Sergeant Henry Keiser | A Pennsylvania soldier at Appomattox Court House

Posted on by Jake Wynn

On April 9, 1865, Sergeant Henry Keiser of Wiconisco Township, PA, recorded in his diary the moment he and his fellow soldiers learned of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, marking the end of their service in the Civil War. After surviving brutal battles from Gettysburg to Cedar Creek, Keiser returned home to Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1933, remembered as a dedicated soldier and community member. Read the full story.

A Pennsylvania Civil War soldier documents the 1864 election

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In October and November 1864, Pennsylvania soldiers, including Sergeant Henry Keiser of Lykens, cast their votes for president from their army camps near the front lines. This pivotal moment in the Civil War helped secure Abraham Lincoln’s re-election, ensuring his policies of emancipation and Union victory would continue. Explore this firsthand account of wartime voting - the first "absentee" voting in Pennsylvania history. Read the full story.

Four Christmases – Holiday excerpts from Henry Keiser’s Civil War diary

Posted on by Jake Wynn

Four diary entries from the Civil War document the evolution of holiday experiences of a soldier from Pennsylvania's Coal Region.