Lance is a passionate researcher and collector of the Civil War era, with special emphasis on the 95th New York and the 115th New York.
He has more than 14 relatives who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He has been painstakingly writing the regimental history of the 95th New York and has made over 150 trips to the National Archives in Washington, DC for research as well as numerous field trips to many battlefields where the 95th was engaged, especially Gettysburg, Pa.
He retired in 2005, at age 55 after a carrier in the insurance world and moved to his home town of Saratoga Springs, NY. In retirement he has served as President of the Friends of US Grant Cottage, (Grant’s last residence), President of the Friends of the NY State Military Museum and organized the Saratoga Civil War Encampment which educated and entertained the residents for 7 years. He also served as Chair of the New York State Sesquicentennial Committee of the Civil War. This coming year he will serve as President of the Saratoga Springs Lions Club. He co-authored and was business manager for “The Centennial History of Saratoga Springs, NY”, published in 2015 and authored the chapter on “Saratoga During the Civil War”.
His family connections to the Civil War era are most interesting and will be discussed during his lecture.