The Civil War: Regional, Regimental and Personal Experiences

Amos Humiston
Amos Humiston, the best-known member of the 154th New York

We don’t normally post information here about academic conferences, but this one is a little different (and I have a vested interest in it!).

On August 1st, 2015, St. Bonaventure University—the institution where I teach—will host a conference on the Civil War to commemorate the opening of The Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey Collection of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry. The title of the conference is “The Civil War: Regional, Regimental and Personal Experiences.”

In the spirit of the 154th New York and those interested in preserving its memory, the conference organizers hope to attract presentations that explore the Civil War home front (especially New York and Pennsylvania), the experience of soldiers on the personal and regimental levels, and the intersection of popular and academic treatments of the war. Somewhat uniquely, the conference will be held concurrently with the formal opening of the collection and the Annual Reunion of the Descendants of the 154th New York Volunteers. Reunion attendees and the general public are welcome to register for the conference.

About the Collection:

The Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey Collection of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry includes approximately 25 cubic feet of documentary material as well as numerous prints, objects, and artifacts related to the regiment. It includes correspondence related to Dunkelman’s writing on the regiment as well as primary source documents (letters, diaries, official papers) and photographs relating to the individual members of the 154th.

Submission Guidelines:

Paper submissions should include a brief abstract (200 words) plus a CV or resume delivered by April 15, 2015. Graduate and undergraduate student submissions are welcome. Please send questions and submissions to archives@sbu.edu. Paper submissions may be sent to: Dennis Frank, Archives, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778. Acceptance notices will be sent out by May 1st.

The conference fee will be $125.00, which includes the conferences sessions, lunch and keynote address, the 154th Descendants Reunion, a panel discussion, and a barbeque dinner with period entertainment. Details regarding conference activities may be found at http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/archives/civil_war_conference.html

Housing is available on campus for $60.00 a night, including breakfast in our dining hall.

Conference registration will be available by March 15th.

About St. Bonaventure University:

Founded in 1858 in the interest of promoting Catholic-Franciscan education, St. Bonaventure University continues to pursue academic excellence through personalized attention that reflects the Franciscan tradition of valuing human relationships.

If any ECW readers have questions, feel free to email me at cmackows@sbu.edu.



2 Responses to The Civil War: Regional, Regimental and Personal Experiences

  1. I am interested in the conference and have amassed a fair amount of knowledge of the 155th while writing a book about my great grandfather. Unfortunately there is little documentation to support research on the 155th as the volunteers were mostly illiterate Irishmen like my relatives. So I have much to learn from a regiment with rich documentation as apparently is the case with the 154th.

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