Which were the "great" battles of the American Civil War?  Which events were important turning points in the war? Does a focus on "turning points" enlighten or cloud our understanding of the Civil War? 

Join renowned Civil War historians Gary W. Gallagher and James M. McPherson in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, for five days of thought-provoking discussions focused on great battles and turning points of the Civil War.  A private tour of Fort Sumter and visit to the Confederate Submarine C.S.S. Hunley will add to your enjoyment of this very special program.  By the end of this program you will have developed a richer understanding of great battles and campaigns of the Civil War and the complicated topic of turning points.

Over four bloody years the American Civil War witnessed dramatic shifts of military momentum.  As Union and Confederate armies contended for supremacy, they experienced successes and failures on the battlefield that dramatically influenced political affairs and civilian morale on the home fronts. For more than 140 years, historians and others, including members of the Civil War generation, have argued about when and where the war turned decisively toward United States triumph.  These debates about turning points have sparked lively discussion among a public eager to identify and study the war's most important military operations.

During a program designed for instruction & delight, based at the beautiful Mills House Hotel 
in the heart of Charleston’s historic district, you will:

• Join Gary Gallagher and James McPherson in an examination of some of the campaigns and battles most often described as turning points, including: Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, the Seven Days, the 1864 Overland campaign, the Atlanta campaign, the 1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign, and several other important but less-celebrated campaigns.

• Investigate the question of whether a focus on turning points can obscure as much as it illuminates about why the Civil War unfolded as it did.
   

  Explore how successes and failures on the battlefield dramatically influenced political affairs and civilian morale on the home fronts.
   

  Discuss the long-running argument about when and where the war turned decisively toward United States triumph.
   

  Enjoy a private tour of Fort Sumter, the site of the first battle of the Civil War, and a private visit to the Confederate submarine C.S.S. Hunley, the object of a major salvage and conservation effort over the past several years.
   

  Capture the charm of the Old South in the luxurious, full-service Mills House Hotel, located in Charleston's Historic District - within easy walking distance of the shops, museums, restaurants, and parks of this enchanting city. 
   

  Delight in sampling Charleston’s wonderful cuisine and many springtime charms & attractions.
   

  and more...

PROGRAM FACULTY

Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia, is a leading authority on Civil War military history.  He is the author or editor and co-author of more than twenty books, including The Confederate War, Lee and His Army in Confederate History, and Lee and His Generals in War and Memory.

James M. McPherson, the George Henry Davis '86 Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University, is the dean of American Civil War historians.  His many works of Civil War history include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, and Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam. 

University of Virginia Program Director: Tom Dowd, Senior Director of Program Development.      Return to top

PROGRAM LOCATION

Charleston, South Carolina is a culturally vibrant city with a long and fascinating history. Today, sitting on a narrow peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers as they come together to flow into the Atlantic Ocean, Charleston remains one of the South's loveliest, best-preserved, and most visited cities. With its cobblestone streets, historic homes, famous gardens, galleries, museums, tempting restaurants, and horse-drawn carriages, it is a city of culture, grace, history, and hospitality. 

March is a perfect time to visit Charleston.  The Frommer’s guide to Charleston says: “Spring . . . is just spectacular.  Delicate pink and white dogwoods and azaleas in vivid shades burst into brilliant bloom.  [Charleston] is heaven for gardeners . . . so March and April are memorable times to visit.”

It is very easy to get to Charleston. The Charleston International Airport has over 60 arrivals daily and is served by Continental Airlines, Delta, Independence Air, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, and United Express. There is also Amtrak train service into Charleston. 

The Mills House Hotel, the site of the program, is a “Four Star” full-service hotel.  Originally built in 1854, it reflects the historic ambiance of the city.  Located in the heart of historic Charleston, it is the oldest and grandest of the city’s grand hotels.  From this location you will be able to easily experience all that the historic district of Charleston has to offer . . . from the same vantage point as such famous guests as General Robert E. Lee, General Pierre G.T. Beauregard, and Theodore Roosevelt.  A guest wrote, “The Mills House Hotel is one of the nicest and most memorable places I have stayed.  If you are looking for convenience and luxury, this is the place!”  Since the Mills House Hotel is so centrally located, you won't need a car to experience and enjoy the shops, museums, restaurants, and parks of this lovely city.    Return to top

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

You, if you are seeking intellectual stimulation in an informal, collegial environment and are interested in investigating the great battles and turning points of the Civil War with two expert and personable Civil War historians who will be with you throughout the entire program.  Join us and discover for yourself that, as one participant wrote, “spending quality time with an extraordinary faculty in a beautiful setting studying a stimulating topic is a transcendent experience, and downright fun.”

