Clarksville, TN – Fort Defiance Interpretive Center, located at 120 Duncan Street, will host a lecture and book signing with author Stephen Davis on Thursday, July 21st from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. The lecture will begin at 1:00pm, and upon its conclusion Davis will sign copies of his book, “A Long and Bloody Task” until 4:00pm.
Spring of 1864 brought a whole new war to the Western Theater, with new commanders and what would become a new style of warfare. Federal armies, perched in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after their stunning victories there the previous fall, poised on the edge of Georgia for the first time in the war.
“Get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources,” his superior, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, ordered.
And so began one of the last great campaigns in the West: Sherman’s long and bloody task.
The acknowledged expert on all things related to the battle of Atlanta, historian Steve Davis has lived in the area the majority of his life, and in A Long and Bloody Task, he tells the tale of the Atlanta campaign as only a local can. He brings his Southern sensibility to the Emerging Civil War Series, known for its engaging storytelling and accessible approach to history.
This event is free and open to the public. To learn more about Fort Defiance, please visit www.cityofclarksville.com/fortdefiance or call 931.472.3351.
About Fort Defiance
Fort Defiance, which overlooks the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers, was a cornerstone of the Confederate defense of the area and an important part of the eventual Union occupation of Clarksville. In 1982, Judge and Mrs. Sam Boaz, donated the property to the City of Clarksville.
In 2008, the City secured a $2.2 million federal grant that was combined with local funding and the process of construction of the interpretive center and walking trails began. The more than 1,500-square-foot Center features exhibits about the local area and the fort during the Civil War.
Fort Defiance Interpretive Center is open Monday-Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm during the Fall & Winter.
