Aftermath of the Civil War

    This spring, Liberty University will host their 20th annual Civil War seminar.  Since 1996, Liberty has hosted this traditional event for LU family, local Civil War enthusiasts, and the general public.  The seminar will be held on April 9th, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 3:45 PM at the Liberty University Visitors’ Center.  The event will be free and open to the public!  Each year, the Civil War seminar has held different themes such as, “Civil War Voices” (1998), “The Trial of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee” (2002), “Blood on the Canvas: Civil War Art” (2006), “Jine the Cavalry” (2010), and “The Conflagration Continues” (2013).  Additionally, Civil War scholars such as Dr. James I. Robertson, Dr. Steven Woodworth, Dr. Brian Steele Wills, Gordon Rhea, Kent Masterson Brown, William Marvell, Brob Krick, Sr., Jeffrey Wert, Eric Wittenberg, Major John Plaster, Keith Rocco, Randall Miller, Michael Leavy, Rod Gragg, and many more have been speakers at Liberty’s Civil War seminar in past years.
    For the first time in the Civil War seminar’s history, the Kickoff banquet will be held in the Liberty University Visitors’ Center, located on main campus.  The banquet will be on April 8th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, and will cost $20 per attendees.  Reservations can be obtained by calling Mrs. Ruth Ronk, History Department Administrative Assistant, at 434-582-4366 or by e-mailing her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  (Directions to the Visitors’ Center can be found at: http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=452)
    At this year’s seminar, the keynote speaker will be Sue Boardman, who is the Leadership Program Associate Director and Licensed Battlefield Guide at the Gettysburg Foundation.  In addition, she is the author of The Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama: A History and Guide, and the publisher of Elizabeth Thorn: Wartime Caretaker of Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery.  Her experience includes identifying images and artifacts for museum exhibits, serving as a research historian for the Gettysburg Cyclorama conservation project, and receiving the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Guiding in 2005 and 2006.
    The Civil War seminar will feature a rare and invaluable exhibit titled, “Lincoln Honors the Dead of Gettysburg.”  Many of the exhibit’s objects come from Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech that he gave at Gettysburg on November 19, 1864.  Among these artifacts is the very podium that Lincoln used when he delivered the Gettysburg Address!  Craig Caba, a well-renowned historical author and speaker on the Civil War, owns the exhibit.  In addition to Caba’s exhibit, Harold Wyatt, a local re-enactor, will have his exhibit, “The Soldier’s Life,” on display.  This exhibit holds rare artifacts that were used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
    During the times of the seminar’s sessions on April 8th and 9th, the National Civil War Chaplain’s Museum, located right next to the Liberty University Visitors’ Center, will be open to visitors.  The museum’s website is chaplainsmuseum.org.  For more information regarding the 20th Annual Liberty University Civil War seminar, please contact Mrs. Ruth Ronk at 434-582-4366 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..