Join him as he retraces Lee's westward march, stopping at the places where history was made Five Forks where the Confederate line was broken, Namozine Church, where on the floor bloodstains from the wounded on both sides are still visible Sailor's Creek, where Lee lost 8,000 men, and finally Appomattox Courthouse. Robertson, Jr., Alumni Distinguished Professor in History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, noted Civil War historian, author and lecturer. See the grim story of this Bitter April unfold through the eyes of Professor James I. Bloody and proud, this once vaunted and feared army stumbled on, until finally at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, on April 9, 1865, it surrendered to the overwhelming strength of Union forces led by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Pursued by an implacable enemy sensing victory at last, Lee's ranks were savaged by hunger, battle and utter weariness. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, forced out of its defensive positions around Petersburg, began retreating westward in an effort to join other Confederate forces in North Carolina. The project was produced in conjunction with the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission and the Virginia Tech Center for Civil War Studies. Divided into nine sections, the program was designed for use in the schools. Robertson Jr.įor the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Blue Ridge PBS produced the Emmy nominated 3 hour documentary, Virginia in the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Remembrance.

The series is hosted by nationally noted Civil War historian, author, and Alumni Distinguished Professor of History James I. Lee, the siege at Petersburg, the Battles of Manassas, and much more. Topics include: Railroads during the Civil War, Jackson in the Shenandoah, the life and Legacy of Robert E. As the region’s story teller, Blue Ridge PBS has worked to share Virginia’s involvement with its viewers.īeginning in 1996, Blue Ridge PBS produced a 10 part series on a variety of subjects dealing with the American Civil War. Virginia played a key role in the American Civil War. Blue Ridge PBS's Civil War Documentary Series

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