One of the first Coal Region soldiers to die in the Civil War never saw a battlefield. Henry Yeager of Pine Grove was 21 years old when he fell ill at Camp Slifer near Chambersburg. He died on June 1, 1861 - not from enemy fire, but from spotted fever. His body was sent home draped in American flags. Read the story.
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.
Dive into a rarely told piece of Civil War history, where doctors, nurses, and volunteers fought to keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive for wounded soldiers. Discover how these hospital celebrations offered hope and normalcy amid the chaos of conflict. Read the full story.
Netflix’s Death by Lightning tackles Garfield’s brief presidency, his assassination, and Charles Guiteau’s madness. In this episode of the Public History podcast, we offer our review and take a look at the history behind this series about the 20th President of the United States and the man who killed him. Listen to the episode.
Netflix’s upcoming miniseries Death by Lightning takes on one of America’s most tragic presidential stories—the 1881 assassination of James A. Garfield and the medical blunders that doomed him. Starring Michael Shannon, Nick Offerman, and Matthew Macfadyen and based on Candace Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, this one hits close to home for me. Read the full story.
In July 1864, Union and Confederate troops clashed near Frederick, Maryland, at the Battle of Monocacy. In 2021, I recorded a series of videos at Monocacy National Battlefield highlighting the medical story of the battle in partnership with historians and park rangers for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Watch the videos and learn more of the story.
As news of President Garfield’s shocking 1881 shooting reached the Coal Region, communities in Luzerne County paused in unified grief and anxious curiosity—echoing the sorrow of Lincoln’s assassination. Discover how local papers and citizens reacted to this national crisis and its lingering impact. Read the full story.
George Keiser died of typhoid fever in 1863. He was 17 and had just returned from service in the Pennsylvania militia during the Civil War.
Private Samuel Veatch used poetry to record the final words of comrades at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg in January 1862.
Captain Edwin L. Severn lost his right arm at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 10, 1864.