Fort Defiance park opens next week

The City of Clarksville, Tenn., will open the Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center on April 9. Fort Defiance, which overlooks the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers, was a cornerstone of the Confederate defense of the area and, subsequently, an important part of the eventual Union occupation of Clarksville. • Article

Gettysburg acquires 95 acres

Civil War buffs can now walk the land on Chambersburg Pike west of Gettysburg where Confederate and Union troops locked in a ferocious struggle at the start of the epic battle. The 95-acre tract, scene of major fighting on July 1, 1863, has been made part of Gettysburg National Military Park at last. • Article

Symposium set March 25-26 in Kennesaw

The Center for the Study of the Civil War Era and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will host a March 25-26 symposium on new interpretations of the Civil War, "From Civil War to Civil Rights."

The events are free and open to the public.

The symposium will examine slavery and the multifaceted legacies of the war. Events are taking place at Old Zion Baptist Church in Marietta, Kennesaw State University and the battlefield park.

Symposium presenters include:

-- Thomas M. Costa, chair and professor of history at the University of Virginia-Wise and director of UVA’s Geography of Slavery in Virginia Project. His topic is “Runaway Slave Advertisements: Teaching from Primary Documents.”

-- Vernon Burton, professor of history and sociology, University of Illinois, and author of the award-winning book “The Age of Lincoln." His topic: "The Age of Lincoln, Then and Now."

-- Emory M. Thomas, Regents Professor of History Emeritus, University of Georgia, and author of acclaimed biographies of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart. His topic: "How the Civil War Happened."

-- Robert A. Pratt, professor of history, University of Georgia and author of “The Color of their Skin: Education and Race in Richmond, Virginia” and a recent chronicle of the desegregation at UGA. His topic: "Let Us Die to Make Men Free: Reflections on African-American Emancipation and Mythmaking at the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial."

-- Judith Richardson, filmmaker andco-producer of the Academy Award-nominated PBS series, “Eyes on the Prize,’ and a founding member of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee). Her topic: "Letting Our Light Shine: The Making of Eyes on the Prize and Other Movement Films."

• More information on the symposium