Civil War Sesquicentennial

Today, April 12, 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the opening of military action during the American Civil War.   On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, a Union garrison in Charleston (SC) Harbor.  The fort was surrendered the next day. 

Bombardment of Fort Sumter.

Perine, George Edward (1837-1885) engraver

1 print : b&w ; 14 x 20 cm. (5 1/2 x 8 in.)

NY Public Library/Public Domain.

Although no battles were fought in NewYork, this state contributed more supplies and money than any other state in the Union and more than 48,000 New York soldiers lost their lives in the conflict -- the highest casualty rate in the nation. 


Commemmorate this historical event by brushing up on your Civil War knowledge, and plan now to attend a lecture, tour a battlefield, or support a museum's efforts to preserve this important period of history.  The Civil War Sesquicentennial is from 2011 - 2015, so there's plenty of time to learn, participate, and commemmorate!


Upcoming Local Events:


•Saturday, May 7, 10:00 AM - Recruitment Day in Canton.  A reenactment of the signing up of volunteers will be held on the front lawn at the Silas Wright House in Canton, NY from 10 am - 4 pm. This event is free and open to the public.


•Sunday, May 22, 1:00 PM at the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society - 1st Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) presentation by Carl Marshall


•Saturday, August 27, 10:00 AM through Sunday, August 28 - Civil War Weekend at Robert Moses State Park, Massena.  Reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas; President Abraham Lincoln, USA and President Jefferson Davis, CSA; live period music and an evening concert by the 77th Regimental Band; informational talks and displays


•Sunday, August 28, 10:00 AM - Civil War Weekend at Robert Moses State Park, Massena. Reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas; President Abraham Lincoln, USA and President Jefferson Davis, CSA; live period music and an evening concert by the 77th Regimental Band; informational talks and displays


Links and Resources:

Civil War News Sesquicentennial News Briefs:  
          http://www.civilwarnews.com/civil-war-sesquicentennial.html


Civil War Trust's articles, maps and descriptions of the Battle of Ft. Sumter:    
          http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html


Fort Sumter Sesquicentennial - Bernard Powers on Secession & Racial Anxiety (C-Span 3 YouTube Video):
          http://youtu.be/albyR85ztfk


Fort Sumter History - National Park Service Historian Rick Hatcher (YouTube Video):
         http://youtu.be/zoj_fNAn9OE


NYS Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission:
         http://www.nycivilwar150.org/home.html


New York State and the Civil War history site:
         http://localhistory.morrisville.edu/sites/


National Civil War Museum
         http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/