Join the Emancipation Proclamation Celebration Committee on September 17 and 18 at the Gallia County Fairgrounds for the 148th Annual Emancipation Day Celebration.   This Emancipation Proclamation Celebration is the documented oldest-continuous celebration in the US. Started September 1863.

For more information contact James Oiler at jboiler@sbcglobal.net

http://www.emancipation-day.com

Event Flyer

Description: The Fearing Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War invite you to attend the dedication of a new monument at Rockland Cemetery in Belpre at 11am on Tuesday, May 31. The new monument will be dedicated to the 4500 Union Veterans of Washington County, Ohio who fought to save the Union in 1861-65. The marker further honors the 200+ men who served from Belpre Township of Washington county.
Sponsor: General Benjaimn D. Fearing Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. The marker was funded through the efforts of Camp #2, civic groups, and the citizens of Belpre Township.

Location: Rockland Cemetery (gated entrance), Belpre, Ohio. Entrance is across Washington Boulevard from the Redwood Diner near the western end of Belpre City limits.

For More Information: Dan Hinton 740-525-2133 or forgehollow22@sprynet.com

When: Sunday May 29th, 2011 (Memorial Day Weekend)2:30 PM to  7:45 PM

Description: The Fearing Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans would like to invite you to take a guided tour of historic Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta.   Men and women in period (1860′s) dress will lead small groups through key sections of Oak Grove Cemetery. Groups will pass from one guide to another at 15-20 minute intervals as they tell the fascinating stories of the people who actually lived during the American Civil War.   Emphasis will be upon the people themselves – what they thought – what they did – and how they impacted those around them as events unfolded. Tours will begin near the Eighth & Washington Street entrance (parking on Eighth or Washington Streets) and will be handicapped accessible within the cemetery (no wheel chairs provided). The event is open to the public. Come share the history of the people who helped shape and define our Community, State, and Country during this turbulent period.

A re-dedication ceremony for the newly-restored Buell Post Grand Army of the Republic Monument in Oak Grove Cemetery (facing Eighth Street) will take place at  7:00 following the tours. Local dignitaries and civic organizations will be represented.

Details: Tours will begin at 2:30, with a new tour group leaving every 15-20 minutes.   The event is free and open to the public with voluntary donations going toward Fearing Camp’s Grave Restoration and Monuments Fund.

Sponsor: The Fearing Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans

Location: Oak Grove Cemetery, Eighth Street, Marietta, Ohio

For more information: Dan Hinton 740-525-2133 or forgehollow22@sprynet.com for further information.

Details:“Custer, the Civil War General” will be the program for the Custer Celebration at the Custer Monument and later at the Custer Museum and Center.   Steve Ball will perform with his 1860 Martin 2-20 guitar. His program will narrate the creation of many of the popular tunes of the Civil War period and includes interesting tales about the people who wrote them.
Next, the Custer Memorial Association’s own General Custer (aka Rick Williams) will be talking of his exploits from his time at West Point into the early years of the Civil War.   Also appearing will be the 6th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, a Civil War mounted reenacting unit.
They will be giving demonstrations on cavalry drills and their equipment in the Custer Park behind the monument.

Sponsor: The Custer Memorial Association

Location: The Custer Monument, 46320 Cadiz-Junction Road, Hopedale, OH 43976 and the Custer Museum and Center.

For More Information: contact Dave Rose at darose02@frontier.com.

Step back in time in Pike County with “The Case of Hattie Shepherd,” a play that will be presented on June 17th and 18th at the historic Canal Church of Christ. This church building was used  for some county  business  as the new court house was being built during the Civil War years.   The play is loosely  based on an actual event that occurred in Waverly  during the 1860′s and is the story of the trial of a Civil War widow who   is accused of  murdering her own child.

The Canal Church of Christ is located at 122 E. North Street, Waverly, OH 45690.    The play will begin at 7:00pm each evening.

Admission charges  range from $4.00 to $6.00 and all profits go to charity.   Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling  Delmar Burkitt at 740-289-3570.

The Emancipation Proclamation has been celebrated and observed in Gallia County, Ohio continuously since 1863. The Gallia County Emancipation Day Celebration is reported to be the longest continuous celebration in the United States.

