The Friends of the Park are pleased to sponsor the Park's Second Civil War Symposium.

In commemoration of events that led up to the Civil War 150 years ago, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a symposium about the pivotal year of 1861 and how the Chattanooga area was affected as the country went to war with itself. Speakers will cover a variety of topics related to the opening of the war in the local area and the country as a whole. The symposium will take place Saturday, May 7, 2011, at the Girls Preparatory School, located at 205 Island Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37405. The welcome and opening remarks will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET.

As our country begins the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, we focus on the events that stemmed from the firing on Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861. Who supported and opposed the slide into secession, what events happened in our local area as a result, where did the events unfold, and ultimately, why did we see families and communities torn apart in the bloodiest war in American History? The Face of Battle: The Struggle Begins symposium will look at the communities and citizens of the divided nation in 1861 and the challenges they faced as the war began.

The following is a list of symposium topics and speakers:

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 	Welcome

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Rebels With A Cause: East Tennessee’s Confederate Population, John Fowler, Dalton State College 

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	The First Year of the War in Georgia, Keith Bohannon, University of West Georgia 

12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.	Lunch

1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.	Loyal Cavaliers: Tennessee’s Unionist Cavalrymen, Myers Brown, Tennessee State Museum

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	The Confederate Flags of 1861: From Secession to War, Greg Biggs, Author 

3:15 p.m.		End of Symposium

The symposium is free, but reservations are required to attend. Please contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241 by the afternoon of May 6, 2011, in order to reserve your place. We look forward to seeing you at our 2nd Annual The Face of Battle symposium. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Park.

For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at (423) 821-7786, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.