On April 18, 2021, John Hoptak and Jake Wynn will present a series of live videos on Facebook commemorating the 160th anniversary of the First Defenders.
The First Defenders – 160th anniversary live event from Pottsville
When Schuylkill County soldiers raced to defend the Capitol in April 1861… and unfortunate modern parallels
In April 1861, soldiers from Pennsylvania's Coal Region raced to defend the US Capitol. 160 years later, some of those scenes repeated themselves.
“Sever all connection” – A group of Civil War veterans boycotted a Coal Region newspaper in 1883
Civil War veterans in Tower City, PA were infuriated by an insulting story about them in a local newspaper. So they took action.
A Pottsville minister’s letter to President-elect Abraham Lincoln – January 1861
Samuel F. Colt served as the minister at Pottsville's Second Presbyterian Church when he wrote his letter on behalf of Senator Simon Cameron.
A painting of a US Army cavalryman at Pottsville – 1863
It appears to show a Pennsylvania horse soldier among the coal-rich mountains and valleys of Schuylkill County.
Four Christmases – Holiday excerpts from Henry Keiser’s Civil War diary
Four diary entries from the Civil War document the evolution of holiday experiences of a soldier from Pennsylvania's Coal Region.
Thanksgiving Day in Schuylkill County – 1864
A detailed description of how Schuylkill County celebrated Thanksgiving as the Civil War reached its climax.
A Lykens Civil War soldier’s close brush with death at the Battle of Cedar Creek, October 1864
Sergeant Henry Keiser had escaped serious injury throughout the Civil War. His luck nearly ran out on October 19, 1864.
“Our Pottsville Volunteers” – A song about Schuylkill County’s brave Civil War soldiers
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the bravery and courage of the volunteer soldiers of Schuylkill County immediately became the stuff of legends. The famed "First Defenders," a group that included a sizable number of men from Pottsville and surrounding communities, were among the first to arrive in Washington to protect the United … Continue reading “Our Pottsville Volunteers” – A song about Schuylkill County’s brave Civil War soldiers
A powerful letter on slavery and the Civil War from a one-time resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania
"ABOLISH SLAVERY" - A remarkable letter from an Irish-American soldier in the Civil War and his evolving anti-slavery beliefs.
