As we rapidly approach the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, Wabash Valley Visions & Voices is putting the final touches on a special collection celebrating and remembering the War Between the States or the War of the Rebellion. Many of the items in this collection are personal letters of soldiers. These letters provide a “ground level” view of the war — the hardships, sickness, death and, yes, the simple joys of life.
One such letter [a transcript] is from Confederate soldier Joseph Thompson to his wife, Mary, written near Corinth, Miss., April 27-29, 1862. It is part of the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection. Part of this letter reads:
“At dress parade, an order from [P.G.T.] Beauregard [Confederate general] was read commanding us to cook five days[’] rations and always keep that much ahead. Our boys were very much excited last evening as it was thought that the enemy would attack us this morning. They are surely advancing upon us. Yesterday, our advance guard had a bloody skirmish with them. Quite a number of our men was lost. Indeed, there is not a day but what there is a skirmish.
“The conscript law is, I fear, going to do much more harm than good. Our Volunteers are greatly excited. While regiments and companies whose time expired last week are now under arrest for stacking arms and declaring they would go home. The Soldiers feel that this law takes away their liberties and robs them of all the honor and patriotism of volunteering. With compulsory feeling in their breasts, they never will fight as they have done.
“They say that they will pay us today and, as soon as I get the money, I will close this letter. O, how I wish I could take the money to you my Self! Although my time is now so short, God only knows, in these critical times what may happen [h]ere then. But some how, I am bouyed up by hope, and hope bids me be of good cheer. What a blessed thing is hope.”
To view this transcript more closely, click
here. To learn more about the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project, visit
here.
The digitization of Civil War memorabilia is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act Mini-Digitization Grant from the Indiana State Library. Partners in the project include Indiana State University’s
Cunningham Memorial Library, the
Vigo County Public Library, the
Vigo County Historical Society and the
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.
One of the country’s leading child psychologists in the early to mid-twentieth century was born and raised in Terre Haute, Ind. Paul A. Witty entered this world July 23, 1898, at 1423 Poplar St. During his years in Terre Haute he matriculated at Wiley High School and then Indiana State Normal, the forerunner of Indiana State University.
Many people in both the North and the South believed that the Civil War would be over in a matter of months. Little did they realize that the war would last four terribly long years. Some of those caught up in the romanticizing were young boys who weren’t even shaving yet. Take, for example, Nicholas Filbeck of Terre Haute, Ind.
“My dear Mother:
There’s a plethora of artifacts waiting to be discovered on the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project website. Take, for instance, this solid brass cartridge box that is part of the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection. It was used by John T. Merry during the Civil War. This particular artifact has multiple photographs for better viewing.
Less than a month after the April 12, 1861, attack on Fort Sumter, Indiana Gov. Oliver Perry Morton requested that the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., provide assistance in the administration of City Hospital in Indianapolis, which had been turned over to the federal government for the care of soldiers. This hospital soon became known as Military Hospital and the Sisters of Providence became “Angels of Mercy” to Union and Confederate soldiers alike.
“Imbued with an insatiable desire to improve her skills, Sarah Scott was an unpretentious Terre Haute school teacher for 40 years.”
Aunt Lucy sent Irish wishes to some loved one with this 1949 St. Patrick’s Day greeting card. The inside of this card shows a boy and a girl holding a shamrock with the following words on the next panel: “To wish you worlds o’ Irish luck An’ lots o’ Irish cheer Not only on St. Patrick’s Day But all throughout the year.”
“For the first four decades of the 20th century, electric railroads — urban and interurban — provided the Wabash Valley with rapid and inexpensive transportation.”
As we rapidly approach the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, Wabash Valley Visions & Voices is putting the final touches on a special collection celebrating and remembering the War Between the States or the War of the Rebellion. Many of the items in this collection are personal letters of soldiers. These letters provide a “ground level” view of the war — the hardships, sickness, death and, yes, the simple joys of life.
February is Black History Month and 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. In recognition of these two events, Wabash Valley Visions & Voices shares the following image of a daguerreotype showing an African-American soldier in full Union Army dress. A small, ornate case with soft material protects the image. To view this image more closely, click here.
As the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln draws near it’s a good time to uplift the services of Terre Haute denizen John Gould Stephenson. Stephenson was chosen by President Lincoln to be librarian of Congress, beginning in May of 1861. At that time, the Library of Congress was located on the first floor of the Capitol Building.
It’s winter in Indiana and that can mean one thing — it’s basketball time in the Hoosier state!
Ah, nothing uplifts one’s spirits like a Christmas card with a cute baby on the front! This undated Christmas greeting came from the family of Larry, Linda and Tuesday Curtis. It is now part of the Christmas card collection of the Vigo County Historical Society, located at 1411 S. 6th Street, Terre Haute, Ind.
Thanksgiving and football — at one time in Terre Haute, Ind., these two things were inseparable. In the late 1990s, Mike McCormick, Vigo County historian, wrote about the Wiley-Garfield Turkey Day Game in an ad sponsored by Terre Haute First National (Financial) Bank, Wabash Valley Profiles: A series of tributes to hometown people and events that have shaped our history.
“You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.” These are a few of the words of Terre Haute poet and lawyer Max Ehrmann in his poem, Desiderata. A poem known throughout the world, Ehrmann was never given the proper recognition for his work. Indeed, through the years, many in Terre Haute forgot that a man from this city penned this work.