During the Civil War, citizens of the Union believed that they could only achieve victory over the Confederacy if their soldiers exhibited the highest qualities of manhood. But men’s experience in the Union Army revealed social conflict over the very nature of manliness. This was particularly true when it came to the display of honor. Contrary to current perceptions, many northern men in the Civil War adhered to honor. During the Civil War, Union soldiers and officers engaged in affairs of honor that shared similar language and rituals and that often ended in challenges to duels. The public and army officials often supported these affairs as evidence of the honorable manhood necessary for a successful prosecution of the war. At the same time, other northerners equated honor with violence and sought to stamp it out. They believed that honor undermined the manly qualities necessary for victory. The conflict over manhood and honor generated severe disciplinary problems for the Union Army.
Lorien Foote is Associate Professor of History at the University of Central Arkansas. She received her B.A. from the University of Kansas and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma. She has published two books, the most recent The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Manhood, Honor, and Violence in the Union Army. She was the 2010 winner of the UCA Teaching Excellence Award.
Civil War Living History Event - 1862
Old State House Museum
Saturday, November 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Visit the Old State House Museum and experience Arkansas during the Civil War in 1862. Meet soldiers, politicians and citizens as they explore history and situations during Arkansas’s most significant year in the conflict. Admission is free. Call (501) 324-9685 for more information.
CSS Pontchartrain - Arkansas' Forgotten Warship
Brown Bag Lunch Lecture – Old State House Museum
December 7, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
*** Guests are invited to bring a sack lunch; beverages will be provided. Admission is free.
The CSS Pontchartrain arrived in Little Rock during the summer of 1862, and never left. However, few people know of the vessel's existence and the role it played in defense of the Mississippi, Arkansas and White Rivers. This program will discuss both the civilian and military history of the vessel and the search to find its forgotten remains.
William Stevens is a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is a decorated veteran of both the United States Army and United States Air Force. He has had a lifelong fascination with the past and has spent countless hours visiting historical sites all around the world. Stevens has a 27-year history as a Civil War re-enactor and living history performer. In his spare time he maintains and uses a cannon that allows children and adults to experience Field Artillery from the American Civil War.
Stevens is a member of the Arkansas Living History Association, Maritime Archaeological Historical Society and is the founder of the CSS Pontchartrain Project. He established the CSS Pontchartrain Project, as a research organization dedicated to honoring the largest warship lost in Arkansas. This project led to discovery of the only known image of the vessel as well as Civil War era artifacts that were recovered along the banks of the Arkansas River in early 2010.