Published October 23, 2015 in The Southern Illinoisan.
The original article can be found here.

MURPHYSBORO — On Sunday, Oct. 25, the General John A. Logan Museum’s one-half hour video, “Caught in the Sweep of History: Egypt in the Civil War – the Third Year” will be shown for the first time. The showing begins at 2 p.m. in the historic Liberty Theater downtown.

The film tells the story of 19 Southern Illinois counties during the third year of the war. Like the two previous videos in this series, it focuses on the individual soldiers and the families they left behind.

According to Pvt. Edwin Loosley (Company A, 81st Illinois Infantry), the third year of the Civil War began on a dark note with “the Rebellion far … from being put down … the Rebel Army flushed with victory and the Union Army sick, dispirited, demoralized, dying and deserting; the northern people dissatisfied; the ‘copperheads’ rejoicing, and encouraging and protecting deserters.”

By year’s end, however, Union victories at “Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge … and several others, and the re-enlistment of veterans” lifted his spirits giving him “good ground to hope that the coming year will finish the war and restore the Union.”

The documentary was co-written by Bert Hinchman and P. Michael Jones with videography and editing by Richard Kuenneke. It was produced with grant funding the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.

After the film showing, the Gen. John A. Logan Museum, at 1613 Edith St. in Murphysboro, will host a reception for the museum’s exhibit “Caught in the Sweep of History: Egypt in the Civil War – the Fourth Year.”