The Ticonderoga Historical Society will present a free public program  entitled “Through the Gates of Hell: The Civil War Odyssey of Benjamin Hall.” The program will take place on Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Hancock House, 6 Moses Circle, Ticonderoga.

“In 1861, Benjamin Hall was among the many young men who enlisted to fight in the Union Army,” said Program Presenter Thomas McGrath. “He was an average young man from Elizabethtown, New York, who felt compelled to answer his country’s call in a time of peril.  His wartime experiences would take him from his home state to the battlefields of the American Civil War, and finally, to the notorious Confederate prison at Andersonville.  It is an incredible tale of genuine bravery, the unspeakable cruelties of war, and the indomitable power of the human spirit.”

McGrath teaches at North Country Community College in Ticonderoga.  He holds a Ph.D. in History from the State University of  New York at Albany, a Master’s Degree in Civil War Studies from American Military University, and a Bachelors Degree in History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  He is the author of two books and numerous historical articles. 

Reservations are not necessary to attend the free program, but seats may be reserved by calling 518-585-7868 or via e-mail to tihistory@bridgepoint1com.  Refreshments will be served.