Join David A. Welker as he brings to light the story of the Veteran Reserve Corps and the wounded soldiers who helped defend the Union.

The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally known as the Union’s Invalid Corps, was created when President Lincoln called 60,000 wounded combat veterans back to service during the war’s darkest days. These men overcame ridicule and public scorn to contribute to Union victory, including their often overlooked role in saving the nation’s capital from Confederate attack in July 1864.

David A. Welker is a professional historian with the US Government and author of three Civil War histories, The Cornfield: Antietam’s Turning Point; Tempest at OxHill: The Battle of Chantilly and A Keystone Rebel: The Diary of Joseph Garey. Welker is also the author of numerous magazine articles and a frequent public speaker on diverse aspects of the war.