The end of the Civil War was only the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of those involved, and many went on to a variety of accomplishments in politics, publishing, business, and more. An upcoming lecture at University of Lynchburg will focus on the post-war accomplishments of four historical figures.
Dr. James “Bud” Robertson, a professor at Virginia Tech, will present “Whatever Happened to? The post-war lives of the Civil War’s most notable figures” on Thursday, April 23, in Snidow Chapel at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, the talk is part of the Marc Schewel Scholar Lecture Series.
Based on Robertson’s forthcoming book about the lives of many Civil War figures, his talk at LC will focus on confederate general Joe Johnson, journalist Horace Greeley, the poet Walt Whitman, and William McKinley, the last president to have served in the Civil War.
A native of Danville, Robertson is known as an excellent public speaker. He has taught tens of thousands of college students at Virginia Tech as the Alumni Distinguished Professor in History from 1967 to 2011.
Robertson is the founding executive director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies research and education center, and he is considered the preeminent scholar on Confederate Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Robertson was the chief historical consultant in the 2003 Warner Brothers film Gods and Generals, and in 2011, he wrote and co-hosted the 3-hour documentary “Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance.”
Robertson has authored 18 books including award-winners General A.P. Hill, Soldiers Blue and Gray, and Civil War! America Becomes One Nation. His biography Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, won eight national awards including the American Library Association’s Best Book for Young Readers Award.