Author Talk with Peter Vermilyea

The Strange Case of Dr. Beckwith: A Tale of Scandal and Intrigue in Civil War Litchfield County

The Gunn Memorial Library and the Hickory Stick Bookshop are pleased to welcome author Peter Vermilyea to the library on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 6 PM for a captivating talk on his latest book, Litchfield County and the Civil War.

In his book, Peter Vermilyea analyzes the impact of the Civil War on Northern home life through the lens of a unique case in Litchfield. The book uses first-hand accounts to explore the process of preparing for war and how it created a bond between the community and its soldiers. In 1862, state and local governments struggled to meet President Lincoln’s call for troops, leading to accusations of corruption and disloyalty against a prominent citizen, Dr. Josiah Beckwith. The case sheds light on the local impact of the war efforts on the Northern home front.

Copies of Peter Vermilyea’s book will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of the Hickory Stick Bookshop.

Register here

About the Author:
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.