“Champ Ferguson and the Civil War in Appalachia”

“𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐋𝐀𝐖:
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐀”

Renaissance Center, 1200 E. Center St., Kingsport, TN
7pm, Monday, November 9, 2020

𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐈-𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄, this special presentation will be narrated by Brian McKnight who will highlight the life and times of Samuel “Champ” Ferguson (1821-1865) and his participation in the Civil War. The oldest of ten children, Ferguson was born in Clinton County, Kentucky on the Tennessee border, and fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was hanged at age 43 on October 20, 1865, and is buried in the France Cemetery in White County, Tennessee.

𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 “𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫” 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭t will be held at the Chop House for the first 10 reservations. Masks are required except when eating. The dinner will be held at the Chop House, 1704 N. Eastman Road, from 5pm-6:15pm just prior to the 7pm presentation. Dinner reservations requests should be sent to Wayne Strong at trustwrks@aol.com or call (423) 323-2306.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝐩𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 to 50 attendees in the main seating area of the Little Theater at the Renaissance Center, and an overflow of attendees in the balcony area. Social distancing guidelines will be in place for the presentation. Masks are required, and temperature checks will be made at the door. Seating will be in compliance with social distancing guidelines, with usage of every other row in the theater.

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑
Brian McKnight is Professor of History and a Founding Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at University of Virginia-Wise. He is a specialist in contested and coerced loyalties and is the author of
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚, which won the James I. Robertson Literary Award;
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐰: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐚, which won the Tennessee Library Award for best book in Tennessee history;
His most recent book is titled “𝐖𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞”: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐫.

McKnight’s other writings have been featured in the New York Times and his work on Korean War prisoners of war was profiled in the New Yorker. He is currently at work on a volume of writings on guerrilla warfare in the Civil War, and is coauthoring with Gary Robert Matthews a biography of Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner. Brian McKnight grew up in Virginia’s westernmost county and received his undergraduate degree from UVa-Wise and his Ph.D., from Mississippi State University. When he is not teaching or researching, he is usually on his farm planting fruit trees, building fences, and keeping bees. He is also a member of our TCCWRT.

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, please contact Wayne Strong at (423) 323-2306 or email trustwrks@aol.com.