New Yorkers at Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863

American historian Tom Henry will present at Oneida Public Library on Thursday, June 6, at 7 p.m. “Gettysburg: Central New Yorkers Hold the Line,” an illustrated talk on the vital role the Union troops from Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego counties played in the Battle of Gettysburg June 1-3, 1863.

“Eight local regiments were all in the field at Gettysburg 150 years ago,” Henry said. “Found in six of the seven Union Corps, local men were in the thick of some of the hardest fighting in the field during all three days of the battle, playing critical parts as the stages of the battle unfolded.”

The 157th N.Y. Regiment's advanced position at Gettysburg,
July 1, 1863

At Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia led by Gen. Robert E. Lee collided with Union troops under the command of Gen. George Meade in what many historians consider the pivotal battle of the Civil War. During the three-day battle, some 94,000 Northerners fought 71,700 Southerners. By battle’s end, both sides had suffered a total of 46,286 casualties, the largest number of any single Civil War battle.

Henry, who retired from teaching social studies at Liverpool High School in 2009, has taught as an adjunct professor of history at S.U.N.Y. at Cortland and at Syracuse University and given courses on U.S. history, the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court at Oasis Senior Living in Syracuse. He was first runner up for the 1999 New York State Teacher of the Year award and was honored as the 2002 N.Y.S. Social Studies Teacher of the Year.

Henry has been a writer for the education division of Colonial Williamsburg since 1997 and serves as a master teacher in Colonial Williamsburg’s Idea of America program. He has focused his research in U.S. Civil War history on Central New York communities before and during the war, with special interest in local soldier recruitment.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, stop by the Oneida Library, 220 Broad St., or call 363-3050.

And now for something different . . .

Can a Community Supplemental
Needs Trust Work for You?

June 5
Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Are you disabled? On SSDI or SSI? Need healthcare coverage but can’t get Medicaid? Nancy Klossner of the Resource Center for Independent Living and Brian Barnard, a disability rights advocate, explain how a “pooled” trust can legally “spend down” your income on your rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc., so you become eligible for Medicaid.

Puppy Dog Tales

June 6
Thursday at 4 p.m.
Join some therapy dogs from Wanderers’ Rest and listen to a reading by Hank Leo, Jr., of his new children’s book In Your Hands.

June 13
Book Talk with John Ready
Thursday at 7 p.m.

U.S. Army Maj. John Ready presents his first book, Does My Suicide Vest Make Me Look Fat?—a memoir of his year on duty in war-torn Iraq, 2003-04. Copies of the recently published book will be on sale for signing by the author.

Updated 22 May 2013

1875 Atlas of Madison County from the OPL History Collection is now on line on the New York Heritage web site. Click here for high-resolution images of the maps of all towns, villages and hamlets in Madison County, N.Y., with the names of individual property owners in 1875.

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OPL Trustees meet May 23
The Oneida Public Library Board of Trustees will next meet Thursday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. in the library's Local History Room. The public is invited to attend.

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