Lackawanna Historical Society hosts Civil War book talk and signing at Waverly House

WAVERLY, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The Lackawanna Historical Society and Waverly Community House hosted a presentation and book signing Wednesday focused on the Civil War service of soldiers from Susquehanna County and their ties to the Lackawanna County area.

The event at the Waverly Community House featured James Knarr, editor of “The Susquehanna Union Volunteers.” Knarr discussed the history of Company H of the 4th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry, a unit of nearly 100 men and the first Civil War company raised in Susquehanna County.

Knarr said the book traces the company’s service with the Army of the Potomac from 1861 to 1865 and explores both the soldiers’ military experiences and their lives away from the battlefield.

“I’ll be discussing the unit’s military history, including its service in major battles like Antietam, Fredericksburg and Second Bull Run, but also the social aspects of their lives, including what life was like for these men from Northeast Pennsylvania, many of whom were drafted while others volunteered to serve their nation,” said Knarr.

Knarr also discussed Waverly native Thomas W. Stone, who joined Company H in May 1861. Stone was killed the following year at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill and was buried in Hickory Grove Cemetery in Waverly.

The work was originally published in 1885 by Marshall Van Scoten and, according to Knarr, is now difficult to find. For the new edition, published in 2025, Knarr re-edited the original text and added an introduction, conclusion, footnotes and letters written home by members of the company.

Knarr added that the history remained relevant to residents because many people in the region live in the same communities, and in some cases the same homes, connected to the soldiers who served. He said studying how those men faced difficult periods in the nation’s history could help people better understand challenges in the present.

Copies of “The Susquehanna Union Volunteers” are available through the Lackawanna Historical Society. Knarr said the book is also available on Amazon.