From Camp Douglas to Vicksburg: The Civil War Letters of William J Kennedy

In August 1861 William Kennedy was a harness-maker living in LaSalle, Illinois. Married with four young children, he volunteered to recruit a company in response to Lincoln’s call for more troops. During the next two years, he saw action at Shiloh, Corinth, Chickasaw Bayou, and finally the Siege of Vicksburg. Observant, patriotic and sometimes cynical, Kennedy’s letters give us an intriguing picture of how people of the North really experienced the war.
Speak with author Rachael Mellen about her latest book: 'From Camp Douglas to Vicksburg', which follows the story of local Civil War veteran William Kennedy. Rachael E. Mellen is a graduate of the University of London, U.K. and was awarded a master’s in humanities from California State University Dominguez Hills. Rachael has published several books on English genealogy as well as numerous articles. She has taught genealogy classes and given presentations to many organizations . She is currently president of the LaSalle County Genealogy Guild. Her book “From Camp Douglas to Vicksburg, The Civil War Letters of William J. Kennedy, 1861-63” was recently published by Savas Beatie. Rachael lives in Peru, Illinois with her daughter Alice.
This event will take place August 9th, at 1pm in the LCHS Heritage Center! Program is FREE for LCHS Members and $5 for Guests!

You may also like the following events from LaSalle County Historical Society Museum:

• Next Thursday, 14th August, 10:00 am, "History Hunters" Exploring Local History at the LCHS in Utica
• Next month, 5th September, 06:30 pm, LaSalle County and the Civil War in Utica
• This October, 5th October, 09:45 am, WHL Wallace Trolley & Walking Tour in Utica

Also check out other Workshops in Utica, Arts events in Utica, Literary Art events in Utica.