The History Channel Presents: CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK

The History Channel Presents: CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK

Featuring Three World Premiere Documentaries

May 22-26 on The History Channel

NEW YORK, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The History Channel honors the 140th anniversary of the conclusion of the Civil War with a week of special programming that examines some of the key figures, covert operations, famous battles, courageous freedom-fighters, technological innovations and lesser-known aspects of the conflict during CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK, May 22-May 26. From Sherman's march to the sea to the desperate flight for freedom by escaped slaves, commando raids using new weapons that signaled the dawn of a deadlier era of warfare to the simple basic food and supplies that the everyday soldier needed to survive, CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK features programming that appeals to both general audiences and Civil War buffs alike, with exciting dramatic reenactments and expert commentary that will enlighten and challenge viewers' preconceived notions of the War.

CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK features three world premiere specials and four new episodes of History Channel weekly series. THE MOST DARING MISSION OF THE CIVIL WAR chronicles the derring-do of William Cushing, the most decorated Union Naval officer of the war. SECRET MISSIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR recounts bold and risky covert operations designed to frighten the enemy, disrupt supply lines and destroy morale. SLAVE CATCHERS, SLAVE RESISTERS reveals the personal stories of courage of those who ran, and of those who protected them at great risk to themselves. The week also features Civil War-themed episodes of MAIL CALL, THE CONQUERORS, MODERN MARVELS and WILD WEST TECH.

CIVIL WAR SECRETS WEEK world premieres include (all times ET/PT):

HISTORY SUNDAY: THE MOST DARING MISSION OF THE CIVIL WAR (May 22 at 8 pm):

This is the story of the most audacious mission of the Civil War. In April 1864, a seemingly impregnable ironclad ship called the Albemarle was destroyed by a group of Union marines led by a young Lieutenant named William Cushing, who deployed a new weapon he invented called a torpedo. Cushing, a Naval Academy wash-out, conducted a virtual suicide mission deep behind enemy lines to launch a midnight raid in the waters of North Carolina and sink a boat ten times the size of his own. Cushing would be the only survivor; his exploits made him a celebrated popular hero of the war-and earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor. The documentary features use of the reconstructed CSS Albemarle at Plymouth, North Carolina, as well as the only full-size replica of the steam-powered torpedo boat used by Cushing, and includes interviews with archaeologists, military historians and Civil War experts.

MAIL CALL (May 22 at 9:30 pm): Outfitted in authentic Civil War trappings, host R. Lee Ermey is joined by experts and Civil War re-enacters to demonstrate popular rifles of the era (the Union's Springfield rifle vs. the Confederates' Enfield), how to fire a period cannon, what soldiers wore and ate in the field, and profiles the distinctive-looking Zouave units (volunteer units in very colorful uniforms).

THE CONQUERORS: SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA (May 22 at 10 pm): On November 15th, 1864, General William T. Sherman launched a military campaign with the objective to destroy the Confederate's infrastructure and ability to make war. Sherman orders his troops to burn crops, confiscate supplies, destroy buildings, and rip up rail tracks-anything that can be considered useful to the Confederates is ruined. He is considered today to be one of the foremost architects of modern warfare. Hosted by Dale Dye.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: SECRET MISSIONS OF THE CIVIL WAR (May 23 at 8 pm): Volumes have been written about famous battles such as Gettysburg and Antietam, but the Civil War also had far lesser known actions. These clever, daring and covert operations were designed to frighten the enemy, disrupt supply lines and destroy morale. From a plot to steal a train, to a plan to burn New York City, to a scheme to build a tunnel under a Southern stronghold, to a conspiracy to kidnap Northern commanders, this documentary details these forgotten but intriguing acts of ingenuity and bravery that defied the odds.

WILD WEST TECH: CIVIL WAR OUT WEST (May 24 at 8 pm): There were more than 2,000 Civil War battles fought west of the Mississippi--action stretched clear to the California coast. The rugged, wide-open West presented special challenges for armies. Soldiers had to be hearty and often improvised with whatever they had. CIVIL WAR OUT WEST examines the weapons, clothing, transportation and tools employed on the Civil War's western front.

MODERN MARVELS: CIVIL WAR TECH (May 25 at 10 pm): Civil War technology revolutionized the way war was waged. The machine gun, aerial reconnaissance, advanced battlefield medicine, instantaneous communication, ironclad ships, even the first aircraft carrier were all innovations developed during the Civil War. CIVIL WAR TECH explores how the technology used in it was a quantum leap beyond any previous conflict.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: SLAVE CATCHERS, SLAVE RESISTERS (May 26 at 8 pm): Slavery was built on a system of slave policing--enforced by armed community patrols, paid slave catchers and by federal law. But slave catchers weren't always successful. In the South, bounty hunters sometimes lost against the intelligence and fight-to-the-death courage of the enslaved. In the North, an organized and armed free black community sometimes defeated slave catchers. Using recreations, archival material, and scholar interviews, SLAVE CATCHERS, SLAVE RESISTERS reveals the personal stories of courage of those who ran, and of those who protected them at great risk to themselves.

Other CIVIL WAR SECRETS programming include:

Special Presentation: The Horrors of Andersonville Prison (May 24 at 9 pm): This documentary chronicles the war crimes trial and execution of Captain Henry Wirz, the notorious commandant of the infamous Andersonville Prison, where 13,000 Union prisoners of war died.

Battlefield Detectives: Antietam (May 25 at 8 pm): Experts from the fields of archaeology, geology, weapons technology, and pathology investigate this uniquely horrific moment in American history-the bloodiest single day in the Civil War.

Battlefield Detectives: Gettysburg (May 25 at 9 pm): To this day, Gettysburg remains the largest ever battle fought on American soil. Was the final day of the battle "the high water mark of the Confederacy," or has new scientific battlefield evidence proved that the battle was lost before then?

Now reaching more than 88 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel(R), "Where the Past Comes Alive(R)," brings history to life in a powerful manner and provides an inviting place where people experience history personally and connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. In 2004, The History Channel earned five News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and previously received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's "Save Our History(R)" campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is located at http://www.historychannel.com/. Press Only: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at http://www.historychannelpress.com/.

Source: The History Channel

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