civil war

Press release:

Genesee Community College has finalized its four-part spring lecture series on the history of the Civil War. All are scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Batavia campus in Room T102. They are free and open to the public. Pre-registration for each lecture is encouraged by contacting The BEST Center at 345-6868

On Feb. 6 -- "Hanging Henry Wirz: Debating the Meaning of 'War Crimes' during the American Civil War" will be presented by Carole Emberton, assistant professor of History at the University of Buffalo.

Her presentation will explore how the concept of "war crimes" emerged in response to Wirz's trial as commandant of Andersonville Prison. The debate over Wirz's guilt as well as other atrocities committed during the war, including the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre and even the act of secession itself, reveal the anxiety produced by the war's immense devastation and the struggle to control its meaning for future generations. It also highlights the importance of mid-19th Century developments in international law pertaining to the rules of war and justice for those who violate them.

On March 13 -- Stephen McKinley Henderson will speak about "Story-Line Acting" and his experiences as an actor in both film and on stage. The audience will be particularly interested in his role as Abraham Lincoln's personal valet in the film "Lincoln," which was recently nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Henderson is a professor of theater and dance at the University of Buffalo. He was nominated for the Tony Award in 2010 for his work on the Broadway production of "Fences" with Denzel Washington, and he has appeared in Steven Spielberg's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." He also appeared in the comedy "Tower Heist" and the HBO series "The Newsroom."

On April 3 -- A lecture titled "Myths and More at Gettysburg" with George McGaughey.

No Civil War battlefield is more famous (at least in the North) than Gettysburg. To many, it is sacred ground that warrants many visits and careful study, and like any other historical landscape, it is prone to myths and legends. In this talk, McGaughey will discuss the basis of those myths and the many discoveries he has made as a frequent visitor. His findings will surprise even the most knowledgeable Civil War buff.

On May 1 -- The Spring 2013 Lecture series in Batavia concludes with GCC Professor Garth Swanson presenting the "New York's Forgotten War -- The War of 1812 and the Making of the Empire State."

The War of 1812 remains a confusing and little remembered chapter in the history of the United States. New York, as a result of its extensive border with British-controlled Canada, was one of the primary fronts of the war and its residents experienced considerable hardship over the three years of the conflict. In addition, political divisions brought on by the war threatened to tear the state apart internally. Yet, New York quickly emerged from the war stronger and more economically vibrant than ever. In his talk, Professor Swanson will assess the role of New York in the conflict and evaluate the ways the war helped to create a modern New York State.

(In addition to the lecture series, a three-day Civil War encampment will take place at the Medina Campus Center from Friday, April 26 until Sunday, April 28. The encampment will include reenactors in authentic soldier costumes setting up Union and Confederate camps and many other events and reenactments throughout the weekend.)

For further information on the Civil War and the initiative at GCC, check out the Civil War blog at http://civilwaratgcc.wordpress.com/.

Press release:

Genesee Community College's four-part lecture series commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War continues from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in room T102 at the Batavia campus.

Kevin Levin, a noted Civil War expert and author, will carefully recount the Battle of Crater, which is the topic of his latest book.

The Battle of the Crater was a botched attempt by the Union Army to punch a hole in the Confederate line outside of Petersburg, Va. After tunneling under the Confederate position, Union soldiers packed the tunnel with TNT and then ignited the fuse. While the explosion was spectacular, the Union attack was poorly orchestrated and resulted in more than 5,000 casualties – many of them African-American soldiers who led the charge.

Levin is an instructor and the chair of the History Department at St. Anne's Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va. His book entitled "Remembering The Battle of the Crater: War as Murder" will be available in June.

GCC's Civil War Lecture Series is free and open to the public. To register for any of the Civil War lectures, contact GCC's BEST Center at 345-6868 or email bestcenter@genesee.edu.

Other upcoming lectures include:

Tuesday, April 3

"From Bondage to Freedom" by Kevin Cottrell, founder of Motherland Connextions, will discuss the Underground Railroad as it pertains to Western New York and Southern Ontario. Motherland Connextions is one of the first multicultural humanitarian efforts helping to spotlight the many effects diversity had in sustaining freedom, and instilling courage and hope in our communities nationwide.

Tuesday, May 1

"The Longstreet Family in War and Peace" by Terrianne Schulte, Ph.D., of D'Youville College. This talk explores the impact of the war and its aftermath with the well-known and controversial southern family, the Longstreets. Schulte will focus on Confederate General James Longstreet, his second wife, Helen Dortch Longstreet, and his uncle, Judge Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, the author of "Georgia Scenes."

Also featured this spring is a Civil War Essay Contest open to all students between grades nine and 12 with the topic, "War Takes a Nasty Turn: The Changing Nature of the War of 1862."

The first-place essay winner will receive a color Nook electronic reader. The essay should be a minimum of three pages formatted in 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. All citations must be in written in Chicago Style (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org). All essays must be received electronically by Friday April 13 to ddmaxfield@genesee.edu. Winners will be announced before the final Civil War lecture at 7 p.m. on May 1.

