“There was no better or braver soldier than... John Dougherty.” At the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862, a Pottsville railroad worker turned US Army officer fell leading his men into battle. I recently visited the grave of this Irish-born Civil War hero in Pottsville, PA. Read the full story.
Alexander Campbell’s 1877 wake wasn’t the wild scene newspapers loved to imagine. A reporter found a quiet house, women keeping vigil, and men talking in low voices after the execution of 10 Molly Maguires. But his funeral the next day drew one of the biggest crowds the Coal Region had ever seen. Behind the legends, a far more human story comes into focus. Read the full story.
Alexander Campbell, born in County Donegal, Ireland, settled in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region after the American Civil War. Accused of involvement with the Molly Maguires, he was executed in 1877, leaving behind a haunting legacy. Follow his journey from Donegal’s rugged coastline to the gallows at Jim Thorpe. Read the full story.