Curtin Historical Society for his many contributions to local history. His books and wargaming scenario books have received or been nominated for numerous national awards. The 2023 Lessons in History […]

An Evening with CW Goodyear & Jeffrey Nichols: President Garfield

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

The Midtown Scholar Bookstore and the National Civil War Museum are honored to welcome historian CW Goodyear to the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, in Harrisburg, for an in-person conversation and signing on his new biography, President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier. In this magisterial biography, C.W. Goodyear charts the life and times of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to win the Presidency. Goodyear will be in conversation with the CEO of the National Civil War Museum, Jeffrey L. Nichols. Watch on YouTube Live Here About the Book: The first comprehensive biography in decades of the extraordinary, tragic life of America’s twentieth president—James Garfield. In this magisterial biography, C.W. Goodyear charts the life and times of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to win the Presidency. Progressive firebrand and conservative compromiser; Union war hero and founder of the first Department of Education; Supreme Court attorney and abolitionist preacher; mathematician and canal man; crooked election-fixer and clean-government champion; Congressional chieftain and gentleman-farmer; the last president to be born in a log cabin; the second to be assassinated. James Abram Garfield was all these things and more. Over nearly two decades in Congress during a polarized era—Reconstruction and the Gilded Age—Garfield […]

2023 George Armstrong Custer Symposium

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

Cost (in-person includes a boxed lunch): Non-members - $60.00 NCWM Members - $50.00 Register here to attend in person Zoom - $30.00 - Register here for the Zoom-only option We are pleased to present the following speakers: James Hessler - With Custer to the End: Captain George Yates - Among the Seventh Cavalry’s officers, Captain George Yates does not receive the same attention as Reno, Benteen, Keogh, Tom Custer, or many others. Yet, Yates had one of the longest-standing relationships with George Custer dating back to the Civil War, and they died within only feet of each other on Last Stand Hill. Join Jim Hessler as we discuss the life and career of Captain George Yates, from the Civil War, through his wife’s ties to this region, and to those final bloody moments in Montana. About the speaker - James Hessler originated the idea for this symposium. Jim has worked as a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park for two decades. He authored or co-authored three full-length books on the Gettysburg campaign: Sickles at Gettysburg (2009), Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg (2015), and Gettysburg’s Peach Orchard (2019). His books received several distinguished book awards. Jim currently co-hosts the popular […]

Cocktails & Cannonballs – An Evening at the Museum

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

Cocktails & Cannonballs – An Evening at the Museum  Immerse yourself in Civil War history. Stroll through the galleries and sample cuisine from local caterers, paired with Civil War-era-themed cocktails. Visit Civil War reenactors at their evening camps, enjoy games, best period costume prizes, and a silent auction, cigar bar, raffle, and trivia. Satisfy your sweet tooth by making s’mores over the campfire. The evening concludes with a live cannon firing in the park. Friday,  September 22, 2023 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm  $75 person - $50 members - $125 couple Purchase tickets here All proceeds benefit The National Civil War Museum educational programs, building fund, and artifact preservation. There are still sponsorships available. Please contact Mary Beth Kerekes at mbkerekes@nationalcivilwarmuseum.org Trivia games hosted by Mare Fincher and Darin Weeks of the Civil War Breakfast Club podcast.

Civil War Saturday

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

Civil War Saturday   September 23, 2023 - 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Adults - $10.00 Under 18 - Free Civil War Saturday is fun for the whole family. Join us at the tallest spot in Harrisburg for live reenactors, cannon firing and demonstrations, music with the Long Hill String Band, CW games, and so much more.

Civil War Book Talk with Dr. Ronald White via Zoom

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

Explore "On Great Fields," a new novel about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by author, Dr. Ronald C. White. Join NCWM CEO, Jeffrey L. Nichols, for a live Zoom book talk with Dr. Ronald C. White on October 26 at 7:00 pm. Join for free by clicking on this link: On Great Fields with Dr. Ronald C. White Purchase On Great Fields Here About the book: Before 1862, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain had rarely left his home state of Maine, where he was a trained minister and mild-mannered professor at Bowdoin College. His colleagues were shocked when he volunteered for the Union army, but he was undeterred and later became known as one of the North’s greatest heroes: On the second day at Gettysburg, after running out of ammunition at Little Round Top, he ordered his men to wield their bayonets in a desperate charge down a rocky slope that routed the Confederate attackers. Despite being wounded at Petersburg—and told by two surgeons he would die—Chamberlain survived the war, going on to be elected governor of Maine four times and serve as president of Bowdoin College. How did a stuttering young boy come to be fluent in nine languages and even teach speech and […]

