By Rachel Konieczny
Assistant News Editor
Dr. Christopher Mackowski, professor of journalism and mass communication, spoke at three events in concurrence with annual “Lee-Jackson Day” observations.
Mackowski spoke at the Civil War Roundtable of Fairfield County in Stamford, Connecticut on Jan. 13, the Roundtable of New York in New York City on Jan. 14, and at the annual Lee-Jackson Symposium in Lexington, Virginia on Jan. 16. According to Mackowski, some parts of the south used to celebrate what is known as “Lee-Jackson Day” on Jan. 20, while many areas in Virginia, including Lexington, continue to honor the day. Both Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson were generals of the Confederate army during the Civil War.
“They do [celebrate “Lee-Jackson Day”] in Lexington, because that’s where both generals are buried,” Mackowski said. “But you can imagine it’s become a lot more controversial in the past 20 years or so, particularly since Martin Luther King’s birthday falls right in that vicinity as well. So here you’ve got this great civil rights leader, and his birthday is sort of put in juxtaposition with [Lee and Jackson] who are fighting to preserve the slave-holding society of the Confederacy. That’s the opportunity for some pretty interesting conversation.”
Mackowski spoke on the topic “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson” in Stamford and New York City and presented on “The Legend of Stonewall Jackson’s Arm” in Lexington. The Roundtables in Stamford and New York City are Civil War study groups that ask speakers such as Mackowski to present, while the Symposium in Lexington is an annual event that invites speakers to present on different aspects of Lee and Jackson’s careers.
Mackowski has been involved in Civil War period study for about 15 years, which started after visiting a battlefield as a tourist. Since then, he has worked for the National Park Service in Virginia as a guide for battleground tours for 10 years and has co-written a book about Jackson’s rise to popularity in the Confederacy, titled, “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson.” Mackowski frequently gives tours at the “Stonewall” Jackson shrine, where he always works on the anniversary of Jackson’s death.
Mackowski hopes his work on the Civil War period will foster interest among those who may otherwise overlook details of history.
“History is one great story, and I think people unfortunately have names and dates and places thrown at them—it’s just a bunch of random facts and it can be boring,” Mackowski said. “But when you look at it as a story, it’s fascinating.”
Mackowski believes his work in creative writing, communication, and theater have helped him be able to tell his stories in an interesting way. He hopes he captures the Civil War period as he sees it.
“It’s just good to be reminded that these were guys who are just like me, and just like your classmates—young guys, going off to war for all sorts of different reasons,” Mackowski said. “They are just like me and you. They are someone’s brother, someone’s son, someone’s father, someone’s husband, and so remembering that and remembering their stories to me is profoundly important.”
