Take a trip back in time

SPARTA — One hundred and fifty years ago, boys were choosing sides and “joinin’ up” as the War Between The States was about to begin. Go back in time with guest speaker Valerie Josephson at the next Sparta Historical Society meeting on Thursday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. Josephson’s great grandfather, Mansfield Ham, was a private in the famed 20th Maine. When the war began, he was a 19-year-old farmer who wanted to fight. Josephson’s research into her family history, census records, and local history helped her see the many issues he likely had to consider, including slavery, patriotism, states’ rights, the small farm as an economic unit, and the lack of information — no Internet. A retired medical editor, Josephson decided to write a book for young adults, using this research to write a fictional account of her great-grandfather and his best friend, Gus Walker. Her goal was to weave historical material into the story line, creating characters, projecting their feelings about the war, and helping readers feel the hardships the young men endured. She will talk about her research and her writing; how historical data helped create believable characters who felt they had a duty to preserve their country. “Who Would Not Be a Soldier! The Boys of the 20th Maine” is her first book. The society meets in the lower level of the Sparta Ambulance Squad building at 14 Sparta Avenue. All are welcome and refreshments will be served. Admission is free to members; a $2 donation is welcomed from non-members. Contact Ed Fritsch, 973-729-0644, for further information.