York County Civil War forum to focus on Confederate raid through blue and gray eyes
Sgt. Major Robert Myers was the director for the regimental band of the 46th Pennsylvania, which performed in 2006 in York. Patriot Days in York will feature such living historians again this year. Background posts: Books probing York County in the Civil War come in strong, sudden onslaught and History-making evening on rebel occupation of York could turn into daylong symposium and Rebs’ short York visit creates long memories .
The forum on the Civil War in York County last year might have been the first such get-together to discuss that controversial story.
That 2008 symposium was not designed to focus on the town fathers’ surrender of York to the Confederates.
But questions from the audience, in particular, took it that way.
Better to discuss such controverted events than to ignore them, as York has done with its Civil War story until the past 10 years.
Speakers at this year’s forum – set for 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, June 25 – will explore impressions from the North and South as the Confederates marched across York County June 28-30, 1863… .
Jubal Early’s division of Robert E. Lee’s army stepped to the banks of the Susquehanna River in those days before the Battle of Gettysburg.
Dennis Brandt, Terry Latschar and Scott Mingus will present at the forum. I’ll moderate again this year.
Latschar, former Gettysburg park ranger and licensed battlefield guide, will give a first-person account of the rebel occupation through the eyes of letter-writer Cassandra Small.
The audience stretched the confines of sponsor York County Heritage Trust’s lecture hall last year so the forum has been moved to DeMeester Recital Hall in Wolf Hall, York College.
Booksignings will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The forum has built-in time for audience questions.
We’ll see which way they take it this year.
For scores of York Town Square posts on York County in the Civil War, click here.
To see Scott Mingus Cannonball Civil War blog, click here.