Brooklyn and the Civil War

During the Civil War, Brooklyn was the third largest city in the Union, and more than 30,000 of its residents enlisted as soldiers and sailors. Join Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman and writer Matthew Dellinger as they share the stories of Brooklynites who took up arms: Clarence D. MacKenzie, the 12 year-old drummer boy who became the first casualty of the Civil War from Kings County; Colonel Edward Fowler who led the 14th Brooklyn Infantry at Gettysburg; Brooklyn native “The Gallant Samuel Sims,” who died at the Battle of the Crater in Petersburg, Virginia; and many others.

The trolley tour will also explore the crucial role of women on the home front, namely those who organized The Brooklyn Sanitary Fair of 1864, which raised funds for clothing and medical supplies for the troops. Reservations are recommended.