“I saw an awful sight” | A Coal Region soldier at South Mountain and Antietam

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Ten days after Antietam, a young soldier from Wiconisco Township, PA sat down to put it into words for his father back home. Private Joseph Workman of the 96th Pennsylvania had just walked the battlefield days earlier. "I saw an awful sight," he wrote. "We had to move away from there on account of the stink." His letter, recently digitized by the Library of Congress, provides insights into what he witnessed at the Battle of South Mountain as well. Read the full story.

Poster advertising Civil War sword ceremony in Pottsville, PA | May 7, 1863

Posted on by Jake Wynn
Sword presentation poster as advertised for Colonel George C. Wynkoop in Pottsville, PA Civil War 1863

Check out Pottsville’s proud tribute to Col. George C. Wynkoop: a rare 1863 broadside from the PA State Archives invites citizens to Town Hall for a ceremonial sword presentation honoring his leadership of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Learn how this celebration reflected Civil War–era community spirit, wartime pride, and military valor. Read the full story.

Irish immigrants attend Mass in Pottsville, PA before marching off to fight in the Civil War | 1861

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Before they marched off to fight in the Civil War in April 1861, Irish immigrant soldiers in Pottsville, PA gathered inside St. Patrick’s Church for Mass. Father Patrick Nugent spoke to them, "urging their stalwart defense and maintenance of our national Government..." Read the Full Story.

“The horrors of war are upon us” | Eckley, PA reacts to Fort Sumter and the opening of the Civil War

Posted on by Jake Wynn

“There is but one feeling expressed, and that is, the government must be sustained.” That line appeared in a letter written from Eckley, Pennsylvania just days after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. In the Coal Region, the news sparked a surge of patriotism as young men began volunteering for the US Army. Read the Full Story and Letter.

“A heroic soldier” – A moving obituary for Major Joseph Anthony | 1885

Posted on by Jake Wynn
Major Joseph Anthony 96th Pennsylvania Civil War Williamstown PA Coal Region

Major Joseph Anthony, an Irish immigrant and revered Civil War veteran, survived grievous wounds at Chancellorsville only to succumb to their effects in 1885. After the war, he helped shape anthracite mining in Williamstown, Pennsylvania, earning lasting admiration for his bravery and leadership. Read the full story and a moving obituary for this Civil War veteran.

Podcast | Before Emancipation: Reconstruction Starts on the South Carolina Coast with Rich Condon

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake and Molly are joined by public historian Rich Condon to explore the Port Royal Experiment - an early, improvised effort to build freedom during the Civil War. Long before Reconstruction formally began, formerly enslaved people tested land ownership, education, and self-governance in coastal South Carolina. Listen to the episode.

Walking the battlefield at Big Bethel | Hampton, Virginia

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Big Bethel has been one of those small sites on my Civil War bucket list for years. There's not much left of this tiny battlefield near Hampton, Virginia - just a small battlefield trail with signage at the water's edge with fighter jets roaring overhead. Read the full story.

A sailor at the Battle of Fort Fisher | A fascinating Civil War letter from 1865

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In January 1865, Welsh immigrant and Scranton resident Henry F. Evans wrote home after fighting ashore at Fort Fisher with the U.S. Navy. His letter captures the chaos, fear, and brutality of sailors turned infantry in one of the Civil War’s decisive battles. Read the full story.

Podcast | Irish Americans in the Civil War with Damian Shiels

Posted on by Jake Wynn

This episode of the Public History podcast looks beyond the Irish Brigade to the everyday lives of Irish-born Union soldiers. We dig into letters, pension files, class, money, and memory with historian Damien Shiels and why Irish Civil War service has long been misunderstood on both sides of the Atlantic. Listen to the episode.

Podcast | The 1880s battle over Gettysburg’s first Confederate monument with Codie Eash

Posted on by Jake Wynn

What feels like a modern fight over Confederate monuments began at Gettysburg in the 1880s. In this episode of the Public History Podcast, Codie Eash shows how veterans battled over memory, treason, and power - and how the Lost Cause was challenged by US veterans from the start on America’s most famous battlefield. Read the full story.