Asheville author presents book on Appalachian Trail Civil War sites Feb. 29 at Malaprop’s

Press release:

ASHEVILLE AUTHOR TO PRESENT
HIKING THROUGH HISTORY: CIVIL WAR SITES ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
FEBRUARY 29 AT MALAPROP’S

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. (Feb. 22) — Leanna Joyner of Asheville will present excerpts from and sign copies of her new book, Hiking Through History: Civil War Sites on the Appalachian Trail, at 7 p.m. on February 29 at Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café.

The book, released December 30 by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), also presents sites along the national scenic trail associated with the Underground Railroad, the prewar assault on federal arms factories by John Brown and a postwar settlement of freed slaves along the trail in central Virginia.

Included with background on each battle or escape site is a map and short hike description, aimed not only at hikers who want to know more about the places they are walking through but also at parents who want to combine exercise for their children with brief history lessons in places it occurred.

Thousands died or were injured in the battles on the trail route (70 years before it became the Appalachian Trail), most notably in the days leading up to the Battle of Antietam just to the west. From northwestern North Carolina to the roads to Antietam and Gettysburg, it was a place for skirmishes with Confederate guerrilla forces and all-out battles between North and South. Two future presidents served together in more than one of those battles. Today, in several places, signs or monuments and even a set of gravestones mark most sites, although some are barely noticed. John Brown’s “fort” now sits alongside the Trail in Harpers Ferry, where ATC is headquartered.

The sites along the 2,189-mile trail in the book range from northeastern Tennessee to New England, although the battle sites are concentrated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, the latter home to the legendary Confederate colonel, John “The Gray Ghost” Mosby, who is covered extensively in the book.

Joyner, who hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail in 2003, brought experience in publications and marketing to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, where today she manages volunteer-based crew and other trail programs in ATC’s southern region (Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee). As a consultant earlier, the University of South Carolina graduate developed community-based programs for the conservancy and researched and wrote this guide. She is also a board member of Friends of Connect Buncombe and a certified Leave No Trace master educator.

Malaprop’s is located at 55 Haywood Street.