Four diary entries from the Civil War document the evolution of holiday experiences of a soldier from Pennsylvania's Coal Region.
Four Christmases – Holiday excerpts from Henry Keiser’s Civil War diary
Thanksgiving Day in Schuylkill County – 1864
A detailed description of how Schuylkill County celebrated Thanksgiving as the Civil War reached its climax.
In 1861, remnants of a hurricane tore apart a Union army encampment above Pottsville
As the men of the 96th Pennsylvania gathered for training in Pottsville in September 1861, a hurricane battered their makeshift encampment.
“The Coal-heavers” – Reading David Ward’s “96th Pennsylvania Volunteers”
After more than 150 years, a regimental history finally tells the story of this Coal Region regiment.
“They died for you and me” – Captain John T. Boyle’s 1879 Memorial Day Poem
The veteran of the 96th Pennsylvania read his poem at Memorial Day festivities in Harrisburg on May 29, 1879.
A Civil War officer’s grisly amputation at Spotsylvania Court House on May 10, 1864
Captain Edwin L. Severn lost his right arm at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 10, 1864.
Lawyer, Soldier, Writer – The death of Captain John T. Boyle, 96th Pennsylvania
Boyle acted as an unofficial historian for the 96th Pennsylvania. He died on October 11, 1912 at the age of 79.
Amid chaos surrounding the Battle of Antietam, Schuylkill County prepared for war
When a Confederate army threatened Pennsylvania in September 1862, the citizens of Pottsville jumped into action. They also felt the harsh hand of war.
“Played Out” – Corporal Henry Keiser and Disease in the Seven Days’ Battles
Keiser was fighting a potentially deadly illness and evading capture by advancing Confederate soldiers.
A Pottsville Doctor Reports on the 96th Pennsylvania at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill
A Pottsville physician travels to the Peninsula to report on the experiences of the 96th Pennsylvania at Gaines' Mill.
