07/22/2026
Meet Tim Smith of the West!
One of the highlights of our Vicksburg tour will be spending time with Dr. Timothy B. Smith, widely recognized as one of the foremost historians of the Civil War's Western Theater.
A former National Park Service ranger at Shiloh and a professor of history at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Tim has devoted his career to researching and interpreting the campaigns that ultimately decided the war in the West.
Tim is the author of numerous acclaimed books on Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, and Ulysses S. Grant's western campaigns.
His scholarship is distinguished by its meticulous use of primary sources and its emphasis on understanding entire campaigns rather than viewing battles as isolated events.
His work has helped reshape modern understanding of how control of the Mississippi River, key railroads, and critical terrain made the Western Theater the decisive arena of the Civil War.
As we explore the battlefield and park with Tim, we'll have the rare opportunity to learn from someone whose research has significantly influenced how scholars and preservationists interpret these events today.
His ability to connect the landscape before us with the decisions, movements, and experiences of the soldiers who fought there promises to make our visit far more than a battlefield tour—it will be an opportunity to experience one of the Civil War's defining campaigns through the eyes of one of its foremost modern interpreters.
Join us for the Vicksburg tour this Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2026 led by Tim Smith for an outstanding overview of the Vicksburg Campaign.
Full itinerary/registration: https://www.civilwarseminars.org/vicksburg
