Although the American Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, the war continues to rage — just shy of 160 years. Now that's a long time to parry opinions.
The war is alive and well as witnessed by the popularity of roundtables. At last count, there were more than 150 Civil War Roundtable meetings in the United States, with one in Australia, one in the United Kingdom and two in Canada. The oldest — The Civil War Round Table of Chicago — was founded in 1941.
You might ask, What is a roundtable? It's an organization that shares a common objective in promoting and expanding interest in the study of the military, political and sociological history of the American Civil War.
Among that number is the Litchfield G.A.R. Civil War Roundtable, which will host Minnesota's annual Civil War Symposium 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Litchfield Opera House. This year's theme is "Perspectives on What This Cruel War Was Over." You might wonder why this article is running so far in advance. It's an easy answer, the registration deadline is April 1 and space is limited.
To learn more about this event, Danelle Erickson, executive director of the Meeker County Museum at the G.A.R. Hall, participated in this Q&A for the Independent Review.
The GAR was going to be the site of the Civil War Symposium several years ago, but it was canceled due to COVID. How did you come to have it this year?
Some members of the Twin Cities Civil War Roundtable took a day trip to Litchfield to see the G.A.R. Hall last summer. We got to chatting, including how the symposium was originally scheduled to be in Litchfield in 2020. They were very impressed with the hall and that got things started.
How far in advance do you begin working on an event like this? How much do you have to do, and how much does the Roundtables do?
It was officially decided in September to hold the event here. The Twin Cities group has worked to line up the speakers and schedule. The funds run though that group, so they know the budget and so on. They have also arranged for a coach bus from the metro area to bring people to Litchfield and are handling all of those details. I've helped with the venue, catering and reaching out the media to share the event.
Do you have the schedule yet?
There are two primary speakers. Dr. Chandra Manning is a professor at Georgetown University and the author of two award-winning books. Her two talks are based on her books: "Troubled Refuge: Struggling for Freedom in the Civil War" and "What This Cruel War Was Over: Soldiers, Slavery, and the Civil War." Dr. Stefan Lund is a Minnesota native and teacher of history, with a focus on the Civil War. I will also be giving a short presentation about the Grand Army of the Republic as a whole and our G.A.R. Post specifically. Schedule is available at tccwrt.com/meetings/symposium/.
How many people are you expecting at the symposium?
Somewhere between 100 to 200. Pre-COVID numbers were close to 200, I believe. 2022 was the first year back and I think that was a bit over 100 and a few more attended last year.
Am I correct that the symposium will take place at the Opera House, but the GAR Hall will be open for tours?
Correct. We don't have enough space at the Hall. We have a great relationship with the Opera House and with it being just 1-1/2 blocks from the G.A.R. Hall, it's the perfect place to have the symposium. Yes, the Hall will be open during the lunch break as well as for at least an hour after the close of the symposium.
I'm assuming the symposium's location this year in Litchfield is building on the GAR's monthly Civil War Roundtable? Is that correct?
There are several Civil War Roundtables around the state. While the Twin Cities Roundtable is the leading organization for the event, the following roundtables also help to promote the event: Rochester, Cannon Valley, Central Minnesota, Hiawatha Valley, Minnesota Valley and Albert Lea, and of course Litchfield.
Why does the Civil War continue to be such a fascination for people?
I think, in part, because there are so many different facets to the war. Battles and strategies, politics, brother vs brother, great and not-so-great leaders, common soldiers, the homefront and so on. I also think because of the length of time between now and then it has become somewhat "romanticized" — for good or for bad. Of course, the war was horrible, but it was our last major war before entering modern warfare with advanced weapons, chemical warfare, and such.
Why should people attend the symposium?
It's a great opportunity for anyone interested in the Civil War or history in general to listen to some great speakers and be among people who share your passion for history.
