Civil War buffs will be enlightened by an exhibit on display in the first-floor lobby of MTSU’s James E. Walker Library.

These panels commemorate the Civil War’s sesquicentennial in an exhibit on display at MTSU’s James E. Walker Library through Feb. 14. (Photo submitted)

“This Cruel War: Rutherford County Experiences the Civil War,” an array of nine panels interpreting civilian life in Rutherford County during the conflict, is available for viewing through Friday, Feb. 14.

Dr. Brenden Martin

The panels were created by graduate students in “Essentials of Museum Management,” a class taught by Dr. Brenden Martin, an MTSU professor of history and director of the public history program.

Themes explored in the display include “Prelude to War,” “War Comes to Rutherford County,” “Occupation,” “Divided Loyalties,” “Mapping the War,” “Emancipation” and “Legacies of the War.”

The exhibit, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, is free and open to the public during regular library hours. You can learn more about the exhibit in the video below.

For more information, contact Martin at 615-898-2643 or brenden.martin@mtsu.edu, or Kristen Keene, external relations specialist at Walker Library, at 615-898-5376 or kristen.keene@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)