Historically, the original celebration was always celebrated on the 22nd of September. This coincided with President Abraham Lincoln’s historic signing of the Emancipation Proclamation which declared slaves “thenceforth and forever more free”. It was conducted in a religious atmosphere. Activities and games such as baseball, sack racing, hog calling and greasy pole climbing were included to stimulate interest and maintain enthusiasm. Bands, famous orators, politicians, parades, dances and queen contest were also included in the celebration.

Location: Gallia county fairgrounds, 189 Jackson Pike, Gallipolis, OH 45631-1538

For more information, please visit http://www.emancipation-day.com.

Ohio’s political and military importance to the Union victory is widely known, but what about the vital contribution made by the state’s female population?   Join us to explore their wartime activities on the home front, focusing largely on the Soldiers Aid Societies and the Sanitary Fairs in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

The 7th Quaker Genealogy & History Conference will be held in Waynesville, Ohio at the White and Red Brick Quaker Meetinghouses (4th and High St.)    on Saturday April 16, 2011.   The evening keynote speaker will be Dr. Kelly D. Selby (see below) who will speak about “Ohio Women and the Civil War Front” with an emphasis on Quaker women.   There will also be an afternoon workshop on “Civil War Genealogy” facilitated by Karen S. Campbell of   ”Southwest Ohio Research.”

3:30pm — Doing Civil War Genealogy Research workshop with Karen Campbell

5:30pm — Dinner and Guest Lecture with Dr. Kelly Selby of Walsh University

Registration for the conference is required by April 8 and your payment may be made at the time you register or at the door.   The cost is $15 for the genealogy workshop and $10 for dinner and the lecture.   There is also a $10 late registration fee.

Quaker Genealogy Conference Announcement

For more information on the 7th Annual Quaker Genealogy and History Conference, contact Ruth Brindle Dobyns, Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College, (937) 382-6661 ext. 719 or ruth_dobyns@wilmington.edu

For more information on Southwest Ohio Research, visit  http://www.swohioresearch.com/

You are invited to the 24th Annual Civil War Encampment Days, when Civil War Reenactors line the streets of downtown McConnelsville in Morgan County. Most activities are open to both reenactors and the general public and provide something for every taste and interest.

Weekend events include a night time cannon firing over the Muskingum River, tours of both the Union & Confederate camps, period church service, a formal ball, several skirmishes on the downtown streets and a reenactment of Mogan’s Raid Scenario on Sunday afternoon. In addition there are lectures, speeches and demonstrations by reenacters that take place on the “battlefields”, the courthouse steps or in the field “hospital”.

All events are free and open to the public as is “Sutler’s Row”, the period marketplace selling reproduction wares and clothing. On hand to beat the heat is plenty of cold and tasty sarsparilla.

Location: The Commons in Downtown McConnelsville, 98 North 10th Street, McConnelsville, OH 43756

For more information, please visit http://www.visitmorgancountyohio.com/.

Join the Bossard Library for a presentation by Mark Holbrook about photographer Matthew Brady. His photographs of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War have become icons of the early days of photography.   Come hear the story from Matthew Brady himself as the world renowned photographer and chronicler of the American Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln shares some of his photographs and the stories behind them.

Mark Holbrook, Marketing Manager for the Ohio Historical Society, is a native Ohioan, graduate of The Ohio State University and an avid student of history. Mark has been a Civil War reenactor for more than 15 years and has given numerous lectures to adults and children about the life of a Civil War soldier. An author of several articles on the Civil War and reenacting, Mark is the editor of the soon-to-be published regimental history of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.   In addition to overseeing the Society’s marketing, Mark portrays historic characters for Society events, acts in the Echoes in Time theatre series at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.

Sponsor: Dr. Samuel L. Bossard Memorial Library, Ohio Humanities Council

Location: Bossard Library, 7 Spruce Street, Gallipolis, Ohio

For more information, please visit www.bossard.lib.oh.us.

Mr. Brady’s photographs of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War have become icons of the early days of photography. Come hear the story from Matthew Brady himself, as the world renowned photographer and chronicler of the American Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, shares some of his photographs and the stories behind them thru his ‘Magic Lantern.

The Tuesday, April 12, 2011 event at the Belpre Church of Christ, 2932 Washington Boulevard, will begin with a 6:00 p.m. reservation only dinner in the multi purpose room. Matthew Brady’s 7:45 pm. presentation in the auditorium is free and open to the public courtesy of the Ohio Humanities Council. We especially invite students and Civil War enthusiasts to meet Matthew Brady.

Dinner reservations must be made no later than April 8th, $20 per person, by contacting the Belpre Historical Society at 740-423-7382 or 740-423-5359 or visit http://www.belprehistory.org for more information.

