(Peterboro, NY – June 2015) Robert Weible (NYS Historian and Chief Curator at the NYS Museum), Jennifer A. Lemak (Senior Historian and Curator NYS Museum) and Aaron Noble (Associate NYS Museum Exhibition Planner) will be at the 23rd Annual Peterboro Civil War weekend on Saturday June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to sell and sign An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War. The 268 page book with 402 color photographs is the companion to the award-winning exhibition of the same name, displayed at the New York State Museum from September 2012 to March 2014. This exhibit documented the pivotal role New York State played in our nation’s bloodiest and most enduring conflict. As the wealthiest and most populous state in the Union, the Empire State led all others in supplying men, money, and material to the causes of unity and freedom. New York’s experience provided significant insight into the reasons why the war was fought and the meaning that the Civil War holds today.
The book An Irrepressible Conflict published by SUNY press includes reproductions of objects from the collections of the NYS Museum, Library, and Archives, as well as more than twenty-five different institutions across the state. (The Peterboro Area Museum and the Madison County Historical Society loaned objects to the exhibit.) The title, An Irrepressible Conflict, was inspired by an 1858 quote from then U.S. Senator William H. Seward, who also served as governor of New York (1839-42) and Secretary of State (1861-69). Seward understood that the roots of conflict were deep, writing, “It is an irrepressible conflict, between opposing and enduring forces, and it means that the United States must and will, sooner or later, become either entirely a slave-holding nation or entirely a free-labor nation.”
A collection of panels from the Irrepressible Conflict exhibit and a facsimile of Lincoln’s Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation are on exhibit at the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.
The foreward to An Irrepressible Conflict is written by Harold Holzer (Senior Vice President for Public Affairs, Metropolitan Museum of Art), and explains how the last copy of the Emancipation Proclamation in Lincoln’s hand came to be the treasure of the New York State Museum – and Gerrit Smith’s part in that preservation. Holzer will be the October 24th keynote for the Hall of Fame’s special event Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator.
Another new SUNY Press publication Freedom Journey: Black Soldiers and The Hills Community, Westchester County, New York will be available both days of Civil War Weekend from the author Edythe Ann Quinn PhD, Professor of History at Hartwick College in Oneonta. Through detailed letters, recruit rosters, and pension records, Quinn shares the story of 35 African American Civil War soldiers and the United States Colored Troop regiments with which they served in the 29th Conn Infantry, 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (11th USCT, and the 20th USCT.)The 36th man served in the Navy. Dr. Quinn will have her exhibit and books available both event days and presents her program on Saturday at 3 pm and Sunday at 11 am.
Historical novelist, Janet Ashworth returns to Peterboro Civil War Weekend for both days of the weekend with her new publication Audacious, a discussion on Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee’s bold invasion of Maryland. Throwing fate to the winds, Confederate commander, Robert E. Lee invaded the state of Maryland on Sept. 14, 1862 – fully aware that he was vastly outnumbered by George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. The odds were against him. He had much to lose. He refused to allow risks to hold him back—even when his battle strategy, Special Order 191, fell into the hands of the enemy on the eve of the invasion. Lee carried the weight of the newly-formed Confederate States of America on his back and was convinced that nothing could stop him. He was audacious! Ashworth presents a program on her research and writing at 3 pm Sunday, June 14. Ashworth, a retiree and graduate of Syracuse University, was recognized in Florida Today in 2013 for her first historical novel Swift Currents of Change.
A volunteer for veterans and author William H. Payne presents throughout the weekend as a Civil War Union Marine displaying accoutrements, artifacts, books, CDs, and his book Veterans in a New Field: A Civil War Mystery of the Irish Brigade. The setting of the story is in 1866 immediately following the cessation of hostilities. The sequel to this publication will be set in Saratoga Springs NY in 1866. Payne has degrees in history and sociology, and military service in the Marines in Viet Nam and the 10th Brigade of the NY Guard for 23 years. After a 42 year career working with prisons and probation, Payne is currently active in veteran affairs and re-enacting military roles that relate to his own experiences.
The Peterboro Mercantile also has books on Peterboro, the Underground Railroad, and abolition history by Norman K. Dann PhD and Milton C. Sernett PhD. The Peterboro Civil War Weekend is an educational and fund-raising event by the Smithfield Community Association (501c3) based on the Gerrit Smith-John Brown relationship which helped ignite the Civil War. Admission ($8: Adults, $3: 6-12 years, Free: Under 6) covers weekend activities (except food). Volunteers and reenactors are needed and encouraged to contact 315-280-8828 or mail@sca-peterboro.org for information. Check updates at www.civilwarweekend.sca-peterboro.org or contact 315-280-9928.