Civil War Events @ the Library

Upcoming Civil War Events

If It Looks Like a Man: Gender Identity, Female Soldiers, and 'Lady Bushwackers' in the Civil War
Aaron Barnhart, Diane Eickhoff
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Central Library

In a time of great emphasis on the separate roles of men and women, hundreds of females—Union and Confederate—cut their hair, bound their breasts, donned men’s clothing, and reported to army recruiters for duty during the Civil War. Others served as scouts, spies, or rode with their husbands and brothers in contested areas.

Public historians Diane Eickhoff and Aaron Barnhart explore how and why these extraordinary women defied cultural norms to participate in America's largest domestic military conflict.

Past Civil War Events

Terry Beckenbaugh: The Battle of Wilson’s Creek
Historian Terry Beckenbaugh marks the 150th anniversary of The Battle of Wilson’s Creek – fought just minutes from Springfield, Missouri – and explains how Confederate forces won the battle but lost the state.
Thursday, August 11, 2011

Terry Beckenbaugh of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth discusses the first Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, which took place in southwestern Missouri.

On August 10, 1861, Union General Nathaniel Lyon — who was encamped at Springfield with nearly 6,000 men — led a surprise attack on 12,000 secessionist troops camped at Wilson’s Creek. While the Confederates won the battle, they were left in no condition to pursue the retreating Federal forces, and Missouri remained under Union control.

Antebellum Homes of Kansas City: Harris-Kearney Home
The 2011 Kansas City Architecture Series examines the fascinating history and architecture of local residences built in the decades just before the Civil War.
Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Plaza Branch concludes its annual Kansas City Architectures series, which in recognition of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War focused on antebellum homes this year.

Alana Smith, president of the Westport Historical Society, shares the history of the Harris-Kearney Home, the oldest remaining brick residence located in historic Westport. The home once looked out on the Santa Fe Trail and later served as a headquarters for the Union Army. It is now located at 4000 Baltimore after being moved from its original location in 1922.

Ethan Rafuse: First Battle of Bull Run
To mark the 150th anniversary of the first major clash of the Civil War, military historian Ethan Rafuse of the Command and General Staff College describes the First Battle of Bull Run and the leaders who shaped its outcome.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Although relatively small compared to the great clashes to come, the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) was a seminal event in American history. When the smoke cleared on July 21, 1861, nearly 900 men were dead, the Union army was in retreat, and the South had won the first major battle of the Civil War.

Dr. Ethan Rafuse, professor of military history at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, describes the battle and those who shaped its outcome.

The event is co-sponsored by the Command and General Staff College Foundation.

Antebellum Homes of Kansas City: Bent-Ward House
The 2011 Kansas City Architecture Series examines the fascinating history and architecture of local residences built in the decades just before the Civil War.
Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Plaza Branch continues its annual Kansas City Architecture series, focusing this year on antebellum homes in recognition of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

In this installment, Tom Cooke examines the history of the Bent-Ward House, a property located at 1032 W. 55th Street whose farm pastures (now Loose Park) served as part of the battleground during the Battle of Westport. Though it takes its name from Colonel William W. Bent and successive owner Seth E. Ward, the property was also once owned by Mormon Bishop Edward Partridge as well as Alexander Doniphan.

Antebellum Homes of Kansas City
The 2011 Kansas City Architecture Series examines the fascinating history and architecture of local residences built in the decades just before the Civil War.
Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Plaza Branch continues its annual Kansas City Architecture series, focusing this year on antebellum homes in recognition of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Tom Taylor reviews the history of the Alexander Majors House and the John B. Wornall House.

Antebellum Homes of Kansas City
The 2011 Kansas City Architecture Series examines the fascinating history and architecture of local residences built in the decades just before the Civil War.
Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Plaza Branch hosts its annual Kansas City Architecture series, focusing this year on antebellum homes in recognition of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Eric Bushner, vice-president of community and government relations for James B. Nutter & Company, discusses the history of the Nathan Scarritt Home — the oldest frame house still standing in the Westport area — located at 4038 Central St.

David Meyers: Medicine in the Civil War
Professor David Meyers examines the surgical techniques used during the war as well as the predominance of disease as a cause of death.
Sunday, June 5, 2011

David Meyers, a professor of medicine- cardiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, presents a discussion on Medicine in the Civil War.

Meyers is a member of the Society of Civil War Surgeons. For more than 25 years, he has lectured on Civil War medicine. In his presentation, Meyers examines the surgical techniques used during the war as well as the predominance of disease as a cause of death.

Civil War Fashion Show
In association with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, re-enactors and historians take a stroll through the 1860s wearing clothing of the free and enslaved, civilian and military, North and South.
Sunday, May 15, 2011

In association with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, re-enactors and historians will participate in an 1860s-themed fashion show. The will wear clothing of the free and enslaved, civilian and military, North and South. Kandice Walker, director of the John Wornall House, joins with other experts to discuss the significance of the apparel.

Co-sponsored by the John Wornall House.

David Goldfield - America Aflame: How the Civil War Created a Nation
Historian David Goldfield discusses his vivid narrative history of the Civil War, America Aflame, which offers the first major new interpretation of the era in 20 years.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Historian David Goldfield discusses his vivid narrative history of the Civil War, America Aflame, which offers the first major new interpretation of the era in 20 years.

Gregory Wolk: A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War
Author Gregory Wolk discusses his new book, A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War, the first comprehensive sesquicentennial driver’s guide to Civil War battlefield sites in Missouri.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Author Gregory Wolk discusses his new book, A Tour Guide to Missouri’s Civil War, the first comprehensive sesquicentennial driver’s guide to Civil War battlefield sites in Missouri.

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