Genealogy and the Civil War or . . . was my Great Grand Pappy Really in the War, or Not?
Dr. Lee Eugene Wilson ~ Saturday, June 22 ~ 10:30 am ~ TnGenSoc Lecture Room
Dr. Lee Wilson will be the guest lecturer for the Tennessee Genealogical Society on Saturday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. He will speak on the subject "Genealogy and the Civil War or . . . was my Great Grand Pappy Really in the War, or Not?" Wilson will look back at the Civil War and its effect on the United States as we know it today and also on the difficulties it creates for genealogists as they try to trace their families during this turbulent time in our history.
Wilson has just completed his third novel based on his family and their struggles during the Civil War years. He will explain how his genealogy research led him to write his series of novels Once a Southern Soldier, which chronicles his great grandfather, Bill Ayer, as a young newlywed going off to war and coming to grips with its horrors at bloody Shiloh. The story follows Ayer through the war and to his surrender at Greensboro, North Carolina on April 16, 1865. The books also show the reader the desperate plight the soldier's families faced on the home front.
Wilson says, "One of the first questions I have asked of me is 'How do I find out if my relative was even in the Civil War and then, what unit was he in?'" Wilson will explain his methods for researching his ancestors in the war by using the Internet, various military search sites, era newspapers, and the library. He will also discuss the many reasons that the Civil War was fought in the first place and the political climate that led to hostilities. His collection of Civil War weapons will be on display, and Wilson will explain why there was such a high rate of casualties in the war. He will also explain why some families 'just evaporated' between the 1860 and 1870 census.
"I hope that I can help people in their efforts to find out more of what our ancestors faced in one of our country's most difficult times. And you just might find proof that 'Yes, my Great Grand Pappy was indeed in the Civil War!' --Lee Wilson
Let's Discuss It (genealogy/computer discussion group)
Saturday, June 29 ~ 10:00 am to 12:00 n ~ TnGenSoc Lecture Room
Participate in a genealogy/computer discussion group led by Debbie Atchley. Bring up your topic of interest and/or soak up the knowledge from the round table. No registration is required for this program. "Let's Discuss It" handouts available for download.