History and Civil War Institute
Civil War Institute – Spring 2022
Live Classroom Sessions did not work out so well, so we are back to the convenient and easy virtual Zoom classes!
As we have done since the outset of these curious times, we will send out the Zoom link with the reminder that typically goes out within 24 hours of the start of class. Stay safe and God Bless you all!
To mark this occasion, we have an outstanding variety of fascinating courses to offer at Manor’s Jenkintown campus.
“Plenty of Blame to Go Around”: Gettysburg Controversies – NEW – 1 day (2 hrs) – Gettysburg is the Civil War’s most studied battle Yet the actions of a number of commanders remain controversial and often contentious. This class will review four of these controversies: J.E.B. Stuart’s ride, Richard Ewell’s actions on July 1, the battle for Little Round Top, and why the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge failed.
Instructor: Herb Kaufman
Fee: $30
Date: Thursday, May 12
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Too Outrageous to Be Fiction: Devil Dan Sickles – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – A Congressman who got away with murder. A general who lost a leg – and almost the battle – at Gettysburg. A diplomat who had an affair with the Queen of Spain. Incredible? Yes, but what’s really incredible is that these characters were all the same man – Daniel Edgar Sickles!
Instructor: Jerry Carrier
Fee: $30
Date: Wednesday, June 22
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Stealing Lincoln’s Body – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – Nearly 10 years after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, a band of criminals failed in an attempt to steal Lincoln’s body from his tomb in Springfield, Illinois. This class focuses on the attempted theft for ransom, the debate over where the president was to be buried, and how his final resting place became a monument that is visited by thousands every year.
Instructor: Mike Jesberger
Fee: $30
Date: Thursday, July 21
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
His Last Full Measure: The Unique Caspar Rene Gregory – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – Philadelphia native Caspar Rene Gregory was a UPenn graduate, Civil War veteran, internationally known Biblical scholar and professor at the University of Leipzig. During World War I, Gregory was shot and killed at age 71, the oldest known soldier to die in that war.
Instructor: Andy Waskie
Fee: $30
Date: Monday, August 8
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
History Institute Spring 2022
Worst President Ever – 1 night (2 hrs) – Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, is universally accepted as our greatest president. The man he succeeded – the 15th president, James Buchanan – has been rated by 14 historians as our worst. What did Buchanan do or not do to earn such a reputation? We will examine how America’s presidency went from worst to first.
We regret to post that Hugh Boyle, our long time friend and instructor passed away on March 17, 2022. He taught Civil War workshops for Manor for more years than we can count and he shall be dearly missed.For more information, click here.
May he Rest in Peace.
Footprints in the Snow: Washington’s Army of 1776 – NEW – 1 day (2 hrs) – In the year America declared independence, the cause relied on the men in the ranks. Without them, independence would be a forlorn hope, and the ideals in the Declaration would be empty words. Farmers, teachers, tradesmen, and mere boys stayed the course – because their commander, General George Washington, did not quit!
Instructor: Mike Jesberger
Fee: $30
Date: Monday, May 23
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Deadliest Mile: The Massacre at Duffy’s Cut – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – In 1832, railroad contractor Philip Duffy hired 57 Irish immigrant laborers to build Mile 59 of the Pennsylvania and Columbia railroad line near present-day Malvern. Within six weeks, all 57 laborers were dead, their bodies buried anonymously in a mass grave. It was only in the past 20 years that clues to their demise finally began to surface.
Instructor: Mike Jesberger
Fee: $30
Date: Wednesday, June 8
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“The Shades of Death” – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – Settlers fleeing the Wyoming Valley Massacre gave that ominous nickname to the Pocono Mountains. In addition to the massacre, this course on the early days of the Revolution on Pennsylvania’s frontier will include Lord Dunmore’s War, Sullivan’s March, and the settlement of Kentucky.
Instructor: Tom Donnelly
Fee: $30
Date: Monday, July 11
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Women in History: Intrigue, Revenge, Courage, and Deception – 1 night (2 hrs) – NEW – An old axiom says women should be seen and not heard. However, history demonstrates that nothing could be further from the truth. This class delves into the fascinating legends, stories and facts of many often-forgotten and mysterious women throughout history.
Instructor: Herb Kaufman
Fee: $30
Date: Thursday, August 18
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.