LJWorld.com

August 9, 2006

This chat has already taken place. Read the transcript below.

Moderator:

Hi, everybody. Rebecca Phipps, director of the Watkins Community Museum of History, is here today to chat about Civil War on the Western Frontier events, which kick off tomorrow night with the musical, "The Ballad of Black Jack." I'll be your moderator today. I'm Terry Rombeck, a features reporter at the Journal-World.

Rebecca Phipps:

hi all

Moderator:

First off, please tell us a little about Civil War on the Western Frontier and what will be going on.

Rebecca Phipps:

CWWF is in its 11th year and commemorates the anniversary of the August 21, 1863 Quantrill's Raid. This is a community event with various institutions and organizations participating. This year we have 53 programs which includes exhibits, lectures, walking tours, movies, musicals, Civil War camps, and an 1864 presidential campaign debate.

Moderator:

How do you go about choosing events, speakers, etc.?

Rebecca Phipps:

Each participant (museum, public library, etc) has their own methods of selecting programs. We at the museum spend a greater part of the year brainstorming and searching for new programs. The Kansas Humanities Council has a speakers bureau which includes Civil War speakers. This year we have "rented" two speakers from the Organization of American Historians. Sometimes we have speakers contacting us or community memberrs suggesting historians they know or heard somewhere else. Plus, we have quite a few contacts through the local historical reenactors.

The museum staff is very much interested in offering a varity of programs: workshops, lectures, social activities, reenactments, etc.

Moderator:

Let's get to some submitted questions.

Joel:

If, as hoped, we earn the National Heritage Area designation, what will that mean for the annual "Civil War on the Western Frontier" event?

Rebecca Phipps:

I would assume that the Heritage Area designation would only enhance CWWF. The programs would certainly get more national coverage/advertisement. There may also be additional grant monies through the Heritage Area to pay for additional nationally-known speakers, Civil War themed exhibits, and programs. It could even mean that our CWWF would expand into other participating counties. Wouldn't that be fun?

WereAllMonkeys:

What is the biggest misconception about Quantrills raid?

Rebecca Phipps:

As Terry just said to me, "You could write a book on that." William Clarke Quantrill is a very complex historic figure which many historians love to debate. As you are probably familiar, some believe he was a derranged maniac, but other historians claim he was a man devoted to a cause and a brilliant strategist. The 1863 raid on Lawrence was a bloody tradegy and Quantrill did not decide to destroy the town on a simple whim. He and his men were reacting to raids the Jayhawkers, Red Legs, and the Union military had made on the four Missouri border counties and other Missouri towns. The Jayhawkers were just as violent as the bushwhackers--that I belive is the biggest general misconception. Another fact is that not all of the 300 or 400 raiders were under the command of Quantrill, but were rather men who joined along the route. I would highly you come to the prograam "William Clarke Quantrill and the Raid" program on Monday August 21 at the museum. Three historians will be there and audience members will be able to ask questions.

Marion:

I'm curious to know if anyone has done any serious work on the Union payroll which was buried somehwere on what is now the KU campus during the Civil War.

Thanks.

Marion.

moreanchovies:

My late step-father was raised in NE Mississippi. When he first visited Lawrence some years ago, he told me of stories his grandfather told him of the Kansas Red Legs, Union troops that occupied that area of Mississippi in the latter part of the Civil War. His grandfather said these troops also refered to themselves as "Jayhawkers." There were many bitter feelings toward these Red Legs and the various atrocities they committed toward the local population. Who were the Kansas Red Legs?

Rebecca Phipps:

Marion, I am not familiar with this. Perhaps our Archivist, Helen Krische, may know.

Rebecca Phipps:

The Red Legs were a group of free-state men with similar ideologies as the jayhawkers. Only the Red Legs are said to have been a bit more roguish and violent. They get their name from the red leggings they wore. Supposedly Wild Bill Hikock was involved with them while he was sheriff in Monticello (in western Johnson County). The museum staff plans to add a list of definitions to Prairie Gold that will explain the differences between the various groups.

Moderator:

One more question from me. History isn't always considered "fun" or "kid-friendly." Do you have CWWF events you could suggest that would appeal to the whole family?

Moderator:

Sounds like some good options. For a story on the CWWF events and a full event list you can visit http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/aug/06/different_perspective_sought_civil_war_commemorati/>

Rebecca Phipps:

There are several family friendly programs. August 10-13 the Ballad of Black Jack will be performed at the Lawrence Arts Center; call them for ticket information. August 12 from 9-10 am in South Park will be children's games of the 1860s (free). Aug. 12 from 2:00-3:30 at the museum is a Little Women Tea. This is a great program for mothers and daughters ; the price is $15 per person. Aug. 13 there is a free tour of Historic Lecompton. Aug. 14 and 15 is the annual "Kids Let's Build a Mud Fort" with Katie Armitage. There is a fee and one may register with the Parks and Rec. Aug. 16 at 2:00 pm at the museum is a free program called "Billy Yank: A Common Soldier of the Civil War Union Army". There are also three Quantrill's Raid walking tours on Sat. Aug. 19th. Two are guided and another is a scavenger hunt for the whole family. The Union and Confederate militar camps will be open Sat. Aug. 19 and Sun. Aug 20. This year there will also be a cavalry camp with demonstrations. The camps are free and in South Park. The museum will offer H is for Honest Abe on Sat. Aug. 19 at 10:30, this is a free family story hour. The Public Library is offering a Magic Lantern Show at 1:00 on Sat. 19. Then a 6:45 at the Gazebo in South Park there will be an Old Fashioned Box Social. Family, couple, and individual dinners from Free State and Liz Karr and others will be auctioned off as a benefit for the Watkins Museum. Following the auction will be a free concert featuring The Free staters, a period band. Then following the concert will be a reenactment of an 1864 presidential debate between President Lincoln and Generall McClellan. There is so much for the family. Call the museum 785-841-4109 for more information or visit our website www.watkinsmuseum.org. Brochures are also available at the Chamber office, Visitor Center and at the museum

Moderator:

Thanks, everybody for your questions and thanks especially to Rebecca for participating in the chat.

Rebecca Phipps:

Thanks!