Fighting for the Heartland!
Building on the momentum of last year’s Symposium, the 2008 Symposium promises to provide an engaging exploration of the Civil War story in Middle Tennessee. This program will enhance understanding of the significance of the fighting in Middle Tennessee from 1862 to 1864.
Supported by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, the Symposium features expert guides and faculty who will provide tours and lectures addressing such themes as the military campaigns, the costs of occupation, and the promise of emancipation. The Symposium also will present workshops on best practices in battlefield preservation and heritage tourism, including a discussion of the new state Civil War Trails system.
Scheduled to take place on June 20 and June 21, the Symposium includes two bus tours. The first will explore the scene of the bloody and decisive Battle of Franklin which took place on November 30, 1864. The tour will include stops at Winstead Hill, The Carnton Plantation, The Carter House and Fort Granger. The second tour which will take place on Saturday will visit the sites of three different battles. These battlefield sites include: Thompson’s Station, the Battle of Murfreesboro and the Stones River Battlefield. Faculty ranges from all over the country and includes Dr. Carroll Van West of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area; Mitch Bowman, Civil War Trails, Tennessee Department of Tourism; Ms. Carole Morris, Meritage Consulting; Mr. Thomas Cartwright, Director of The Carter House; Mr. Eric Jacobson, the Carnton Plantation and a host of other well-known scholars and experts. The Symposium will close with a walk through a Living History at the Eastern Flank Battlefield in Franklin and a dinner on the grounds of Carnton Plantation. Both days are packed with information, food, and fun
The host hotel for the conference is the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs. Reservation at the hotel can be made by calling 888.236.2427 mention the Franklin Battlefield Symposium and receive a room rate of $115 per night by May 15, 2008.
Registration for the conference can be made online by going to the Franklin’s Charge website www.franklinscharge.com or by calling 615.595.0636
Franklin’s Charge, Inc., in cooperation with the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, the Franklin-Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, The Carnton Association, The Carter House, the African American Heritage Association, The Heritage Foundation, the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association and the Tennessee Preservation Trust are working together to present this Symposium.
Contact Stacey Watson at 615.595.0636 for further information about this exciting event!