As part of the 2011-2015 Commemoration of the Civil War, the Farmers’ Castle Museum Education Center located at 509 Ridge Street, has special exhibits and research materials available to students and others that are interested in the history of the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, during regular museum hours. Beginning April 2nd and, continuing thru October, the Museum is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 1:00 – 4:00 pm, other times by appointment. Phone 740-423-7588 or 423-7382 and leave message for additional information.

Current materials consist of complete sets of The Civil War and Voices of the Civil War Time Life series;  The Civil War Narratives by Shelby Foote; Buckeye Blood: Ohio at Gettysburg by Richard A Baumgartner; numerous biographies, dairies, various battle maps, periodicals, and extensive Underground Railroad information especially for Washington County and southeastern Ohio. The Society continues to expand our materials and will accept additional documented information to share with researchers.

Join us!!! “To the Colors: A Fight to Preserve Ohio’s Civil War Battle Flags” is a preservation march and living history event. It will take place June 11 & 12 in Woodsfield, OH at the Monroe County Historical Society’s Hollister/Parry Museum. This event will help to raise money and awareness for the Army of the Ohio Reenacting Organization’s efforts to preserve the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry’s regimental flag. The living history aspect of this event will be a Civil War 150th commemoration and will portray a Northern town around June 1861, a time after the firing on Fort Sumter and before the first major battle of the war, 1st Manassas. We will portray a time during which many men are volunteering to serve in companies being called up at local levels, civilians are coping with the concept of a civil war by forming aid societies, and many families are sending men off to military service. Local men and women volunteered in aid societies to send goods and raise funds for soldiers going off to war and into battle. The events that make up this living history are based on local newspaper accounts of the time from the Spirit of Democracy.

A Soldiers Aid Society, documented in Woodsfield at the time, will be hosting a Strawberry Festival, also documented, to raise funds through bake and auction of strawberry themed items Saturday. There will also be the presentation of a regimental national flag by the ladies of the town to Company B and C of the 25th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, local companies formed to go into military service. This all will be occurring at the home of Nathan Hollister, Attorney at Law, of Woodsfield. Hollister’s estate will serve as the camp for the local volunteers and the Soldiers Aid Society. Saturday a War Rally and Recruitment Ceremony will also be held on si te. Later in the evening on Saturday an Illumination Ceremony will occur at the Civil War Monument in the town square and at the Pioneer Cemetery. On Sunday there will be a period church service at the First United Methodist Church and the new recruits will be learning military drill such as the exercise of bayonet drill.

Sponsor: The Monroe County Historical Society & The Woodsfield Civil War Encampment

Location: Hollister/Parry Museum 217 Eastern Ave., Woodsfield, OH

For more information, please visit http://www.monroecountycivilwar.org

Description: The Belpre Historical Society invites you to see Mark Holbrook, an Ohio Humanities Scholar, present “Mr. Lincoln’s Camera Man: An Evening with Mathew Brady” on Tuesday, April 12th at the Belpre Church of Christ.

“Belle Prairie” (Belpre), a part of the ‘Ohio Land Company’ purchase following the Revolutionary War, was first settled in the Spring of 1789.   Annually, during the month of April the Belpre Historical Society celebrates the founding of Belpre with a dinner and special program.   This years event features “Mr. Lincoln’s Camera Man: An Evening with Mathew Brady” with Mark Holbrook, an Ohio Humanities Scholar, as Mathew Brady.

His photographs of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War have become icons of the early days of photography.   Come hear the story from Matthew Brady himself as the world renowned photographer and chronicler of the American Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln shares some of his photographs and the stories behind them.

The Tuesday, April 12, 2011 event will include a dinner ($20, reservations necessary) at 6pm and the presentation by Mark Holbrook at 7:45, which is free and open to the public courtesy of the Ohio Humanities Council.

Mark Holbrook, Marketing Manager for the Ohio Historical Society, is a native Ohioan, graduate of The Ohio State University and an avid student of history. Mark has been a Civil War reenactor for more than 15 years and has given numerous lectures to adults and children about the life of a Civil War soldier. An author of several articles on the Civil War and reenacting, Mark is the editor of the soon-to-be published regimental history of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.   In addition to overseeing the Society’s marketing, Mark portrays historic characters for Society events, acts in the Echoes in Time theatre series at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.

