U.S. Grant and a River of Lies
During the siege of Vicksburg, General Grant took a boat ride up the Yazoo River to inspect potential trouble spots. Along the way, he became ill, went to bed on the boat, and when he awoke, his boat had returned due to the fact that his troops had withdrawn from the area. This seems simple enough. However, a newspaperman named Sylvanus Cadwallader wrote long after the war that Grant had been very drunk during this trip, that he stayed drunk during the return trip, that he continued drinking on shore and then rode wildly through camps of Union soldiers. Dr. Michael Ballard says, “It’s a good story, but none of it is true.” He will explain how many historians have accepted it without bothering to investigate it.
Date and Time
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Light refreshments served from 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Presentation from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location and Parking
Bradley Hall, First Floor Lecture Room
830 N. Glenwood
Peoria IL 61606
Parking is available in any blue or white-lined space on campus.
Presenter
Dr. Michael B. Ballard is Coordinator of the Congressional and Political Research Center and University Archivist at Mississippi State University, where he received his doctoral degree in history in 1983. He is also Associate Editor of the U.S. Grant Papers Publishing Projects and has written 11 books. His books about the Civil War include:
Vicksburg: The Campaign that Opened the Mississippi
U. S. Grant: The Making of a General, 1861-1863
Pemberton: The General Who Lost Vicksburg
Civil War in Mississippi: Major Campaigns and Battles
A Long Shadow: Jefferson Davis and the Final Days of the Confederacy.
Free
Your FREE registration is funded from a "Lagniappe" grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation. Though seating is plentiful, registration is required.
If you need to cancel, contact Continuing Education as soon as possible: (309) 677-3900.
Lectures are held rain or shine, unless inclement weather closes Bradley University.
