From Deck to Deadline: B.S. Osbon's Civil War Naval Experience – How One Man Served in the Union Navy, Reported the War, and Illustrated the Conflict
B.S. Osbon was no ordinary Civil War figure. He wore three hats concurrently during the Civil War: sailor, newspaper correspondent, and illustrator. Serving either as a naval signal officer or as a clerk, Osbon had access to naval operations from a perspective unavailable to other land-based correspondents or illustrators. His articles and illustrations were widely published in Union periodicals and newspapers. Osbon's first assignment was to cover the relief of Fort Sumter in April 1861. Balancing between his reporter and Navy roles was not always easy. Wounded in battle and acquainted with Union leaders from President Lincoln to Admiral Farragut, Osbon's story is unique in the history of Civil War journalism, which Brian Graff will share in this partnership lecture series between the JES and the Erie Civil War Roundtable.
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, March 17, 7-8:30PM
Admission: FREE
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Brian Graff is a retired federal employee who moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, from Washington, D.C. in 2016. As a geographer for the government, he had a varied career with service at the Defense Mapping Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Graff earned an M.A. in Geography at the University of Illinois in 1983 and an M.S. in Strategic Science from the Joint Military Intelligence College in 2006. His Master’s thesis earned the 2005-2006 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award for Excellence in Archival Research. Since coming to Erie, Mr. Graff has volunteered at various organizations, such as the Hagen History Center (Erie County Historical Society), the Erie Cemetery, and Hooked on Books. He has had a lifetime interest in the Civil War, and is a frequent speaker at the Erie County Civil War Roundtable and the Crawford County Civil War Roundtable.