Details: The dinner at 6pm will cost $20 and will require reservations.   Reservations must be made no later than April 8th. To make reservations, please call 740-423-7382 or 740-423-5359.   The presentation by Mark Holbrook at 7:45pm will be free and open the the public courtesy of the Ohio Humanities Council.

Sponsors: This event is sponsored by the Belpre Historical Society.

Location: This event will be held at the Belpre Church of Christ, at 2932 Washington Boulevard, in Belpre, Ohio.   The dinner will take place in the multi-purpose room and the presentation will occur in the auditorium.

For more information and to make reservations for the dinner, please call 740-423-7382 or 740-423-5359.

As part of the 2011-2015 Commemoration of the Civil War, the Farmers’ Castle Museum Education Center located at 509 Ridge Street, has special exhibits and research materials available to students and others interested in the history of the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, during regular museum hours.   Beginning April 2nd and continuing through October, the Museum will be open Wednesday and Saturdays 1-4pm and other times by appointment.   Phone 740-423-7588 or 740-423-7382 and leave a message for more information.

Current materials consist of complete sets of “The Civil War” and “Voices of the Civil War” Time Life Series; “The Civil War Narratives”, Shelby Foote; “Buckeye Blood, Ohio at Gettysburg”, Richard A. Baumgartner; numerous biographies, diaries, various battle maps, periodicals and extensive Underground Railroad information especially for Washington County and southeastern Ohio.   The Belpre Historical Society continues to expand their collection and will accept additional documented information to share with researchers.

Civil War surgeon and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Dr. Mary Edwards Walker will be portrayed by Debra Conner at the Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second Street, Marietta, Ohio on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.   The program is audience interactive and personal and will include a question and answer session both in and out of character.

Fiery and determined, Dr. Walker fought ridicule and suspicion to become the only woman to serve as a physician with the Union Army during the Civil War.   In 1864, in Tennessee, she was appointed contract surgeon for the Ohio 52^nd Volunteer Infantry where she served with Brigadier General Daniel McCook, Jr., one of Ohio’s legendary “Fighting McCooks.”   Dr. Walker was a devoted practitioner of reform dress–the wearing of trousers by women–and was arrested numerous times for her scandalous attire.

Debra Conner has offered her original, one-woman portrayals of other famous women such as Emily Dickinson and Margaret Blennerhassett in locations throughout the country.   She will portray Dr. Walker for Ohio Chautauqua this summer.

Admission to the presentation is included in the regular admission to the Museum.   Admission is free to Friends of the Museums members and OHS members.   Membership can be purchased at the door.   More information call 740-373-3750.

Join Ohio Travel Treasures for a Civil War Dinner, in conjunction with their “Two Sides of the Coin: A Women’s Perspective” tour. This meal will be replete with foods from the Civil War and a one hour open bar.

The tour includes an opportunity to rediscover the many ways in which Ohio WOMEN played a key role in the war and in which the war – “this mighty scourge,” as Lincoln described it – changed life in Ohio. The tour includes stops at Roscoe Village, Harstone Pottery and possible side trips to several side trips can be added to visit many Civil War sites in Steubenville, Athens, Marietta, Belpre, Mt. Pleasant, Salem, Canton and Carrollton.

Additional details are availible here: Two Sides of the Coin Tour Flier

For more information and additional tour opportunities, please visit http://easternohiotours.com or call (513) 923-9112.

Join Ohio Travel Treasures for a Civil War ball, in conjunction with their “Two Sides of the Coin: A Women’s Perspective” tour.

Learn about 19th century American culture and etiquette, all while having a terrific time enjoying a score of different types of authentic period dances – ranging from waltzes to reels – all taught by a professional dance teacher and set to common 1800′s tunes played by qualified musicians.

The tour includes an opportunity to rediscover the many ways in which Ohio WOMEN played a key role in the war and in which the war – “this mighty scourge,” as Lincoln described it – changed life in Ohio. The tour includes stops at Roscoe Village, Harstone Pottery and possible side trips to several side trips can be added to visit many Civil War sites in Steubenville, Athens, Marietta, Belpre, Mt. Pleasant, Salem, Canton and Carrollton.

Additional details are availible here: Two Sides of the Coin Tour Flier

For more information and additional tour opportunities, please visit http://easternohiotours.com or call (513) 923-9112.

Ohio Chautauqua Returns in 2011

Ohio Chautauqua 2011:   The Civil War will be stopping in Chester, Ohio from July 12-16.

