General george meade and union forces from july to december 1863 as they followed confederates through virginia. This event was part of historical parks small battles, big result s symposium. Im very pleased to introduce our last speaker of the afternoon, Jeffrey William hunt, director of the military forces museum at camp maybury in austin, texas, and adjunct professor where he has taught since 1988. God bless you. Author of the last battle of the civil war and contributor to essential civil war curriculum and the gail library of daily life. American civil war. His last work is a trilogy from the final stage of the Gettysburg Campaign to the end of 1863 and includes meade and lee at mayan run due for publication next year. So lets give a welcome for jeffrey hunt. [ applause ] thank you. Its a real pleasure to be here. I appreciate jerrys invitation. Its always fun to stand in a group of people who have the same passion that you do. You dont get looked at as strangely as you do when yo
Member of the department of history here at uva and was also dean of arts and sciences here at uva. Hes the incoming president of the organization of american historians, which is the biggest professional organization for people who do what most of us do in our scholarly lives. He is now a historian of both the American South and the civil war. He, as with everyone else that you have heard today, has published very widely. I will mention just three of his books again. Thats my rule. Promise of a new south life after reconstruction, which was a major examination of the post civil war south. Second title is in the presence of mine enemies, war in the heart of america, 18591863. Theres a sequel to that book. I will not read the title because it is not out yet. The third one is what caused the civil war, reflections on the south and other history. The lastrnoon, and has slot of the day when we have been here a long time, and he will explore how the valley allows us to engage with some of t
Feel i should add was chaired department of history at uva. He began life as a specialist in the American South. He gravitated toward the civil war. He is now the historian of both the American South and the civil war. Published very widely. It was a major reexamine of the postcivil war south. It was the first since the Landmark Book from the early 1950s. He is just finished the sequel to that but it i am not going to read the title because it is an out yet. The third is what caused the civil war, reflections on the south. Dayas the last slot of the when weve been here for a long time. He is going to explore how the war in the valley allows us to engage with some of the larger themes of the war. [applause] thanks to all of you. I hope you partook of the coffee in the back. I was at uva for 27 years. The work i am talking to you about again before this building began. The library was here. To uvaalways be grateful for allowing that to be created in for sustaining it all the years ive be
Okay . So lets just go back and look one way to look at this is to look at the maps that i hate which are just Electoral College which suggest that we live in red or blue states, you know, that we are a certain kind of people. Actually you see, this is a more accurate, you see this has west virginia. It may be that we dont have county level data, okay. Are you less confused . Right . What you did is called our attention to the fact there are brand new states that are just voting for the first time which is another advantage the republicans have. All of these situations actually play to the advantage of the republicans, that they have not only the army but also new states that have been formed under the aegis. Okay . Anybody else have another question . Yes. Theres one on each side. Dr. Ayers, writing a book about the shenendoah valley and activities there, will you address in that book or today the importance of david hunters actions at the battle of piedmont 5 june, his subsequent mov
Tonight on American History tv on cspan3, historians discuss the post civil war reconstruction era. Next edward ayers on the end of the civil war and the beginning of reconstruction. Then a discussion about black activist in the civil war and reconstruction. Mark grimsley discusses the treatment of civilians after the war. And the contrast between southerners and native americans. Historian edward ayers looks at the end of the civil war and the dawn of the reconstruction era. Reconstruction began as early as the summer and fall of 1864. He points to the Republican Party expanding to include democrats who supported the union war effort. He talks about Union Victories on the battlefield, including the fall of atlanta and the Shenandoah Valley campaign. This hour long talk was part of a day long symposium held at the library of virginia in richmond. Now, let me introduce our first speaker. Weve charged him with playing the role of keynote speaker to offer something of a history course in