FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2011

Wisconsin Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Kicks Off the 150th Commemoration of the Civil War with a Special Program at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum  

(MADISON) – The Wisconsin Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission will open a statewide four-year commemoration of events of 1861-1865 with a special program at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12 — the 150th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. Lance Herdegen, author and chair of the commission, will discuss his book The Raising of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry, which explains how Wisconsin, a state just a dozen years old, began to raise soldiers to put down the rebellion in the Southern states

“Wisconsin answered President Lincoln’s call in many ways. Not only did our state send soldiers, but it produced materials needed for the war effort such as food, leather, animals, lead, and wood. The families left behind without sons, fathers, and relatives also shared in the hardship. The Wisconsin we live in today was shaped by the Civil War,” explains Herdegen.

This talk is the first in the series of events being planned not only by the commission, but by other Wisconsin organizations and communities for the next four years. The 150th Commission was organized by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, under the direction of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, to coordinate the efforts by Wisconsin’s museums, libraries, schools and universities, historical societies, veterans’ organizations, and citizens to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. To help organize the activities, the commission has established a website to keep a statewide schedule of the 150th events at www.CivilWarWisconsin.com. The website is being used to collect stories, photographs, and other items relating to the Civil War.

A light reception will be held before Herdegen’s talk on April 12th at 5:00 p.m. The reception is only open to press and invitees.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Jennifer Carlson at (608) 264-6086. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a free public educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and is located at 30 W. Mifflin St., across the street from the State Capitol. Visit our website at www.WisVetsMuseum.com.

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201 West Washington Avenue | Madison, Wisconsin 53707
1-800-WIS-VETS | WisVets@dva.wisconsin.gov | WisVets.com