The Civil War has been called the first modern war. However, the war’s significance goes far beyond military struggle. The Civil War was the defining experience of the American nation.   No wonder our nation remains fascinated by this monumental conflict.   It is said that a new book about the Civil War is written every day.   Every year, thousands of people relive the war by participating in re-enactments across the country.   One of the ways the Ohio Humanities Council will commemorate the sesquicentennial of the War is to present Ohio Chautauqua 2011:   The Civil War.

Ohio Chautauqua 2011: The Civil War will feature five scholars presenting diverse characters who will tell their stories from unique perspectives.   Each evening at 7pm, a different living history presentation will be offered under the red and white stripped tent.   During each presentation, the scholar become a figure from the past, giving a unique monologue that showcases the person’s importance in our culture.   The audience then has the opportunity to ask questions of the character and the evening concludes when the scholar steps out of character to answer more questions.

Considered by many historians to be one of the nation’s greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln worked to preserve the Union and abolish slavery as he led the country during the Civil War.   Mary Edwards Walker was the war’s only female contract surgeon, working for the 52^nd Ohio Volunteers, before spending several months as a POW.   She was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and later campaigned for women’s rights.   A doctor, judge, political activist, lecturer, journalist, author, explorer and soldier, Maj. Martin Delany was a true Renaissance man.   He devoted his life to seeking full freedom and citizenship for African Americans.   Confederate Mary Boykin Chesnut kept detailed diaries throughout the Civil War.   She speaks not only from the wealthy Southern aristocratic point of view, but – surprisingly – also as an outspoken abolitionist.   Although she is remembered as “General Moses” who led slaves through the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman‘s greatest work may have been with the Union Army behind enemy lines, where she served as a nurse, cook, organizer, spy, and soldier.

Throughout the week, the five scholars will also present workshops for both youth and adults.   Youth programs in Chester will be held daily at 10:30am.   Adult programs will take place daily at 1:30pm.   Please note that the scholars will NOT be in character for these workshops.   For information about the workshops click here.

Plans for Ohio Chautauqua 2011:   The Civil War are currently being finalized.   Check www.ohiohumanities.org and future issues of Pathways for additional program details and schedules.

The Ohio Chautauqua in Chester will be held across the street from the Chester Courthouse, the oldest standing courthouse in Ohio.   For more information about the Courthouse and about Chester-Shade Days, which will be held during the Chautauqua, please visit www.chestercourthouse.com.

The Ohio University Department of History presents the 14th Annual Lazaroff Lecture on Tuesday, March 1 at 7pm in the Walter Hall Rotunda, on the Ohio University Campus.   This years lecturer will be Dr. Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University.   Dr. Sarna will talk about Ulysses S. Grant’s General Orders #11, which banned Jews from his war zone, a measure that was designed to suppress illegal commerce and smuggling.   Though not the main perpetrators, Jews were targeted because of the general image that people had of them at the time.   Nevertheless, when he became president, Grant proved to be very open and accommodating   to Jews.   Dr. Sarna will discuss the historical reasons for his apparent contradictory behavior towards this particular group.

Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna is the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University.   He is also the Chief Historian of the new National Museum of American Jewish History.

The Lazaroff Memorial Lecture series invites prominent scholars in the field of Jewish history to give a talk to the broader university and Athens, Ohio community about Jewish history in general.  

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and there is growing interest in understanding the role of Ohio and Ohioans played in this important part of U.S. History.   Mark Holbrook from the Ohio Historical Society will present a talk, “Ohio in the Civil War”, on Wednesday, March 9th at the Athens County Civil War Round Table.   The 7pm meeting will be held in the Conference Room of the Athens County Library, located at 30 Home Street in Athens.   The talk is free and open to the public as part of the Athens County 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

Ohio’s troops, generals, factories and farms helped change the outcome of the Civil War and, in turn, the war changed Ohio and it’s people.   This talk will explore those changes and examine the contributions of Ohio’s citizens, politicians, soldiers, nurses and businessmen during the Civil War.   The program is supported by the Ohio Humanities Council.

Mark Holbrook is Marketing Manager for the Ohio Historical Society, is a native Ohioan, graduate of The Ohio State University and an avid student of history.   Mark has been a Civil War re-enactor for more than 15 years and has given numerous lectures to adults and children about the life of a Civil War soldier.   An author of several articles on the Civil War and reenacting, Mark is the editor of the soon-to-be published regimental history of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.   In addition to overseeing the Society’s marketing, Mark portrays historic characters for Society events, acts in the Echoes in Time theatre series at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.

