Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the Civil War
Erie County, Pennsylvania, played an outsized roll during America's Civil War. Nearly two-thirds of the eligible men served in the Army and Navy, far exceeding most other northern counties. Civil War historian George Deutsch will kick off the new, joint lecture series between the JES and the Erie Civil War Roundtable with this informative talk. The three infantry regiments raised primarily here were well-known for their hard-fighting records, but the story of Erie County goes well beyond those heroic men. One-thousand served in the Navy. The Steamer MICHIGAN, home ported in Erie, guarded both the northern frontier and the largest POW camp housing Confederate officers. The lecture will cover the economics, politics, the personalities, and highlight several families whose sacrifice was notable. As a bonus for this partnership kickoff, the Roundtable will display local relics from the Civil War.
Event in partnership with the Erie Civil War Roundtable, and is part of the JES's USA 250 Event Series.
Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State St, Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Tuesday, Feburary 17, 7-8:30PM
Admission: FREE
*If you do NOT receive a letter from info@jeserie.org within 24-48 hours regarding your registration, please check your spam or junk folder. Thank you!
George Deutsch, B.S., Executive Director, Emeritus, of the Erie County Historical Society/Hagen History Center is a leader in historical preservation and multiple public history projects. In 2022, he concluded a five-year, $11 Million, building and exhibit construction project for the History Center. He has co-founded several historical organizations related to the Civil War and the War of 1812 in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, including the Flagship Niagara League, which played a central role in reconstructing the U.S. Brig Niagara and creating the Erie Maritime Museum. He has taught history courses at the Chautauqua Institution in New York since 2005 and has lectured on both political and historical topics at Erie’s Jefferson Educational Society since 2010. For 30 years he has given numerous presentations on Civil War history across seven states and Washington, D.C. In 2023, Deutsch finished a three-year term on the Historical Marker Committee for the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. He continues to serve as a representative for the America250PA Commission. He has been published in numerous journals and also served as a consultant to National Geographic magazine for its Civil War sesquicentennial issue. Deutsch was honored twice by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and received the Local History Award in 2003 from the Erie County Historical Society. He earned a degree in history from Mercyhurst University and was also educated at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is currently writing a new book on the famous Civil War regiment, the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry from northwestern Pennsylvania.
