Community Education > Adult Evening Program > Fall 2008 Schedule of Classes and Workshops > Civil War Classes

ATTENTION CIVIL WAR ENTHUSIASTS!!!
Join Bruce Stocking, Historian for The W.S. Hancock Society
He will take you on an historic journey through several exciting Civil War topics. Don't pass up the chance for this presentation by an "A-#1 speaker". Choose one, two, three presentations for $20 each, or…. Take all four presentations for a special cost of $40 -- Course #403
Gold Cards may attend all 4 sessions for a $25 fee

Bruce Stocking is the historian of the Hancock Society & caretaker of General W.S. Hancock's tomb. He has appeared in a number of films & documentaries about the Civil War. Stocking has organized and participates in numerous reenactments yearly. In addition to lecturing, Stocking assists authors & historians with historical information. We are fortunate to have Bruce present multiple programs this fall for SASD Community Education.
Please note -- course fees are donated to The W.S. Hancock Society for preservation purposes.

All four presentations held at Indian Valley Middle School - Library - Maple Ave, Harleysville, PA

"Pictorial Evidence: Understanding Uniforms & Clothing of the Civil War Period"
Course #404
Cost: $20
Instructor: Bruce Stocking
Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:00-9:00PM

19th Century clothing frequently had a purpose other than simply covering the body or for decoration especially during the War years of 1861 to 1865. Photos of the era reveal many clues about garments, that is, if you know how to examine them. Explore the many facets of clothing, both military and civilian in this in-depth and oddly fascinating look at the attire of our ancestors.

"All That Remains"
Course #405
Cost: $20
Instructor: Bruce Stocking
Thursday, October 23, 2008 7:00-9:00PM

Have you ever wondered about the symbols on headstones or the origins of cemeteries? Did you ever question why family members that passed away during an earlier period were laid out in the living room? Do you know that the first makers of coffins were actually furniture makers? If any of these morbid facts interest you, then you won't want to miss this presentation. Bruce Stocking will lead you through funeral customs from the ancient Egyptians to our modern day funeral homes. A slide show presentation of headstone evolution will be shown and funeral antiques will be on display.

"Behind the Curtain of The Civil War"
Course #406
Cost: $20
Instructor: Bruce Stocking
Thursday, November 6, 2008 7:00-9:00PM

Learn about the people who worked behind the scenes to make The Army of the Potomac function during the American Civil War. Their stories were never told and they rarely made history, but their actions made them into valuable assets to the North during the War of the Rebellion. Learn about the Army Quartermaster, Staff officers, Commissary, Medical, Ordinance, Transportation, Provost, and Engineers. Many of these aspects can be translated into the modern army of today.

"Thunderbolt of the Army of the Potomac"
Course #407
Cost: $20
Instructor: Bruce Stocking
Thursday, December 11, 2008 7:00-9:00PM

From his birth in Montgomery Square until his death on Governor's Island, Winfield Scott Hancock was front and center to the happenings in American history during the late 19th Century: West Point Graduate, Civil War General, military governor, presidential candidate and hero, round out the man from Montgomery County who went on to create a formidable personal historic record. Bruce Stocking will familiarize you with the life account of the Norristown General, his triumphs and tragedies coupled with a slide presentation that allows the viewer to follow Hancock through the passage of time.