Write a commentThe H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego is pleased to present the fourth installment the 2017 History Lecture Series featuring Dr. Natalie Joy Woodall.
President Abraham Lincoln’s decision to institute a draft to raise 300,000 new troops to bolster the depleted ranks of the Union Army in the summer of 1862 elicited enthusiastic opposition in Oswego County. Declaring that a draft would be dishonorable, a War Committee consisting of several influential men traversed the length and breadth of the county to persuade fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands to leave the “cooling shores of Lake Ontario” to serve their county in some unknown, faraway place. Men from all walks of life demonstrated their patriotism by enlisting in the organization which came to be known as the 110th Regiment NYSV. Among the 1,000+ recruits was a special group, lake sailors who were, by federal decree, exempt from the draft. Their motivations for enlisting, wartime experiences, post-war careers, and ultimate fates form a significant part of this presentation.
Dr. Natalie Joy Woodall has lived in Oswego, New York for more than thirty years. The holder of two doctorates, she has been a teacher, college professor, newspaper reporter, and scuba instructor. Her interest in local history and genealogy has led to the publication of two full-length books, Oswego County and the Civil War: They Answered the Call and Men of the 110th Regiment: Oswego’s Own. She is currently researching a third book dealing with Oswego’s famous 147th Regiment.
Museum Curator, Michael Pittavino notes that “while Central New York is well known for its involvement in the abolitionist movement, Dr. Woodall’s discussion features the Lake Ontario sailors who willingly enlisted in the Union Army, and takes a fresh look at this regions contribution to the causes of the Civil War.”
This lecture will take place at the Maritime Museum, on the West First Street Pier, on Saturday, September 23rd at 1:30 pm. The event is FREE and open to the public. The Museum is also taking part in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Day Live! offering those with a qualifying ticket free admission for two to the Museum’s campus. For more information about this program, or other Museum activities, visit www.hlwmm.org or contact the Museum at (315) 342-0480.
