Staff Reports
Since Jefferson played a key role in the Trans-Mississippi Department’s military/industrial complex, Jefferson is a natural location for hosting Civil War Symposiums during the Civil War Sesquicentennial.
This year’s theme is “Jefferson’s Civil War Legacy,” and takes place on Saturday.
Jefferson and Marion County supplied many troops for the Confederacy, including Captain Wm. H. Duke’s company of Jefferson Guards, and two companies in the 1st Texas Regiment of Hood’s Brigade, among others.
Jefferson answered the call not only with troops but with manufacturing and other facilities. At the outbreak of the war, Jefferson was a major transportation center of Central and East Texas for the cotton trade. There was a large meat packing plant that supplied dried beef and bacon for the armies, a shoe factory, a wagon factory as well as at least two furnaces or iron works. An active steamboat river port, Jefferson was soon transformed into the logistical center of the Trans-Mississippi. Three powder magazines and numerous warehouses were constructed to temporarily store materials store the supplies before shipping to Shreveport. This commercial hub soon became a target of the Union Army’s command and plans were laid for its conquest and removal.
Guest speakers include:
• Edward T. Cotham, Jr., is the prize-winning author of many books and articles on Civil War history, emphasizing the battles and skirmishes in Texas. He is also very interested in nautical history and has served as project historian for several important Civil War shipwreck projects.
• Randal Gilbert, a retired lawyer from Tyler is the author of numerous articles on local and Texas History and co-author of two books on World War One. His long-term passion has been researching Camp Ford. Gilbert has been a leader in establishing the Camp Ford Historic Park in Tyler. The largest POW camp west of the Mississippi River during the civil War, the site is now a park.
• Michael Lang has worked as a FedEx manager for over 39 years and is a successful photographer. He is the author of Decisions of the Red River Campaign, which are part of the Command Decisions in America’s Civil War series. This series focuses on understanding the reasons behind historical events rather than just the events themselves.
• David Sesser, MLIS, EdD. is the director of Sims Memorial Library at Southeastern Louisiana University. With research focused on both Civil War Arkansas and the history of higher education in the state, he is the author of The Little Rock Arsenal Crisis: On the Precipice of the American Civil War, and The School With A Heart: Henderson State University at 125. He resides in Hammond, Louis.
Registration at the door will be $80. Cost of the luncheon is included in the registration fee.
On Friday evening, there will be a Speakers’ Reception which will cost $20 per person to attend. The reception will provide an opportunity to meet and visit with the speakers and will include refreshments, light hors d’ oeuvres and musical entertainment.
For information on registration, contact the Museum at 903-665-2775, www.jeffersonmuseum.com.
For information on events, contact Weldon Nash wwnash@sbcglobal.net.
All proceeds go to the Jefferson Historical Society and Museum, a not-for profit 501(c)3 entity.
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