Free

A Civil Conversation with Jonathan W. White via Zoom

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

Join us on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 7:00 pm for a CIVIL CONVERSATION. This is a live ZOOM event ~ Jonathan W. White, author of "Shipwrecked A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade" will engage in a Civil Conversation with NCWM CEO Jeffrey Nichols. Register here:  Civil Conversation with Dr. Jonathan W. White   About the book: Historian Jonathan W. White tells the riveting story of Appleton Oaksmith, a swashbuckling sea captain whose life intersected with some of the most important moments, movements, and individuals of the mid-19th century, from the California Gold Rush, filibustering schemes in Nicaragua, Cuban liberation, and the Civil War and Reconstruction. Most importantly, the book depicts the extraordinary lengths the Lincoln Administration went to destroy the illegal trans-Atlantic slave trade. Using Oaksmith’s case as a lens, White takes readers into the murky underworld of New York City, where federal marshals plied the docks in lower Manhattan in search of evidence of slave trading. Once they suspected Oaksmith, federal authorities had him arrested and convicted, but in 1862 he escaped from jail and became a Confederate blockade-runner in Havana. The Lincoln Administration tried to have him kidnapped in violation […]

Commemorate Veterans Day with Free Admission to the NCWM

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

Join us on Saturday, November 11, 2023, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, for a Community Free Day. There will be activities throughout the day and free of charge for all visitors. 10:00 am - 10:20 am - Presentation of the Colors with Ephraim Slaughter American Legion Post #733 at The National Civil War Museum Bastion 10:30 - 12:30 - KINdred Spirits GWG: Hidden Figures of Reconstruction - Join Dr. Sharonn Williams for a two-hour workshop on Genealogy, learning to research about military and political figures. 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm -A reading of "A Visit from Old Saint Nick" and discussion of the origins of Christmas by Mary Claus, accompanied by Jody Hari speaking on Civil War soldier's during the holidays in the Education Gallery. 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - United States Commission Cakewalk and discussion on the Sanitary Commission Fair by Sara Cleveland in the Rotunda. Activities 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Officers and Ladies for the Union throughout the galleries U. S. Sanitary Commission display in the Cost of War Gallery Civil War Games with Eddie Roberts Harrisburg African American Quilters Sew and Sign a Sanitary Commission Quilt with Audrey Trussell We look forward to seeing you […]

Lessons in History Presentation “Longstreet – The Confederate General Who Defied the South” with Dr. Elizabeth R. Varon

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

Join us for our 2023 Lessons in History presentation with author Elizabeth R. Varon on December 9, 2023, 1:00 pm -2:00 pm. Ms. Varon will discuss her book, LONGSTREET - The Confederate General Who Defied the South. Elizabeth Varon’s LONGSTREET is a bold new biography that tells the story of the most remarkable political about-face in American history. During the Civil War, General James Longstreet fought tenaciously for the Confederacy. He was alongside Lee at Gettysburg (and counseled him not to order the ill-fated attacks on entrenched Union forces there). He won a major Confederate victory at Chickamauga and was seriously wounded during a later battle. After the war, Longstreet moved to New Orleans, where he dramatically changed course. He supported Black voting and joined the newly elected, integrated postwar government in Louisiana. When white supremacists took up arms to oust that government, Longstreet, leading the interracial state militia, did battle against former Confederates. His defiance ignited a firestorm of controversy, as white Southerners branded him a race traitor and blamed him retroactively for the South’s defeat in the Civil War. Although he was one of the highest-ranking Confederate generals, Longstreet has never been commemorated with statues or other memorials […]

An Evening with Jon Clinch and Jeffrey Nichols: THE GENERAL AND JULIA

the Midtown Bookstore 1302 North 3rd St., Harrisburg, PA, United States

The Midtown Scholar Bookstore and the National Civil War Museum are honored to welcome author Jon Clinch to Harrisburg for an in-person conversation and signing on his new historical novel, The General and Julia. In this superb work of historical fiction, Ulysses S. Grant reflects on the crucial moments of his life as a husband, a father, a general, and a president while writing his memoirs and reckoning with his complicated legacy. Clinch will be in conversation with the CEO of the National Civil War Museum, Jeffrey L. Nichols. This free event is in partnership with the National Civil War Museum. *Reminder: To enter the signing line, books must be purchased from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event, or you may preorder a copy of the book for pickup/shipment. About the Book: Ulysses S. Grant reflects on the crucial moments of his life as a husband, a father, a general, and a president while writing his memoirs and reckoning with his complicated legacy in this epic and intimate work of “superb historical fiction” (Booklist, starred review). Barely able to walk and rendered mute by the cancer metastasizing in his throat, […]

Civil War Dance Classes – Free

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

Civil War Dance Classes - Free Sunday ~ January 21, February 25, March 10, 2024, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Get ready for the Civil War Preservation Ball, in March 2023. This is great family fun!  Attend one or all of the classes and learn the popular formation dances of the 1860s. Partners are encouraged but not required and wear modern, comfortable, clothing since this is a physical workout. Register here: contact@civilwardance.org Please include the dates you plan to attend and the names of the attendees. Enrollees will be sent a Civil War Dance Manual. Conducted by the Victorian Dance Ensemble, the performing troupe of the Civil War Dance Foundation: * 2011 Civil War Trust’s Reenactment Unit of the Year * 2016 President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award Regular museum admission applies for entrance to the museum galleries.   Images courtesy of VDE and the Barefoot Historian

Free