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MEDIA CONTACT: Department of Rare Books and Special Collections (585) 275-4477 or Sharon Dickman (585) 275-4128
December 2, 2002
TIME, DATE, AND PLACE: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, in the Department of RareBooks and Special Collections of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus
ADMISSION: Free and open to the public Note: Parking is available on University lots after 7 p.m. weekdays.
The Civil War experiences of three University of Rochester graduates who were wounded but kept returning to action will be recounted in a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the University of Rochester. Bob Marcotte, assistant news editor and Just Ask columnist for the Democrat and Chronicle, will focus on Lt. Col. Francis Pierce, Capt. Samuel Porter, and Capt. Winfield Scott who fought together at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.
His presentation, titled "The University of Rochester and the Civil War: Three Heroes at Gettysburg," will be held in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections in Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus. The talk is free and open to the public.
These men were among the many that Marcotte traced in his newly released book, Where They Fell: Stories of Rochester Area Soldiers in the Civil War (Q Publishing, 296 pages, $39.95). The author spent four years researching local family archives, newspapers, and books on the subject, uncovering the stories of brave local men. They ranged from volunteers like Edward Clark and Samuel Partridge to prominent individuals such as James Wadsworth and Frederick Douglass, who recruited his two sons to fight.
Using the Porter Family Papers at Rush Rhees Library and other documents, Marcotte will discuss the Civil War experiences of these three officers. Their political motivations were often diametrically opposed, but they had at least one thing in common: courage on the battlefield.
The University of Rochester contributed greatly to the war effort. It was estimated that 85 of the 198 living Rochester graduates and former students at the time-and perhaps one in every 12 undergraduates-enlisted.
Marcotte's book is the first overview of local involvement in the Civil War; others have focused on individual regiments from the area. The book also contains more than 60 maps detailing where soldiers were engaged and how their units contributed to the fighting. All proceeds from the book will benefit local history publications.
The talk is part of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections Lecture Series. For more information, contact (585) 275-4477.
The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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