Join us on Saturday, August 6, at the newly restored Swetland Homestead, 885 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming PA for a Civil War Encampment and “Meet the Generals” event featuring members of the 153rd PA Volunteer Infantry re-enactment group. The encampment will run from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. and admission is just $5 for LCHS members and $8 for nonmembers.

 

Come and see an authentic Union Army camp and learn about a soldier’s daily life. See a field hospital and hear lectures on Civil War-era medicine. Talk with soldiers and civilians alike and see drilling and battlefield maneuvers. 1860s pastimes and hobbies will also be discussed. The Swetland Homestead will be open for tours with period re-enactors, and an open-hearth cooking demo over the fire in the Summer kitchen.

 

Also featured will be a unique “Meet the Generals” event at 1pm. Attendees will be able to meet and ask questions of some of the era’s most famous individuals including Gen. Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Union Army 1862-1863, Captain Robert Smalls, the African-American who disguised as a Confederate soldier, stole a steamship and while evading the Southern Navy escaped to freedom with 17 others, as well as legendary female Union spy Maj. Pauline Cushman and many others. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to hear their stories directly from them. For more information call 570-823-6244 ext. 3 or email reservations@luzernehistoy.org.

 

The 153rd PA Volunteer Infantry is a not-for-profit reenacting unit formed to honor the men of the original unit and to educate the public on their role, the life of the soldier, and the role of the average citizen during the American Civil War through reenactments, living history events, lectures, and school visits. As a unit, they are dedicated to authentic and accurate portrayals of the time period. To that end, a set of principles of authenticity, safety, and courtesy have been developed by the officers of the unit to guide the membership in their roles as soldiers and civilians.

 

Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort, and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.