Symposium Spotlight: Matt Atkinson

Civil War historians and enthusiasts alike have always regarded the battle of Gettysburg and the Union victory there as a turning point of the war. Other campaigns and battles were happening at the same time, however. So what was the more important turning point of July 1863? This week’s symposium spotlight looks at very question with our first afternoon speaker on Saturday, August 4, 2018, Matt Atkinson.

The Gettysburg and Vicksburg Campaigns are seminal moments during the Civil War.  The two campaigns result in Union victories and set the Confederacy’s nationalistic hopes on a downward spiral.  Today, Gettysburg looms larger in the American psyche.  But which campaign had the greater impact in 1863?  Matt will explore this question and more as he looks at the importance of both campaigns.  

Matt, who formerly worked at Vicksburg National Military Park, is a native of Mississippi—or as pronounced down south, “Missippi.” The Civil War has been his passion since he was five years old, and Matt says he considers himself lucky to make this a “living hobby.” In Matt’s private life, he enjoys living out ol’ country tunes.

Tickets for this year’s Symposium, Aug. 3-5, 2018, are available to order here. They include Friday night’s reception, speakers, keynote address, and historians’ roundtable; Saturday’s line-up of talks; coffee service and lunch on Saturday; and Sunday’s tour of Stonewall Jackson’s final days.