The Ohio Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will host a Commemoration Service at the Buffington Island Battlefield State Memorial in Portland, Ohio on Saturday July 9th, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.   Several historical, civic, and veterans’ groups will participate in the ceremony which will mark the 147th anniversary of Ohio’s only significant Civil War battle.   Confederate cavalrymen commanded by General John Hunt Morgan met Federal forces of all branches of the service near the Buffington Island ford along the Ohio River on July 18-19, 1863.   The fate of Morgan’s 1863 raid into northern territory was essentially sealed at this battle where he lost nearly one third of his forces.

Details: The Memorial Services on July 9th will be followed by lunch refreshments.   The event is free and open to the public.     Participants and guests are also encouraged to visit the nearby Buffington Island Museum and Community Center.

Sponsor: Ohio Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Buffington Island Museum and Community Center

Location: Buffington Island State Memorial, State Route 124 north of US Route 33 in Meigs County.

General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and The Castle museum in Marietta, Ohio will be hosting a commemoration called “A Country Divided…The Start of the Civil War in Marietta.” Interpretive talks, tours and displays will highlight Marietta, Washington County and the surrounding area in the early days of the war.   These activities will focus on the fast-paced events that followed the firing on Fort Sumter and the outbreak of the war with an emphasis on the reactions of local volunteer soldiers and their families.   The event will be held on the elegant grounds of The Castle, a grand mansion built in the Gothic Revival style by a prominent Marietta attorney, officer, and casualty of the war.   An admission fee is required for tours of the mansion.

When: April 16-17, 2011
What:   Civil War displays, tours and period encampment.
Where: The Castle museum at 418 Fourth Street, Marietta, Ohio
Details: 740-373-4180 or www.mariettacastle.org

The Benjamin D. Fearing Camp, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in Washington County is sponsoring a pot- luck dinner on Lincoln’s birthday February 12th, 2011.     This event will kick off the recognition events of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War for Fearing Camp.   Commander Dan Hinton will be speaking on the birth of Abraham Lincoln and key events during the early days of his presidency, including the beginning of the Civil War. The event is open to the public and guests are encouraged to bring a covered dish but there will undoubtedly be plenty of food for those who cannot do so.

Location: The dinner will be held at the Masonic Lodge Building at 1411 Putnam Howe Drive in Belpre, Ohio at 6:30 PM.

Sponsored by: Fearing Camp #2 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Civil War Reenactors line the streets of downtown McConnelsville during the annual Civil War Encampment Days held  the second weekend of  July in Morgan County. Most activities are open to both reenactors and the general public and provide something for every taste and interest.

Weekend events include a night time cannon firing over the Muskingum River, tours by lamplight of both the Union & Confederate camps, a ladies tea (period clothing required),  a formal ball, several skirmishes on the downtown streets and the big battle reenactment at “Doc Richmonds” farm on Sunday afternoon. In addition there are lectures, speeches and demonstrations by reenacters that take place on the  ”battlefields”, the courthouse steps or in the field “hospital”.

All events are free and open to the public as is “Sutler’s Row”, the period marketplace selling reproduction wares and clothing. On hand to beat the heat is plenty of cold and tasty sarsparilla.

Free admission, free parking.

Sunday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Special Hours: Battle at Richmond’s Farm 1:00pm Sunday

Location: The Commons, 98 North 10th Street, McConnelsville, OH 43756

General Information: grove.68@osu.edu

Website: http://www.morgancounty.org/

Join us at the Bellaire All-American Days Festival and Ohio Historical Society Marker Dedication for Union Square, which was used during the war as a canteen for nearby Camp Jefferson, and the many soldiers who passed through by rail to both the eastern and western theaters of the war.

Schedule:

9am-2pm

19th Ohio Light Artillery will have two cannons on display and will be giving demonstrations throughout the day

12:00 pm

Union Square Marker Dedication

“The History of Union Square” by Attorney Daniel L. Frizzi, Jr., Marker Chairman

“Bellaire in the Civil War” by Paul Hanly, 1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery A

Location: Union Square (City Park), Bellaire, Ohio

This event is part of the All-American Days Festival and will include food booths, off street rides and live entertainment with the Vogues capping off Saturday evening events.

http://www.ohiocivilwar150.org/forum/ohio-civil-war-reenactors-reenactment-groups/ohs-marker-dedication-at-union-square-bellaire-ohio-saturday-june-5/

Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg, presented by Eric J. Wittenberg.

