Civil War Veterans of Tustin, and the impact on our city!
The American Civil War raged for four years, and when it was over, more than 700,000 Americans were dead. There was hardly a family in the country that the conflict had not touched.
At April”s “Night at the Museum” presentation, local historian Tim Zierer will share information about some of the thirty-three Civil War veterans profiled in his just-published book, Civil War Veterans of Tustin, California, who fought on many of the major battlefields of the war, including Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, and Atlanta.
Several participated in Sherman’s March to the Sea, and a number were on hand for Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. All were young, fourteen of the thirty-three were teenagers, and their war experiences shaped their lives in ways they could never have imagined when they enlisted.
After the war, they all became part of a great westward migration that eventually brought them all to the small southern California town of Tustin.
In Tustin, they were pioneers, helping establish the young community. From these veterans were to emerge a state assemblyman, a county supervisor, the county’s first treasurer, and the town’s first peace officer. And old enemies became neighbors, then friends, beginning the process of healing the nation’s wounds.
Tim Zierer has spent several years researching the residents through military records, news articles, family stories, cemetery lists, and old documents from around the country. His meticulous work led to connections and a history between so many of Tustin’s and the county’s pioneering leaders.
Tim will have copies of his new book available for purchase and to sign.
This Night at the Museum meeting will be held on Friday, April 24, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Tustin Area Museum, 395 El Camino Real in Downtown Tustin. Tickets are $20 per person and $15 each for members. Due to the limited seating area, tickets are expected to sell out quickly.
Call the Museum at 714 731-5701 with any questions.