With a wide array of museums, historic homes and gardens, golf courses, shops, galleries, bookstores, and other attractions within easy reach of our hotel, this program will be attractive to spouses, partners, and companions too.  We have developed a special “Companion Fee” that includes lodging, most meals, and our special tour and visit (details below).          Return to top

THE PROGRAM SCHEDULE (subject to change)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005

Individual Arrivals: (rooms available by 3 pm)
The Mills House Hotel, 115 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina

3:00-5:00 pm: Program Check In
Lobby, The Mills House Hotel

6:00-8:00 pm: Opening Reception and Dinner

8:00-9:00 pm: Session 1: OUR FASCINATION WITH TURNING POINTS - Gary W. Gallagher          Return to top

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

7:00-9:00 am: Breakfast

9:00-10:30 am: Session 2: A CIVIL WAR ‘CROSSROADS’?  THE 1862 MARYLAND CAMPAIGN AND THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM - James M. McPherson

10:30 am: Morning Coffee

11:00 am-12:30 pm: Session 3: A TRUE HIGH WATER MARK?  GETTYSBURG IN ITS TIME AND IN THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION - Gary W. Gallagher

12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch

1:45-5:00 pm: Session 4: FORT SUMTER TOUR 

Free Evening.  Dinner on own.  This is an opportunity to sample Charleston’s amazing array of culinary delights.  As Frommer’s guide to Charleston says, “Foodies from all over the Carolinas flock to Charleston for some of the finest dining in the South.  You get not only the most refined cookery of the Low Country but also an array of French and international specialties.”       Return to top

FRIDAY, MARCH 11

7:00-9:00 am: Breakfast

9:00-10:15 am: Session 5: THE SEVEN DAYS BATTLES AND THE EMERGENCE OF ROBERT E. LEE: AN UNHERALDED TURNING POINT - Gary W. Gallagher

10:15 am: Morning Coffee

10:45-11:45 am: Session 6: THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN: AN UNDERAPPRECIATED TURNING POINT IN THE WEST - James M. McPherson

12:00 noon-1:00 pm: Session 7: HIDDEN TURNING POINTS - Gary W. Gallagher and James M. McPherson

1:00-2:00 pm: Lunch

Free Afternoon.  The afternoon is yours to enjoy.  Whether it’s museum visiting, golfing, shopping, gallery hopping, fishing, or just exploring Charleston’s cobbled streets and sunny gardens, you will have no end of pleasant options for the afternoon.

Free Evening.  Dinner on own.  Another opportunity to sample Charleston’s amazing array of restaurants, clubs, performing arts, and other cultural activities.      Return to top

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

7:00-9:00 am: Breakfast

9:00-10:15 am: Session 8: THE SPRING CAMPAIGN OF 1864: U. S. GRANT AT THE HELM - Gary W. Gallagher

10:15 am: Morning Coffee

10:45-11:45 am: Session 9: SHERMAN IN ATLANTA, SHERIDAN IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, AND THE ELECTION OF 1864 - James M. McPherson

12:00 noon-1:00 pm: Session 10: SHOULD WE LOOK FOR TURNING POINTS? - Gary W. Gallagher and James M. McPherson

1:00-2:00 pm: Lunch

2:30-5:30 pm: Session 11: CONFEDERATE SUBMARINE C.S.S. HUNLEY VISIT

7:15-9:30 pm: Closing Reception and Dinner    Return to top

SUNDAY, MARCH 13

7:00-9:00 am: Breakfast

Enjoy a free morning in Charleston.  Hotel check out time is 11:00 am.         Return to top
 

PANTS IN OUR PROGRAMS HAVE SAID:

 “This is education raised to an art form!”

“Absolute enlightenment!  Fascinating tours, stimulating lectures, interesting people, and a wonderful setting make an unbeatable combination.”

“This is a five star program.  I cannot believe how well the program is organized and how solid the content is.  What a find!”

“The program is intellectually stimulating, well programmed, and reasonably priced with lots of personal attention, good food, and high quality attendees.”

“It has been an illuminating, extraordinary, rewarding experience.”

“The program was a very special one for me – one of those experiences that grows in enjoyment and memories as I look back on it.”

“Getting away from the day-to-day world and spending time in the world of ideas is a special experience.”      Return to top
 

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