Pamplin Historical Park Commemorates Anniversary of End of Civil War with Annual Symposium
Civil War site offers guided tour and scholar discussions
highlighting pivotal events of 1865
PETERSBURG, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil
War, Pamplin
Historical Park and park founder and owner Dr.
Robert B. Pamplin Jr., will host a weekend symposium, Oct. 16-18,
featuring presentations by noted historians about the pivotal events of
the war’s end in 1865.
The event will take place at Pamplin Historical Park, which is located
on the site of the battle where Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces
broke through Gen. Robert E. Lee’s defensive line on April 2, 1865,
ending the nine-month Richmond–Petersburg campaign. This breakthrough
triggered the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond and the westward
retreat that would lead to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on
April 9, 1865.
In addition to a speaker symposium, guests will have the opportunity to
explore the park’s Richmond–Petersburg campaign history
first-hand on a full-day bus tour with park historian A. Wilson
Greene, on Friday, Oct. 16. The tour will highlight events of the First
and Second Battles of Deep Bottom and action north of the James River.
Symposium presentations include the following:
-
“Providence and the End of the Civil War,” by George C. Rable,
University of Alabama -
“The Ladies of Petersburg: Creating an Enduring Confederate Memorial,”
by Caroline Janney, Purdue University -
“The Confederate Veteran in History, Film, and Memory,” by Frank
Wetta, Kean University -
“Will This Cruel War Never Be Over: Southerners in the Last Months of
the War, January – May 1865,” by John Coski, Museum of the Confederacy -
“From Bentonville to Bennett Place,” by Mark Bradley, Center for
Military History -
“The Fourth of July 1865: Redefining America,” by Paul Quigley,
Virginia Tech University -
“The Final Offensive at Petersburg,” by A. Wilson Greene, Pamplin
Historical Park
“This symposium speaks to my primary purpose for establishing Pamplin
Historical Park more than 20 years ago,” said Pamplin. “I chose to
preserve this piece of history to help educate Americans about the
importance of the battles fought here, on our country’s soil, and
maintain the memory of the sacrifice our soldiers made to protect our
country’s core beliefs.”
Pamplin Historical Park is located at 6125 Boydton Plank Road in
Petersburg, Va. Reservations are required for this event and symposium
tickets are $259 for the general public and $234 for park members. The
ticket price includes lectures, a Friday night reception, two
continental breakfasts, two lunches, and a Saturday night banquet. The
optional Speakers Dinner is free for members and $36 for non-members,
and the Deep Bottom Campaigns bus tour is $75 for all participants. For
reservations or more information on the tour, Speakers Dinner and
symposium, call (804) 861-2408 or visit http://www.pamplinpark.org/events.html.
About Pamplin Historical Park
One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit,” according to the Travel
Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin
Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a
424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia,
offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences.
The park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. It is
the site of the Petersburg Breakthrough battle of April 2, 1865, and
hosts America’s premier Civil War participatory experience, Civil War
Adventure Camp. For more information, please call 804-861-2408 or visit www.pamplinpark.org.
About Robert B. Pamplin Jr.
Robert B. Pamplin Jr. has earned eight degrees – including two
doctorates – in business, economics, accounting, education and theology.
He has been honored nationally as a businessman, philanthropist,
ordained minister, educator, historical preservationist and author of 16
books and comic books, including two book-of-the-month club selections.
Pamplin’s business interests include media (the Portland Tribune and 25
community newspapers), textiles, construction and agriculture. He has
been awarded many honorary degrees and featured in national magazines,
in newspapers and on television. He has served on presidential and state
commissions, and he has been chairman of the board of trustees of three
colleges. Pamplin is widely recognized as America’s leading historical
preservationist and foremost diversified entrepreneur. For more
information, visit www.pamplin.org.
For more information about Pamplin’s preservation efforts, visit www.pamplincollection.org.
Contacts
For R.B. Pamplin Corporation
Wendy Lane Stevens, 503-546-7897
wendy@lanepr.com
