The Robert F. Hoke Chapter No. 78 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy has announced its slate of guest speakers for the 14th Annual Salisbury Confederate Prison Symposium, to be held April 8-10.
Every year, descendants, historians and interested individuals gather in Salisbury to learn about the history of North Carolina’s only Civil War prison and to exchange information.
The speaker at Friday evening’s Friendship Banquet will be historian and prisoner-of-war descendant Ron Nichols of Wisconsin. Nichols is retired from the VA Medical Center in Madison, Wisc., and is a longtime student of Union soldiers from his area of the state. He will talk about a number of these soldiers who were captured and sent to Salisbury as prisoners.
Gary Freeze, professor of American History at Catawba College, will present the first of six lectures on Saturday in the Tom Smith Auditorium at the college. As is part of the symposium’s tradition, Freeze will provide an introductory history of the prison.
Descendant Larry Brown of Greensboro will speak about his ancestor who was a member of the 57th Regiment N.C. Troops, established by Capt. Archibald C. Godwin while he was commandant of the prison.
Gwen G. Erickson, Guilford College librarian and archivist, will discuss N.C. Quakers who were imprisoned in Salisbury for refusing to take up arms. Author Martin Husk of the Raleigh area will talk about his new book on the 111th NY Volunteer Infantry, which included some who were sent to Salisbury.
Dr. Lynn Sadler of Sanford, author and retired college administrator, will present information about the little known use of Salisbury prisoners at a bayonet factory on Deep River.
Descendant Gwen Trivett of Georgia will address the subject of civilian prisoners from Tennessee, including her ancestor from the eastern part of that state.
Sunday activities will feature memorial services open to the public for Confederate soldiers, including guards, at 10 a.m. at the Old Lutheran Cemetery and for Union soldiers at 11 a.m. at the National Cemetery.
Cost of the symposium is $65 per person to March 19, $75 afterwards.
Checks should be made payable to Robert F. Hoke Chapter No. 78 and mailed to P.O. Box 5093, Salisbury, NC 28147-0088.
For more information, contact Sue Curtis at 704-637-6411 or southpaws@salisbury.net.