An Ogdensburg statue stands in honor of General Newton Martin Curtis, a DePeyster native, who distinguished himself during the Civil War and won a Congressional Medal of Honor 150 years ago this week.
On January 15, 1865, General Curtis successfully led the Union forces at the Battle of Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Find out more about the life and accomplishments of this true American hero at a special lecture and exhibit this Saturday, January 17th, from 11 am to 4 pm at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association’s Silas Wright House in Canton, NY.
This event is part of the North Country Civil War Round Table and the St. Lawrence County Historical Association’s Commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which was fought from 1861-1865. Around 7,000 men from St. Lawrence County enlisted to fight for the Union during the Civil War.
Beginning on January 17th, the SLCHA will host a special winter exhibit about General Curtis and the Battle of Fort Fisher. Artifacts on display will include a portrait of Curtis which used to hang at the St. Lawrence State Hospital and Curtis’ Medal of Honor. Shortly after noon on January 17th, Stanley Maine will give a presentation on Newton Martin Curtis’ life and career, and the Battle of Fort Fisher, NC.
Stanley Maine, who lives in Pierrepont, serves as a trustee for the St. Lawrence County Historical Association, is chairman of its Building Committee, and is active with both the SLCHA’s Civil War Roundtable and the SLCHA’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.
The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House is open Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4 pm, Friday noon to 8 pm. Admission to the museum is free; admission to the archives is free for members and children, $2.50 for college students, and $5 for the general public.
The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is located at 3 E. Main St., Canton. Parking is available in the back of the SLCHA, next to the museum’s main entrance.
The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is a membership organization open to anyone interested in St. Lawrence County history. For more information, or to become a member, call the SLCHA at 315-386-8133 or e-mail info@slcha.org.
Civil War Roundtable programs are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Visit the SLCHA’s website, www.slcha.org, for more information on St. Lawrence County history.
Photo: An Ogdensburg statue stands in honor of General Newton Martin Curtis (courtesy of the SLCHA Postcard Collection).
“[A]nd won a Congressional Medal of Honor . . . .”
I would like to point out that the correct description of this award should simply be the Medal of Honor (MOH). More importantly, although the term “won” is often used, it is incorrect. The correct term is that the recipient either received the MOH or was awarded the MOH. Using the term “won” implies that there was some sort of a contest involved in obtaining it.
DITTO!!!