Citizens Library hosts Gettysburg talk
The role men from Washington County played in the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg is the subject of a talk being given by two battlefield guide experts April 29.
Richard Schroeder and Francis Feyock will speak at Citizens Library on “Washington County’s Sons Defend the Keystone State, a Story of Hope and Honor” at 2 pm. that Saturday.
“We will visit the stories of the sons from Washington County, those who stood, those who fell and those who never came home,” Feyock said.
He and Schroeder are fully accredited to give tours of historical sites, having passed the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides exam.
Schroeder, a retired orthopedic surgeon, and Feyock, a retired certified registered nurse anesthetist, have spoken at the library before about medical care provided to soldiers in the Civil War. Their presentation in October was entitled, “Civil War & Surgery.”
They highlighted the work of Dr. Jonathan Letterman, a Canonsburg native and Civil War battlefield doctor who developed a system of triage for patient treatment.
Gettysburg was the site of one of the bloodiest Civil War battles when Union and Confederate forces met there on July 1-3, 1863. Between 7,000 and 10,000 men died, but more than 33,000 were wounded in the fight to keep Confederate forces led by Gen. Robert E. Lee from advancing further north. Today the National Military Park encompasses 6,000 acres and includes Gettysburg National Cemetery. The cemetery, which was dedicated Nov. 19, 1863, was where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous two-minute “Gettysburg Address.”
The local event is being sponsored by Funburger Tours. Funburger Tours is also sponsoring a one-day bus trip to the Gettysburg Military Park June 3 where Schroder and Feyock will serve as battlefield guides. For more information contact funburgertours.com or call 724-263-1419.