Civil War events in July

A commemoration of Hot Springs’ brief role as Confederate state capital, lectures and exhibits are among the events the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission has sanctioned for July 2012, ACWSC Chairman Tom Dupree announced today. A complete listing of scheduled sesquicentennial activities, as well as additional information on the activities listed below, can be found at http://www.arkansascivilwar150.com/events/.

Among the Civil War sesquicentennial events during July are:

* “A Capital Weekend” at Hot Springs National Park, featuring re-enactors, music and dance, lectures and exhibits, will be held July 6-8 at Hot Springs National Park; call (501) 620-6715 for more information.

* Civil War Kids, featuring activities for children, will be held at Arkansas Post National Memorial at Gillett on July 7; call (870) 548-2207 or email joey_herron@nps.gov for more information.

* Grand Prairie Civil War Roundtable will host a program on the Battle of Pine Bluff by Mark Christ of the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission at the Lonoke County Museum in Lonoke on July 10; for more information, email ArCivilWarBuff@gmail.com.

* “Civil War Arkansas, 1863-1865,” the ACWSC’s traveling exhibit, will be at the Fort Smith Museum of History July 16-29; call (479) 783-7841 for more information.

* “Portraits in Gray: A Civil War Photography Exhibition,” will conclude its run at the Rogers Historical Museum on July 21; call (479) 621-1154 or email museum@rogersarkansas.com for additional information.

* Civil War Roundtable of Arkansas will host a free lecture on Confederate Dandridge McRae by Alan Thompson of Prairie Grove State Park at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock on July 24; email RMeadows@aaamissouri.com for more information.

* “Why We Fight”: The Sixth Annual Red River Heritage Symposium, featuring in-service credit for Arkansas teachers and lectures for the public, will be held at Historic Washington State Park July 27-28; call (870) 983-2684 or email historicwashington@arkansas.com for more information.

* “Washington 1861: A Community Decides” Exhibit will continue at Historic Washington State Park during July; call (870) 983-2684 or email HistoricWashington@arkansas.com for more information.

* “The Civil War in Arkansas,” an exhibit at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum featuring artifacts from its collection, will be on display during July; call (501) 324-9351 or email info@historicarkansas.org for more information.

* “Battle Colors of Arkansas,” highlighting the museum’s battle flag collection, will be on display at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock during July; call (501) 324-9685 or email info@oldstatehouse.org for more information.

For more information on these and other sesquicentennial events, visit http://www.arkansascivilwar150.com/events/.

The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission is housed within the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The AHPP is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving the state’s cultural resources. Other agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Historic Arkansas Museum.