Experience the Appomattox Campaign through the eyes of history as Dr. Curt Fields, the nation’s foremost Ulysses S. Grant living historian, delivers an interactive presentation blending vivid storytelling and historical insight.
At the end of March 1865, the Confederacy was still alive and it’s remaining military force, the Army of Northern Virginia, under the leadership of the legendary Robert E. Lee was still a dangerous force to be faced with more than 60,000 troops dug in around Richmond and Petersburg Virginia.
In nine April days, the forces of U.S. Grant were able to break through the rebel defenses and relentlessly pursue Lee’s Army until it surrendered at Appomattox. While Lee escaped in his march west with about 55,000 troops, Grant pursued with 75,000 picked troops who constantly harassed and attacked Lee’s weary troops until there were only 26,000 left to surrender at Appomattox.
How this was achieved and the personal story of U.S. Grant and his leadership will be the subject of Dr. Field’s presentation at Porter Library on the Porter Room at 7pm on May 12.
The event is being co-sponsored by Porter Library and the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable. It is part of a weeklong visit by Dr. Fields as either General Grant or President Grant in the Cleveland area as he visits schools, libraries and other history related organizations bringing perhaps the most undervalued and under appreciated figure in American history to life.
We think that Dr. Fields presents a unique opportunity to interest people, and especially young people, in the history of our Civil War.
Dr. Curt Fields's Bio:
Dr. Curt Fields is the premier Living Historian and interpreter of General and President U.S. Grant. Dr. Fields has portrayed General and President Grant in 22 states as he travels the nation presenting his portrayal of Grant. Dr. Fields is the same height and body style as General Grant and, therefore, presents a convincing, true-to-life image of the man as he really looked. He researches and reads extensively about General Grant in order to deliver an accurate persona of the General. His presentations are in first person, quoting from General Grant’s Memoirs; articles and letters the General wrote, statements he made in interviews or wrote himself, and first-person accounts of people who knew the General or were with him and witnessed him during events.
Dr. Fields will be visiting the Cleveland area for the third time in five years for the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable in May of 2025. His prior visits resulted in record breaking attendance at all of his venues. The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable hopes to coordinate his visit with other organizations including schools, if possible, to share the story of this important figure in U.S history.
Dr. Fields holds a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Memphis. He later earned a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Curriculum from Michigan State University. He has been a long-time adjunct Sociology Professor at the University of Memphis and in Education for Belhaven University, Memphis campus.
He is now an educational consultant and Living Historian. As a Living Historian, Dr. Fields portrayed General Grant at the 150th Sesquicentennial observations of: Fort Donelson and Shiloh, TN, Vicksburg, MS, and at the 150th anniversary of Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House, VA, in 2015. He also portrayed the General at Appomattox in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He portrays General Grant in the Visitor Center film that is shown at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park. Dr. Fields has appeared with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Vicksburg NMP. He was featured as General Grant, and as a Grant authority, in a Discovery Channel three-part documentary on US history. Dr. Fields portrays General Grant, giving his life story, on the Civil War Trust website in the 1 in4 series of biographies and significant places and events the distinguished Civil War Trust has established. This may be seen at Civilwar.org and select 1in4 at the top of the page.
In addition to an impressive list of accomplishments including his award-winning presentations as Grant, he also served as a Memphis, TN, Police Officer for four years; was an MPD Hostage negotiator and received the Life-Saving medal from the City of Memphis for actions in the line of duty
