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Despite all Odds: Why the Confederacy Pushed On

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Savannah, GA - May 2, 2008.  Why did Confederate soldiers keep fighting in the face of looming defeat? The Georgia Historical Society invites you to join us in search of an answer to this long-standing question when author and historian Jason Phillips talks about his new book, Diehard Rebels: The Confederate Culture of Invincibility.  Phillips's new book is a fascinating look at why Confederate soldiers continued to fight despite long odds and terrible costs, earnestly believing that victory lay just around the corner.

The lecture will take place Thursday, May 8, 2008, 7 p.m. at the Georgia Historical Society, 501 Whitaker St., Savannah, and is free and open to the public.  A book signing will be held immediately following the lecture; books will be available for purchase before and after the presentation.

Examining a most impressive array of sources, including many from the GHS archival collections, Phillips explains how religious faith, cheerleading propaganda, admiration of the officer class, hatred of Yankees, military discipline, bonding in the ranks, and stubborn denial continued to fuel the fated soldiers while he eloquently and poignantly recounts the deprivations and sacrifices that Confederates endured in the vain hope of eventual victory. Every Civil War student will find Diehard Rebels highly moving and tragic.  "Phillips' book is a major contribution to the history of the Southern Confederacy, and we're delighted to have him come to GHS," said Stan Deaton, GHS Vice President for Programs and Scholarship.

Jason Phillips is an assistant professor of history at Mississippi State University. He researches the cultural history of American warfare and has published essays on Confederate religion, southern perceptions of the enemy, and the Lost Cause. His article, "The Grape Vine Telegraph: Rumors and Confederate Persistence," which first appeared in the Journal of Southern History, was selected by the Organization of American Historians as one of the ten best American history essays of 2008. In 2007, the University of Georgia Press published Diehard Rebels. Dr. Phillips spent a week at the Georgia Historical Society in March 2006 researching the last letters and diaries that he added to Diehard Rebels. Currently he is researching how prophecies of the nation's future shaped the way Americans thought about and fought the Civil War. Dr. Phillips holds a B.A. in history from the University of Richmond, an M.A. in history from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. in history from Rice University.

For more information on the Georgia Historical Lecture Series, please visit http://www.georgiahistory.com or call 912.651.2125, extension 40 and ask to speak with Charlie Snyder.