Southeastern hosts 26th Annual Deep Delta Civil War Symposium June 1-2
Contact: Tonya Lowentritt
Date: May 3, 2012
HAMMOND – "Lee's Generals" is the theme of the annual Deep Delta Civil War Symposium to be held June 1-2 at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Sponsored by Southeastern's Department of History and Political Science, the symposium will be held in the War Memorial Student Union.
Now in its 26th year, the symposium is one of the largest Civil War conferences in the United States and annually attracts a national audience, as well as many local Civil War enthusiasts.
"It is a great pleasure for us to honor the late Professor T. Harry Williams by dedicating this year's symposium to his memory. Dr. Williams was one of the most eminent historians ever to hold a position in the Department of History at Louisiana State University," said Bill Robison, head of the Department of History and Political Science. "Though many in Louisiana know him mainly for his landmark biography of Huey Long, he was one of the leading Civil War historians of all time, and his legacy remains alive and well."
Robison said Frank J. Wetta's presentation "T. Harry Williams: Pragmatic Historian" will open the symposium at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Wetta is the author of "Celluloid Wars: A Guide to Film and the American Experience of War;" "Battle Histories: Reflections on Civil War Military Studies;" and other works.
The symposium will also include social hours and book sales of speakers' publications. Special prices are available for tickets purchased before June 1. Participants may also purchase conference tickets at the door. Discount prices are available for spouses and children. Fee information and a complete schedule are available online at selu.edu/deepdelta.
Teachers in the Teaching American History grant program may be eligible for a grant for symposium fees and are asked to contact TAH grant coordinator Ann Trappey at Ann.Trappey@tangischools.org.
Friday's additional presenters and their topics include:
▪ 4:30 p.m. – "Stonewall Jackson: The Christian Soldier in Life, Death and Defeat" by George C. Rable, author of "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!"
▪ 7:30 p.m. – "The Generalship of Robert E. Lee" by Charles P. Roland, author of "The Confederacy."
Saturday's presentations include:
▪ 8:45 a.m. – "Lee's Most Maligned General: Fighting Dick Anderson" by Lawrence Lee Hewitt, author of "Port Hudson: Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi."
▪ 10 a.m. – "Jeb Stuart, R.E. Lee, and Confederate Defeat at Gettysburg" by Joseph G. Dawson III, author of "Army Generals and Reconstruction: Louisiana, 1862-1877."
▪ 11:15 a.m. – "P.G.T. Beauregard and the Petersburg Campaign" by A. Wilson Green, author of "Whatever You Resolve to Be: Essays on Stonewall Jackson."
▪ 2 p.m. – "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions: James Longstreet in War and Peace" by William L. Richter, author of "The Army in Texas during Reconstruction, 1865-1870."
▪ 3:15 p.m. – "Jubal Early: Confederate in the Attic" by Thomas E. Schott, author of "Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia: A Biography."
▪ 4:30 p.m. – "John B. Gordon and the Gospel of Reconciliation" by Ralph L. Eckert, author of "John Brown Gordon: Soldier, Southern, American."
▪ 7:30 p.m. – "A Confusion of Tongues: The Ebb and Flow of Robert E. Lee's Reputation Since 1964" by Brian Holden-Reid, author of "J.F.C. Fuller: Military Thinker."
For additional information about the Deep Delta Civil War Symposium, contact the Department of History and Political Science, 985-549-2109 or hips@southeastern.edu, or visit www.southeastern.edu/deepdelta.
