An exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum explores how artists depicted the crisis of conflict as it was happening. Smithsonian Curator Eleanor Jones Harvey reveals how the war can be seen in seemingly unrelated works such as landscape paintings; and also examines the work of several soldier artists. American History TV attended a press briefing and took a tour of the galleries. This is part one of a two-part program.

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In this second of a two-part look at a Smithsonian American Art Museum exhibit, curator Eleanor Jones Harvey gives a gallery tour and discusses the symbolism of a selection of paintings and photographs with a group of journalists.

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The Civil War Battle of Shiloh took place April 6th and 7th, 1862 in Hardin County, Tennessee, and resulted in a Union victory over Confederate forces. We visited Shiloh National Military Park, where Stacy Allen, the Park's Chief Ranger, talked about some of the artifacts on display in the Visitor Center, including battle flags, arms and munitions, and personal items from soliders who fought in the battle. He also took us behind the scenes to the Park’s storage facility, where he showed us two rare Civil War tents.

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 The Museum of the Confederacy in downtown Richmond, Virginia has been in operation since 1896. Its collection of over 130,000 artifacts includes the personal belongings of well-known generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The museum's Sam Craghead took us on a tour of vintage battle flags, uniforms, photographs and weapons.

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The Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3, 1863, in Pennsylvania, as Union forces turned back an invasion of the North by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Union victory inspired President Abraham Lincoln to call for “a new birth of freedom” in his address a few months later dedicating the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. C-SPAN's American History TV was LIVE on June 30 from Gettysburg National Military Park covering events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle, including remarks by scholars such as Harold Holzer, Allen Guelzo, and Doris Kearns Goodwin, as well as your calls and tweets for Civil War Institute Director Peter Carmichael and novelist Jeff Shaara.

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American History TV joined historian Carol Reardon and Col. Tom Vossler to learn the story of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg through a selection of their favorite monuments.

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The Siege of Vicksburg took place from May 18th to July 4th, 1863. After failing to take the city by force, Union General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee laid siege to the city, held by Confederate General John C. Pemberton and his forces. On July 4th, after 47 days, General Pemberton surrendered; and Vicksburg—the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River—was turned over to General Grant and the Union. In this program, we tour Vicksburg National Military Park with Tim Kavanaugh, the park's supervisory ranger for interpretation.

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Vicksburg National Military Park marks the 150th anniversary of the siege of Vicksburg with a ceremony to rededicate the Iowa State Monument, which honors the contributions of Iowa troops to the Union victory. The fall of Vicksburg - the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River – came on July 4, 1863, a day after the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg. In this program, Iowa governor Terry Branstad joins former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour to commemorate the Iowa soldiers who fought and died on the Mississippi battlefield. 
 

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The Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville was fought April 30th to May 6th, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Many historians consider the battle to be Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory. Facing a Union Army more than twice the size of his own, Lee divided his forces, sending 27,000 men under “Stonewall” Jackson on a 12-mile march to deliver a flank attack. In this program, we continue on a tour with two National Park Service historians as they walk the same ground exactly 150 years after Jackson launched his attack. This is the second of a two-part program, and picks up with the Union 11th Corps in retreat, and the Confederates in pursuit.

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