Wittenberg is Vice   President of the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation and a member of the Ohio Civil War 150 Advisory Committee.

Guest fee: $5.00

Location: Conference Center in the West Pavilion at Drake Center, 151 West Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH

Event website: http://www.cincinnaticwrt.org/speakers.html

Celebrating the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which declared slaves “thenceforth and forever more free”.   Activities and games, guest speakers, Bands, singing groups, historic re-enactments, civil war soldiers, history booth, arts and crafts, food vendors and health screenings. Free admission, free parking.

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Location:   Gallia County Jr. Fairgrounds, 189 Jackson Pike, Gallipolis, OH 45631

Local Number: (740) 446-7611

Event Website: http://www.emancipation-day.com/

C0ntact:   rr8491@dragonbbs.com

Bring the family and spend the day of traditional family fun and entertainment. There will be lots of food, children’s games, a car show, pie auction, historic display and live entertainment. Buckeye Furnace is one of only three reconstructed Charcoal Iron Furnaces in the United States. Tour the grounds, see how iron was made during the Civil War.

Location:
Buckeye Furnace
123 Buckeye Park Rd. T-167
Wellston, OH 45692

Admission: FREE
Parking: FREE

Local Number: (614) 297-2300

For more information: http://www.ohiohistory.org/

Echoes In Time Theatre Presents

Hear from John P. Parker, who was born into slavery, purchased his freedom, and settled in Ripley, Ohio, a center of the abolitionist movement, where he became a business leader and active conductor on the Underground Railroad. His home over looking the Ohio River offered a hiding place for many fugitives en route to freedom.

The Ohio Historical Society’s Echoes in Time Theatre presentations are half-hour performances showcasing characters from history most Saturday afternoons at 1 and 3 p.m. The Ohio Historical Center is located at I-71 and 17^th Avenue in Columbus. Free with museum admission: $8/adults, $7/seniors, $4/youths and free for Ohio Historical Society members and children 5 years of age and under. Parking is $4 and free for members. For more information, call 800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/calendar.

The Philanthropist was an anti-slavery newspaper first published in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, in September 1817. Its first editor was Charles Osborn. He was a member of the Society of Friends who were often called “Quakers.” Osborn called for an immediate end to slavery. He hoped his paper would educate white Northerners about slavery’s injustice.

The paper was the first anti-slavery gazette newspaper in the United States. Osborn emerged as one of the leading abolitionists in Ohio because of the paper. Other prominent abolitionists joined The Philanthropist, including Benjamin Lundy, who contributed several articles. In October 1818, Elisha Bates acquired the newspaper from Osborn. He continued to publish it until 1822. The Philanthropist enjoyed a wide circulation, principally in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Osborn flooded southern Ohio with copies of the paper. Many southern Ohioans had migrated there from slaveholding states. A few of these people continued to own slaves although this was a violation of the Ohio Constitution.

The paper remained true to Osborn’s Quaker faith. It strongly opposed the enslavement of African Americans. The Philanthropist also encouraged its readers to abstain from drinking. Under Osborn’s leadership, the paper rejected a gradual end to slavery as proposed by the American Colonization Society and other abolitionists of that time. Osborn contended that only the immediate emancipation of the slaves was acceptable. Upon Bates’s becoming the editor, the paper continued to support the temperance and the anti-slavery crusades. The Philanthropist also devoted space to other issues concerning Ohioans such as internal improvements and public education. Bates also called for fair treatment of the Native Americans.

In 1822, Bates stopped publishing the newspaper. In 1836, James Birney began to publish a new paper titled The Philanthropist in Cincinnati. Birney, like his predecessors, advocated an immediate end to slavery. He also believed that African Americans were entitled to equal rights and opportunities with white people. Many Cincinnatians opposed Birney’s views. Some of these people were former slave owners and believed that African Americans were inferior to whites. Other people opposed slavery but believed that African Americans would move to the North and deprive white people of jobs. To prevent Birney from printing, a mob of white Cincinnatians destroyed the newspaper’s printing press on July 12, 1836. Undeterred, Birney remained in Cincinnati and continued to publish his newspaper.

