Symposium Spotlight: A Kind Note About the 2026 ECW Symposium
We mentioned last week that we like to pass out feedback forms at each Emerging Civil War Symposium. That is not the only feedback we receive, however. There are dozens, likely hundreds, of anecdotal comments made by guests who speak with ECW members throughout the weekend. Beyond these, we often get emails or notes in the mail with suggestions or still more comments.
This year we received just such a note in the mail from Mary Ellen. She said we could use both her name and the content of the letter here, and I thought it was worth sharing parts of her note with the ECW community:
“Dear Chris & Neil,
I wanted to thank you for yet another wonderful ECW Symposium—my sister & I enjoyed it tremendously. I had a trip planned with friends to go to Iceland for the solar eclipse and I told them I would have to join them a few days later as I couldn’t possibly miss the symposium! I know transitions have that potential of being complicated but you guys managed it perfectly. It is so great to see a mix of speakers especially the ‘younger generation’. We both really enjoy the Sunday battlefield tour & there is always something to be learned … Looking forward to next year’s event. It is always fun to catch up with our ECW friends. Keep up the good work!”
Indeed, the ECW symposium feels like a gathering of old friends from across the country, both ECW members and our guests who travel far and wide to join the fun. We are indeed a community of friends.
Just like we will see Mary Ellen, hopefully we will see you at next year’s symposium as well. We’ll soon be announcing our full line-up of ECW speakers for our 2027 Symposium, and hopefully you will be able to join us. Our theme this year will be “Crime and Punishment,” with keynote speaker Jim Hessler. The event will be held August 6–8, 2026, at Stevenson Ridge on the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield.
Information about the 2027 Emerging Civil War Symposium can be found here. Early bird tickets are on sale for $275 for the entire weekend. That price is good through December 31.
