Cynthia Elder
Tue, Oct 27
|Low Tide Yacht Club
Sailors, Soldiers and the Civil War
Josiah Fish of West Barnstable, MA went from sailing on a merchant ship to serving as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. Novelist Cynthia Elder tells his story, one of the real-life figures in her novel, "Tales of the Sea."
Time & Location
Oct 27, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Low Tide Yacht Club, 1000 S Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02744, USA
About the event
In this special presentation for the New Bedford Civil War Roundtable, novelist Cynthia Elder presents the true story of a merchant sailing family in the years leading up to and through the Civil War.
Her two-part "Tales of the Sea" series ("The Journey Begins" and "The Drumbeats of War") portrays how the war intersected with their lives as they moved goods around the world.
One of the young sailors, Josiah C. Fish of West Barnstable, MA, became a soldier in the Union Army. His letters home - never before published - allow you to see inside the mind and heart of a common soldier thrown into some of the most horrific situations imaginable.
- Writing Family HistoryWed, Mar 18Historical Novel Society Zoom Webinar
Doing History: Making Sense of Family RecordsThu, Mar 19Sturgis Library
Tales of the Sea: The Age of SailTue, Mar 24Centerville Public Library
Discovering Thomas White: One Man's Flight from Slavery to Freedom on the SeaSat, Apr 25Smith's Castle, North Kingstown- Tales of the Sea: The Age of SailThu, Jun 18Herreshoff Marine Museum
- Spoken Word Series: Tales of the SeaThu, Jul 30Cuttyhunk Historical Society
- Tales of the Sea: Keepers of the Light in the Age of SailMon, Sep 14Weaver Library - East Providence Public
- Tales of the Sea: When Sailors Ruled the OceanThu, Sep 17Savin Hill Yacht Club
- Sailors, Soldiers and the Civil WarTue, Oct 27Low Tide Yacht Club
Tales of the Sea: The Age of SailSpring 2026Island Free Library