Since about 2015, I have been doing occasional presentations about Illinois Civil War letters, usually on a specific topic or theme. The bulk of these have been at history conferences and Civil War Roundtable meetings. In the fall of 2020, I have begun doing “virtual” presentations (e.g., via Zoom) and denoting that feature, below. Here is my most recent information regarding upcoming book signing events, presentations, and past presentations. I also have a few pending presentations not listed below, but feel free to use the Contact Me page to ask about those.
MOST RECENT Civil War Program Appearance Schedule (BSE = Book Signing Event; PE = Presentation Event; V = Virtual option)
** 16 March 2024, BSE, PE; Illinois State Military Museum, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, Illinois, 62702-2399; 2:00-3:30 pm; presentation title: “Early Civil War Camp Butler and William Tecumseh Sherman: Separating Fact from Fiction.” Free; visitors welcome.
** 14 March 2023, BSE, PE, V; Illini Country Club, 1601 Illini Road, Springfield, Illinois; 11:30 am-1:15 pm; presentation title: “My Source of Pleasure Is Your Letters:” Illinois Civil War-Era Couples in Love. (This is part of the University of Illinois-Springfield’s “Lunch-and-Learn” series, sponsored by the UI-S Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. See here for more information.) THIS PROGRAM CAN BE VIEWED HERE.
** 8 June 2023, BSE, PE; Decatur Civil War Round Table meeting, Doherty’s Restaurant, 242 E. William Street, Decatur, Illinois; 6:00-8:00 pm, with a buffet dinner (program starts around 7:15); presentation title: “The Civil War within Illinois: Governor Yates, Early Soldier Recruitment, and the “Alton Incident.”
** 10 June 2023, BSE, PE; Immanuel Hall historic site, 302 S. Grant Street, Hinsdale, Illinois; 2:00-3:30 pm; presentation title: “Managing Affairs from Afar: Illinois Civil War Soldiers’ Attempts to Stay Connected with Home.” This event is sponsored by the Hinsdale Historical Society. The public is invited; free event, but registration with HHS is required. (HHS website events page: here.)
PAST APPEARANCES (only a sampling; the recent pandemic ended up canceling a number of in-person appearances)
** 17 April 2020, PE, [to be RESCHEDULED], Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 South Walnut Street, Springfield, Illinois; 7:00-8:15pm; presentation title: Managing Affairs from Afar: Illinois Civil War Soldiers Write Home.
** 2 May 2020, BSE, [CANCELED] Spring Local Authors Event, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 3111 South Veterans Parkway, Springfield, Illinois, 1:45-3:15pm.
** 10 September 2020 [CANCELED (had been rescheduled from 9 April 2020)], PE, Decatur Civil War Round Table, Hickory Point Banquet Facility, 727 West Weaver Road, Forsyth, Illinois, 6:15-8:00pm; presentation title: Illinois Civil War Soldiers’ Personal Combat Experiences: from Guerrilla Warfare to Pitched Battles.
** 12 November 2020, virtual PE, Illinois History Forum (book discussion) series at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield, Illinois, noon; Question and Answer session hosted by the ALPL’s Mark DePue regarding Mark Flotow’s book. This will be via facebook live and interactive for virtual participants. I likely will have a brief presentation featuring quotations from Illinois soldiers’ letters and images of the actual letters. There is a link to the presentation here.
** 17 November 2020, virtual PE, Sangamon County Historical Society, at the monthly meeting (via Zoom). Details pending; my presentation likely will focus on Illinois soldiers’ descriptions of camps Butler and Yates, as well as Springfield. There is a link to the presentation here.
** 18 February 2021 [Rescheduled from 21 May 2020], PE, Mr. Lincoln’s Hometown Civil War Roundtable, Springfield, Illinois; presentation title: “Feared More Than the Enemy’s Bullets:” Illinois Soldiers Write about Disease and Debility during the Civil War.
PAST CIVIL WAR APPEARANCES
** 19 March 2020 POSTPONED, presumably to be RESCHEDULED, Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series at Farley’s Music Hall, Historic Elsah Foundation, 7:30 pm, 37 Mill Street, Elsah, Illinois; presentation title: From the Monticello Female Seminary Archives: The Civil War Letters of Captain David W. Norton to Mary (Mollie) Chapman.
** 29 February 2020, “Leap Day” beer tasting and book event at Maldaner’s Restaurant, 222 South 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois, 5:00-7:00pm; brief book presentation and Question & Answer session. Also, there will be the roll-out of “Long Nine International Amber Lager” from Rolling Meadows Farm Brewery, the event host.
** 19 February 2020, Illinois State Museum Research and Collections Center, Brown Bag public presentation series, noon-1:00pm, 1011 E. Ash Street, Springfield, Illinois; presentation title: A Lifeline of Letters: Illinois Civil War Soldiers Write Home.
** 11 January 2020, Illinois State Military Museum, Camp Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois, 1:00-3:00pm; presentation titled “Illinois Civil War Soldiers’ Personal Combat Experiences: from Guerrilla Warfare to Pitched Battles”
** 6 December 2019, St. Mark Village, auditorium, 1:00-2 pm (Eastern), 2655 Nebraska Avenue, Palm Harbor, Florida; presentation title: Managing Affairs from Afar.
** 14 November 2019, Macoupin County Civil War Roundtable, Girard Township Public Library, 201 W. Madison Street (SW corner of the town square), 7:00 pm, Girard, Illinois; presentation title: Soldiering: Illinoisans Write about Their Civil War Military Lives. I will have quotations from soldiers’ letters for audience members to read aloud.
** 17 October 2019, GRAND BOOK LAUNCH! at Books on the Square bookstore, 427 E. Washington St., Springfield, Illinois, 6:00pm; brief presentation + interview by James Cornelius; followed by the monthly meeting of Lincoln’s Hometown Civil War Roundtable, at 7:00pm
** 3 October 2019, Conference on Illinois History, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (ALPL), Springfield, Illinois; presentation title: Metaphorical Lincoln and Other Evidence of the Well-Read Illinois Civil War Soldier, in the first morning session called “Illinoisans Experience the Civil War.” Also, this is the very first opportunity to see and purchase the book! The scheduled book signing is from 10:30-11:30am at the SIU Press tables in the ALPL atrium, but I will be around and about for the entire conference and can sign at will and as convenient.
OTHER APPEARANCES
So many venues have been switched to virtual. I will add items here when relevant. I do miss seeing you all in person.
[Image: Mark Flotow speaking at the first annual Benjamin P. Thomas Civil War Conference at Illinois College; Courtesy Samantha Sauer/Illinois College]