Bath lecture marks war anniversary

Published 12:41 am Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Retired history teacher Ed Hodges will commemorate the 300th anniversary of the start of the Tuscarora War during a lecture at Historic Bath’s visitors center Saturday. (Submitted Photo)

Eastern North Carolina history buffs will have a chance to brush up this weekend when Ed Hodges, a retired history teacher from Washington, will lecture at Historic Bath’s visitors center at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Hodges will talk about the Tuscarora War as a topic of general interest in connection with the 300th anniversary of the beginning of the war.

The Tuscarora War, fought between British, Dutch and German settlers and the Tuscarora Indians, occurred in North Carolina from Sept. 22, 1711, until Feb. 11, 1715. A treaty was signed in 1715.

“Hopefully, people will take away an appreciation of history from my lecture,” Hodges said. “We have a lot of people that live in eastern North Carolina that are not native to the area. This is an opportunity for them to find out a little bit about the history of the area that they live in.”

Hodges gave a lecture last fall on the Cary Rebellion, which is, in part, connected to the Tuscarora War.

Usually three to four lectures are held a year at Historic Bath’s visitors center. They are co-sponsored by the Historic Bath Book Club and focus on topics that relate to Bath.

Past lectures have included presentations on development work up and down the Pamlico River and the tobacco culture in North Carolina.

Leigh Swain, Historic Bath manager, mentioned that she works with her colleagues to keep the visitors center active.

“About 60 people tend to come. Mr. Hodges will be back next year with a presentation on the War of 1812. We try to keep it varied,” she said.