"It is a real honor to be hosting a lecture by Kevin Levin, who is a well-known authority on the Civil War," Derek Maxfield, GCC's resident Civil War historian and history instructor said. "We are also very excited to share the developing details about GCC's Civil War Encampment that is scheduled in late April at our Lima Campus Center."

Genesee Community College has also developed two blogs -- the GCC GLOW Region History Co-Op Blog – which seeks to help promote partnerships with GLOW region historical organizations -- and the Civil War Blog, which is a part of the Civil War initiative. The war blog promotes upcoming events at the college and will feature posts about history instructor Maxfield's work.

The blogs can be found at www.glowhistory.wordpress.com and www.civilwaratgcc.wordpress.com.

There is a special Civil War exhibit inside the Alfred O'Connell Library at the Batavia campus of Genesee Community College. It's part of a series of activities commemorating the 150th anniversary of America's most divisive conflict.

It features more than a dozen miniature models depicting wartime scenes and situations of the Civil War. There are authentic weapons and war accoutrements, uniforms, a tent, and a selection of framed newspapers dating back to the 1850s.

The exhibit continues through February 17 and is open during normal library hours. Spring hours are:

• Monday through Thursday -- 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Friday -- 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday -- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday -- 12 to 6 p.m.

The college is located at 1 College Drive. For more information, call the library at 343-0055, ext. 6419, or visit online at <www.genesee.edu/library>.

February's topic in the ongoing Holland Land Office Museum lecture series is Ely Parker.

The Seneca chief, known by his people at Do-ne-bo-ga-wa, was a Civil War officer and the writer of the Terms of Surrender at Appomattox Court House.

The presentation about Parker will be made by Terry Abrams, of the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies as well as the Tonawanda Indian Reservation Historical Society.

The lecture begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the museum, located at 131 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia. Phone is 343-4727.

Press release:

In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, Genesee Community College is proud to announce two new history and political science courses for the spring semester. The American Civil War (HIS290) will be offered from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the Batavia and Lima campuses via V-link. The American Presidency (POS210) will be offered from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Batavia campus.

Taught by History faculty member Derek Maxfield, The American Civil War examines the coming of the Civil War, tracing the causes from the rise of slavery in America and the creation of the Constitution to westward expansion and diverging economic bases, as well as the military, political and cultural aspects of the war itself.

"It is a great time to be offering this, as we are now commemorating the 150th anniversary of that war," Maxfield said. "In addition to the normal political and military narrative, I will also ask students to consider how Victorian culture influenced both the coming of the war and the way it was fought.

"This course is very personal for me, as I have five great-grandfathers that served. One of those, William Reese, fought with the 149th PA Infantry 'Bucktails' at Gettysburg on the first day. He was wounded but survived the battle and the war."

The American Presidency examines the historical foundations, theoretical aspects and the powers of the presidency. Students will explore the various models of presidential power, the major issues scholars are investigating, and will complete a project based on observation, hypothesis development, collection of data, evaluation of evidence, and interpretive analysis.

"Although the course is a Political Science offering, I will be taking an interdisciplinary approach that explores the evolution of the presidency since its beginnings," Maxfield said. "It is exciting to be offering the course at the same time that the caucuses and primaries are in full swing. We will be able utilize current events as we go along.

"I can also share with students my own experiences working on a presidential campaign. I worked for Senator Paul Simon of Illinois when he ran for the Democratic nomination in 1988. It was an exciting time and I learned how much I did not know about the realities of national politics."

Both courses are three-credit courses and are offered to full- and part-time students. Senior citizens can also audit these courses for free, if space is available. For further information contact Derek Maxfield at 343-0055, ext. 6288, or DDMaxfield@genesee.edu.

At a ceremony preceding the last lecture in the Civil War Lecture Series at Genesee Community College last week, the winners of the essay contest were announced to a packed audience.

Seven students were recognized for essays on the topic, "What did/does the Civil War mean for American Identity?"

At the event, instructor Derek Maxfield noted the fine quality of all of the entries. In fact, five of the entries garnered first-place votes. Students receiving honorable mention included: Nicholas Pitcher, Brady Hawkes, Gabe Necoechea and Jessica Hollister – all four are from North Star Christian Academy in Rochester. Third place went to Matthew Sisto, second place to John Cole – both also from North Star Christian Academy, and first place was awarded to Sarah Lawson. Lawson is a homeschooled student from the Batavia area.

GCC Bookstore Manager Christopher Sackett was on hand to make the awards. Sackett and Barnes & Noble Booksellers generously donated gift cards of $100 for the first-place winner, $50 cards for the second- and third-place winners, as well as water bottles with the GCC logo. In addition to the first three places, four honorable mentions were recognized.

"In short, we thoroughly enjoyed the series," Maxfield said. "The folks who attended were enthusiastic, well-read and eager for us to continue offering a lecture series of this kind. Many even asked for copies of the lectures, which we are looking into."