Litchfield County and the Civil War - Paperback

by Peter C. Vermilyea (Author)

Union victory in the Civil War was far from guaranteed. The Northern war effort depended upon local communities to raise the troops and supplies needed for the battlefield.

The history of Litchfield County highlights the challenges Northern communities faced. Armed confrontation erupted over the flying of secession flags. Supporting the war effort provided women with skills and experiences that would aid in the suffrage movement. Scandal swirled around the local army medical examiner. Family and friends actively supported their loved ones as they transformed from civilians to soldiers.

Author Peter C. Vermilyea uses first-hand accounts-many never published before-to investigate these events and show how the process of preparing for war created a lasting bond between a community and its soldiers.

Author Biography

Peter C. Vermilyea teaches history at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, Connecticut. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he is the director of the student scholarship program at his alma mater's Civil War Institute. Vermilyea is the author of Hidden History of Litchfield County (The History Press, 2014), which received the 2015 CultureMax Award, and Wicked Litchfield County (The History Press, 2016), as well as more than two dozen articles, mostly on Civil War history. He lives in Litchfield, Connecticut, with his wife and two sons.