Special to The Democrat

NATCHEZ — Several speakers participating in this week’s Historic Natchez Conference, which continues through Saturday, will focus on the Civil War as part of the city’s commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial.

Keynote speaker and television personality William C. Davis of Virginia Tech will address the Sesquicentennial with a lecture titled, “America, the Civil War, and Natchez at 150” at 6 p.m. today at Temple B’Nai Israel.

Justin Behrend of SUNY, Genesco, will speak on the “Continuity of War: Rethinking Violence in the Civil War era.” His talk will begin at 1:30 p.m. today.

Jeff Mansell, historian at the Natchez National Historical Park, will present his lecture, “’One of the prettiest places on earth’: Yankees in Natchez.” Mansell will speak at 2 p.m. Friday at the Natchez Eola Hotel.

Joseph Reidy, Howard University, will present his lecture titled “Black Men in Navy Blue: African American Sailors in the United States Navy’s Mississippi Squadron during the Civil War.” His lecture will also be included in the section beginning at 2 p.m. Friday.

Please contact the Historic Natchez Foundation at 601-442-2500 or hnf@natchez.org for more information and a conference program. The full program is available on the foundation’s Facebook page and website (www.natchez.org).