RALEIGH – It is called a brother’s war, and nowhere was that more true than in North Carolina.  The American Civil War claimed more lives than any military engagement undertaken by this country. North Carolina lost at least 35,000 soldiers, more than any other Southern state, and great hardships were suffered by those both at war and left at home.

In observance of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War (1861-1865), the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has organized the Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit to travel the state from April 1, 2011, through spring 2013 as part of its commemoration.

Visitors will see well-known Confederate generals, women who served as Confederate spies, re-enactment images of soldiers and battles, and more.  The battlefield, homefront, African Americans and women all are reflected in the exhibit.  A notebook accompanying the exhibit will offer sketches of the generals, of African Americans fleeing bondage, a woman whose home became a hospital, and other glimpses of lives from that turbulent time.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. “The Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and
now.”

A total of 24 images is being displayed by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources  in 50 libraries and four museums
throughout the state on eastern and western routes from April 2011 through May 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and also seeking viewer comments.

The collection depicts those involved in the war including images of artifacts and official documents. Amy Harper of Johnston County is one woman highlighted in the exhibit who exemplifies the sacrifice of women and families. The home of Amy Harper served as a field hospital during the Battle of Bentonville March 19-21, 1865; today the Harper House still stands and can be visited at the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. 

The exhibit honors North Carolinians and their dedication throughout the Civil War.  Images were gathered from divisions within Cultural Resources, including four document images and 10 pictures from the State Archives, five images from the N.C. Museum of History and five images from Civil War-related State Historic Sites.

For information on the tour visit http://www.nccivilwar150.com/  or call (919) 807-7389. 

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities,
and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future.  Information on Cultural Resources is available 24/7 at http://www.ncculture.com/.