Provided by City of Manassas
This Civil War haversack, part of the Poland collection at the Manassas Museum, belonged to Edward A. Todd, a Captain in Company C, 2nd Vermont Infantry who saw action at the Battle of First Manassas, where he was wounded.
On February 6 at 2:00 p.m. Dr. Charles Poland, retired history professor and Civil War expert, will greet visitors at the opening of the new exhibit at the Manassas Museum, “What the Civil War Soldier Carried: Selections from the Collection of Dr. Charles Poland.”
The new exhibit features both unusual and familiar pieces, like percussion caps, a match safe, a Springfield musket, tobacco leaves and more, and each has a unique story. For years Dr. Poland shared those stories in his classrooms at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). Later, he shared stories while driving his mobile Civil War history museum to area schools, retirement homes, and community events. When his mobile museum on wheels gave out, he moved the collection inside NVCC Annandale campus.
Dr. Poland recently retired after teaching history for 48 years. During his time at NVCC, he was known for conducting field trip courses to major and minor Civil War battlefields and for giving hundreds of lectures to students of all ages. He has received awards for teaching excellence including the “Most Outstanding Faculty Member,” the NOVA Alumni Federation Faculty of the Year, and the 2012 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Dr. Poland’s published work reflects his special interest in local history: From Frontier to Suburbia: One of America’s Fastest Growing Counties, A Loudoun County Story, and The Lure of Loudoun: Centuries of Changes in Virginia’s Emerald County.
What the Civil War Soldier Carried: Selections from the Collection of Dr. Charles Poland is open free to the public from February 2 through February 28. PWL The exhibit also marks the re-opening of the Manassas Museum after month-long January renovations that will improve the visitor experience.
