[Archived] “Volusia: Civilian, Slave and Soldier Experiences in the Civil War” Illustrated Lecture Thursday November 21, 2013

Illustrated Lecture to be held Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Alexandria Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee lecture series continues with an illustrated lecture by author and former Office of Historic Alexandria Public Information Officer Amy Bertsch on “Volusia: Civilian, Slave and Soldier Experiences in the Civil War.” The presentation involves research into a rare photograph of enslaved people taken in Alexandria, and reveals how the Civil War impacted three groups of people on a large Duke Street property, then known as Volusia, and today known as Foxchase in Alexandria’s West End.

During the first years of the Civil War, the agricultural plantation Volusia, was located just outside Alexandria, the home of a family of slave owners loyal to the Union.  The open fields and woodlands surrounding the family homestead were used as an encampment by hundreds of Union soldiers for months at a time, while nearly a dozen enslaved African Americans served their owners and the soldiers alike before finding freedom. After several years of dedicated research, Ms. Bertsch will share their fascinating stories and discuss the many sources that she consulted to record this important part of West End history.
The lecture will be held on Thursday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Lloyd House, 220 North Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia.  Admission is free, and seating is on a first come, first served basis.  There will be a short period for questions and light refreshments afterward.

This program will be the second of eight lecture and film presentations during 2013-2014 on the American Civil War, organized and sponsored by the Alexandria Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission, and the Office of Historic Alexandria.  For more information, please call 703.746.4554 or visit www.historicalexandria.org