"Deserter Country"

Associate Professor and historian, Robert Sandow explains why the Appalachian lumber country in northern Pennsylvania became a safe haven for anti-war supporters and army deserters prompting action from federal officials in 1864. Sandow grew up in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern PA, where family trips to its famous battlefields sparked a lifelong passion for Civil War history. He is an Associate Professor of History at Lock Haven University and alumnus of Penn State’s Richards Civil War Era Center.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Watch an interview with Sandow:

This episode was taped at The Union League of Philadelphia, which was founded as a patriotic society in 1862 to support the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln, and we visited The Heritage Center, which presents exhibits that focus on the Philadelphia home front during the Civil War.

Watch an interview with the Union League's Lucy Beard:

Additional Resources:

Descriptive List of Deserters in PA at Penn State Libraries

PA Civil War 150 on Opposition in the Homefront

Historical Society of PA’s  “Copperheads or Confederates?” Teacher’s Resources

Clearfield County Historical Society’s Bloody Knox Cabin

PA Lumber Region Heritage Region

Philadelphia Civil War History Consortium

The People’s Contest:  A Civil War Era Statewide Digital Archiving Project