February 2022 Program _ 1862 Peninsular Campaign

The Wakulla County Historical Society invites you to join us for our monthly historical program on Tuesday, February 8, 4:30 PM, at the Wakulla County Public Library, 4330 Crawfordville Hwy., Crawfordville, Florida.  The public is cordially invited and there is no cost to attend this event.  This program originally scheduled for January had to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Steve and Patty Fentriss are returning to the Wakulla County Historical Society for a new presentation, focusing on the 1862 Yorktown, Virginia, part of the Peninsula Campaign. This Civil War campaign resulted in the Union Army’s failed attempt to capture the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia. Steve brings a unique perspective on the subject having lived and gone to school in both Richmond and the Historic Triangle communities of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. Jamestown, on the James River side of the peninsula and founded in 1607, was the first capital of Virginia and considered by many to be the oldest continuously occupied English speaking settlement in the United States. Confederate earthworks still exist there today and photos appear in the presentation. Williamsburg, the Virginia capital from 1699 - 1780, is located in the middle part of the peninsula and was lost to the Union Army as it battled its way northwesterly toward Richmond. Yorktown was already historically significant before the Civil War as being the place where British forces of General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington in 1781. Included in the program are several 1862 and recent photos showing Revolutionary War era structures in both photo sets. This presentation is designed to provide a foundation for a future contemplated program about the 1865 Confederate Evacuation and Burning of Richmond. 

Steve and Patty spent decades following and standing in the steps of Civil War photographers. They are retired and have made Wakulla County their home since 2016.  They will show comparison slides of these historic sites in 1862 and how they look today. 

 Our Museum & Archives is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 until 4:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 until 2:00.  We feature exhibits on local history, many books and pictures on local families and communities, and a Gift Shop filled with items made by local artisans and books on local history.  The Museum is located in the Old Jail at 24 High Drive in Crawfordville.  For more information, please call us at 850-926-1110.

Arlene Vause, Secretary

Wakulla County Historical Society

  [Above photo: The Cornwallis Cave, Yorktown, Virginia. Courtesy of Steve and Patty Fentriss.]