Join us Thursday, November 8, 7:00 p.m. at the Arlington Central Library for a discussion led by William Connery on his book “Civil War Northern Virginia 1861.”  RSVP here

In the mid 1800s, Alexandria was a prt across from the Nation’s Capital; Arlington was an eleven-hundred acre estate managed by US Colonel and Mrs. Robert E. Lee; Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties were farmland and tiny villages. This peaceful region was thrown into chaos as South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860 and other slave states followed until Virginia joined the Confederacy in spring of 1861. The “invasion” of Northern Virginia on May 24, 1861, created a no-man’s land between Northern and Southern armies. Some citizens joined Confederate forces while others stayed to face uncertainty. Mr. Connery’s book offers new insights into this important time in American history.