Park Service planning special events for Civil War anniversary

The National Park Service is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by offering special events and informational resources. April witnesses the commemoration of the bombardment of Fort Sumter (April 9-17) at Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston, S.C., and a national symposium on “The Ordeal of the Border States” (April 15) sponsored by Fort McHenry National Monument and partners in Baltimore, Md.

July marks the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas, which will be marked with four days of events at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Va., July 21-24. North of the Mason-Dixon Line, at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (Mass.), the Youth Ambassador Program created a song about the first all-black regiment commissioned by the Union Army.

The National Park Service has also launched a new website devoted to the 150th anniversary. This site features a comprehensive calendar of events at more than 70 national parks and partner sites, as well as essays, web links, and daily Tweets from a fictional Civil War-era reporter.