The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will continue its Cultural Heritage Lecture Series with historian and author Terry Lowry on Wednesday, March 16, at 7 p.m., in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater at the Cultural Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The program is free and open to the public.
Lowry, of South Charleston, will discuss his work with the West Virginia Adjutant General’s Papers from the Civil War era in the West Virginia State Archives. It is one of the largest and most significant Civil War collections relating to West Virginia in existence. Acquired by Archives and History in 1911 through the efforts of Virgil Lewis, the first state historian and archivist, the Adjutant General’s Papers have been largely unavailable for public research for nearly 100 years. During the last four years, Lowry has processed the collection, which consists of almost 20,000 original records documenting the wartime activities of West Virginia regiments that served in the Civil War. The records include correspondence, muster rolls, clothing and equipment books, order books, and other assorted records. He also has completed an inventory of Union militia records that were part of the Adjutant General’s Papers. Lowry will discuss the organizing process and offer examples of rare and unusual items found in the collection.
Lowry has written Civil War articles that have been published in North South Trader, Wonderful West Virginia, Confederate Veteran and West Virginia Hillbilly. His books include The Battle of Scary Creek: Military Operations in the Kanawha Valley; September Blood: The Battle of Carnifex Ferry; and Last Sleep: The Battle of Droop Mountain November 6, 1863, among others. In addition, Lowry has written two volumes in the Virginia Regimental Series, 22nd Virginia Infantry and 26th Battalion Virginia Infantry.
A graduate of West Virginia State University, Lowry has a degree in history. He worked for more than 20 years for Charleston Newspapers, Inc. and currently works for the West Virginia State Archives as a library assistant specializing in Civil War research.
For more information about the Cultural Heritage Lecture, “West Virginia Adjutant General’s Civil War Papers in the State Archives,” contact (304) 558-0162. Next month’s presentation will coincide with the Division’s Garden Festival on Saturday, April 9, at 12:30 p.m. The featured speaker will be Chuck Gleaves, Director of the Kingwood Center, Mansfield, Ohio.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.