Every elementary and middle school and every library in West Virginia has received a two-video set on West Virginia as a Child of the Civil War, a project of Virginia Tech's Virginia Center for Civil War Studies that helps promotes the center's chief goal of educating the nation's young about that significant period in U.S. history.
Written and narrated in part by James I. Robertson Jr., executive director of the center, and William C. Davis, director of programs, the videos look at the effect of Virginia's secession on its western counties; examine Virginia's efforts to hold onto those western counties, which resulted in a number of military actions; and chronicle West Virginia's development into a separate state.
The project was underwritten by the Hugh I. Shott Jr. Foundation, an independent foundation that supports secondary and higher education, historic preservation, the arts, community development, and health in West Virginia and Virginia, and was produced by Greystone Communications of North Hollywood, Calif., an award-winning production company noted for the numerous historical and biographical series it has produced for television, among them "Civil War Journal," "Ancient Mysteries," "The Real West," "Biography," "Brute Force," and for TNN "The Life and Times of."
"The Civil War is often referred to as a war of brother against brother and father against son. No other state serves as a better example of this than West Virginia, where there was relatively equal support for northern and southern causes," said Robertson, who has written and narrated numerous videos about the Civil War in Virginia for public television.
West Virginia, which seceded from Virginia and joined the Union as the country's 35th state, provided the Union Army with 31,872 regular army troops, 133 sailors and marines, and 196 soldiers in the United Colored Troops. An estimated 16,000-20,000 West Virginians served in the Confederate Army.
The contribution of the Shott foundation made it possible to provide the West Virginia schools and libraries with free copies of the videos. The center is also making the set available to the public. To order the two-video set, please send a check or money order for $36 (which includes postage) made payable to the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and mail it to
Virginia Center for Civil War Studies
Department of History (0117)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061.
Be sure to include your name and address. Proceeds will be used by the center to fund additional projects.
