Building off their first of the year topic, Pat and Matt got the chance to discuss the most famous soldiers of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, the coal miners of the 48 Pennsylvania Infantry! To help flesh out the history of this well known and documented regiment is fellow ranger, John Hoptak.

John and Matt go way back, having both previously worked at Antietam National Battlefield and Pat was fortunate to attend several of John's programs while he was there. Throughout the years however the 48th Pennsylvania has been a passion project for John, not only on the battlefields of the National Park Service, but also in his personal research and writing.

This is a fantastic discussion that covers all aspects of the regiment and the men that made up its ranks. It also wouldn't be a talk on the 48th Pennsylvania without covering it's most famous digging operation during the Siege of Petersburg and the tragedy that followed their success.

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