Source:

Ohio History Central, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1428

By 1850, many Ohioans believed that the time had come to replace the Constitution of 1803. New issues had arisen that the drafters of the first constitution had not foreseen. The Constitution of 1803 had given great power to the Ohio General Assembly. With the exception of the governor, the legislature had the power to appoint judges and all other government officials. This gave the legislature nearly complete control over the government. The Constitution of 1803 also required the Supreme Court to meet once each year in every county in the state. When the Constitution of 1803 originally went into effect, few counties existed. Over the next fifty years the number of counties increased until it was virtually impossible for the Supreme Court to fulfill its obligations under the original constitution.

A majority of the Constitutional Convention of 1850′s delegates belonged to the Democratic Party. The Democrats were divided into liberal and conservative factions. Liberal Democrats, like Charles Reemelin, tended to favor working class issues. Conservatives were more likely to believe that power should remain in the hands of the wealthy. Because of this division, the Whig Party delegates commonly served as the swing votes between the Democratic Party’s divided representatives.

The convention was to meet originally in Columbus, but a cholera epidemic moved the meeting to Chillicothe. William Medill served as the convention president. The Constitution of 1851 created a more democratic system within the state. The new constitution gave Ohio voters the right to elect the governor, other high-ranking state officials, and judges. Rather than having only two levels of courts within the state, a third level of district courts was added between the Ohio Supreme Court and common pleas courts. Only adult white men who had resided in the state for at least one year could vote. An overwhelming majority of the delegates voted against extending the suffrage to African-American men and women of all races. The voters had to approve all constitutional amendments in the future and received the option to call a new constitutional convention every twenty years.

Even after the adoption of the new Constitution of 1851, the state legislature was still the dominant branch of state government in Ohio. The governor did not have the right to veto legislative acts. The legislature had the power to tax, but the legislature had to tax all social classes at the same rate and could not implement a lottery or a poll tax. The legislature also had the power to create new counties, but only with the approval of the residents of the proposed county. The last county created in Ohio was Noble County. It was established on April 1, 1851. This was several months before the Constitution of 1851 went into effect.

The convention adjourned its proceedings on March 10, 1851. Seventy-nine delegates voted in favor of the constitution, while fourteen opposed it. The people in opposition primarily belonged to the Whig Party and the Free Soil Party. To go into effect, Ohio voters had to approve the constitution. They did so overwhelmingly on June 17, 1851. Although numerous amendments have been made over the years, the Constitution of 1851 remains the fundamental law of Ohio.

Source:

Ohio History Central: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1457

In 1857, the Battle of Lumbarton occurred between federal marshals, who were enforcing the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, and anti-slavery Ohioans.

Addison White, an escaped slave, set the chain of events in motion that culminated in the Battle of Lumbarton. In 1856, White ran away from Kentucky to Ohio along the Underground Railroad. He eventually made his way to Mechanicsburg, Ohio, in Champaign County. Here, he sought refuge in the home of Udney Hyde. White remained in the Hyde home for eight months, purportedly helping Hyde recover from a broken ankle. White’s owner and some federal marshals eventually located the fugitive slave at Hyde’s home. The marshals attempted to capture White, who had barricaded himself in the loft of a log cabin with a gun. White was able to drive the marshals away, but they soon returned. Mechanicsburg townspeople had also arrived on the scene and surrounded the barn. Armed with pitchforks and other weapons, they refused to let the marshals take the fugitive slave, who, the mob falsely said, had fled to Canada. The marshals did arrest several people for aiding White in his escape.

The marshals took their prisoners, including Udney Hyde’s son, Russell Hyde, towards Urbana, Ohio. The sheriff of Clark County attempted to arrest the federal marshals for illegally detaining the men. The marshals refused to release the captives and proceeded to beat the sheriff and the posse severely. Eventually, a mob of Ohioans detained the marshals and jailed them in Springfield, Ohio on the charge of assault with intent to kill, due to the altercation with the Clark County sheriff. The first skirmish between the marshals and the sheriff’s posse and the second one with the mob of Ohioans became known as the Battle of Lumbarton.

Eventually, Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase negotiated the release of the federal prisoners as well as of the marshals, with all charges being dropped against both groups. Mechanicsburg residents raised 950 dollars and purchased Addison White’s freedom from his owner. Daniel White agreed to the sale.

The Battle of Lumbarton illustrates the increasing tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces during the mid nineteenth century. These tensions eventually contributed to the American Civil War’s outbreak in 1861.

Source:

Ohio History Central, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=3361