Sullivan Ballou’s Last Letter
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
1M ago
On this Valentine’s Day, we remember the eloquent words of Major Sullivan Ballou whose last letter was written to his wife leading up to the battle at First Bull Run and found on his dead body after the battle.  Sullivan Ballou was a prosperous attorney at the age of 32 in Providence, Rhode Island when he answered Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers after Fort Sumter. The former Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives joined the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, where he was chosen as the major. By mid-July 1861, Ballou and his unit found themselves in a training camp in the natio ..read more
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Happy Valentine’s Day
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
1M ago
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Teaching the Civil War Photo: Library of Congress ..read more
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Death of a mascot – Sallie
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
1M ago
During the Civil War, many regiments had mascots to lift their spirits and provide a sense of companionship during the difficult and often terrifying days of battle. One such mascot was Sallie, a Staffordshire Terrier who became the beloved pet of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Sallie was a constant companion to the soldiers of the 11th, and her loyalty and bravery earned her a place in the hearts of many. Her story has been told and retold by soldiers, authors, and historians over the years, cementing her place in Civil War lore. On February 6, 1865, during the Union advan ..read more
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William Henry Johnson – Abraham Lincoln’s Valet
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
2M ago
On November 19, 1863, President Lincoln’s visit to Gettysburg was a whirlwind affair, lasting just 24 hours, yet packed with a relentless schedule. Despite retiring to bed late, Lincoln rose early on the 19th, embarking on a guided tour of the battlefield. The pivotal dedication ceremony commenced at 11:00 am, stretching over several hours, though Lincoln’s direct participation spanned a mere three minutes. Following this solemn event, he attended church services and indulged in a late luncheon before boarding the train bound for Washington. What remains relatively obscure about Lincoln’s Gett ..read more
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The Union Christmas Dinner
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
3M ago
The festive period embodies a time for togetherness and absolution, where we graciously welcome loved ones, no matter the distance they have traveled or any past grievances we might harbor. What truly matters is our shared kinship. In the December 31, 1864, issue of Harper’s Weekly, the renowned illustrator Thomas Nast sought to convey a similar message. As the Civil War approached its end, Nast departed from his customary depictions of wartime scenes and instead created a woodcut titled “The Union Christmas Dinner,” capturing the essence of the holiday season during the war’s fourth winter ..read more
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Thomas Nast’s Christmas Eve
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
3M ago
Thomas Nast created “Christmas Eve” for Harper’s Weekly in which he portrayed a wife separated from her soldier husband on Christmas Eve 1862. The sketch shows a family split apart by the Civil War. It is also one of the earliest images of Santa, in a sleigh, being pulled by reindeer.   Surrounding these two main images are a variety of scenes. In the upper left corner, an image of Santa Claus can be seen. Santa is crawling into a chimney. In the lower left is an image of soldiers marching in the snow. The upper right corner has another image of Santa, in a sleigh, being pulled by reindee ..read more
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The Story of ‘Jingle Bells’ by Oliver Ditson
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
3M ago
One of the cherished tunes that fills the air during the Christmas season originated not as a holiday anthem but as a humorous ditty performed in minstrel shows in the 1850s. “Jingle Bells” is among the most popular American songs of all time. Although it is strongly associated with Christmas, this story of a wintertime sleigh ride contains not a single holiday reference. Originally titled ‘The One Horse Open Sleigh’, the song was written by Medford, Massachusetts resident James Pierpont in 1850.  Inspired by the lively one-horse open-sleigh races between Medford Square and Malden Square ..read more
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Joseph Becker covers the Gettysburg cemetery dedication ceremony
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
4M ago
On December 5, 1863, a mere fortnight following President Lincoln’s iconic Gettysburg Address at the National Cemetery Dedication, a striking sketch graced the front page of “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.” This sketch captures the solemn ceremony as observed from a vantage point near the present-day O.O. Howard equestrian monument on East Cemetery Hill. The paper sent its “special artist” and reporter, Joseph Becker, to cover the Gettysburg cemetery dedication ceremony. His sketches of the event were translated into engravings and printed in the popular pictorial newspaper. In the for ..read more
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Thanksgiving in 1865
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by TeachCivilWar
4M ago
The following woodcut by Winslow Homer depicts the inaugural celebration of Thanksgiving as an official national holiday in the aftermath of the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a nationally recognized holiday, marking this historic moment near the war’s conclusion. This decision transformed a long-standing regional custom into a formal and distinctly American observance, aimed at forging a fresh sense of national unity and identity.   After the prolonged Civil War had concluded, veterans had the opportunity to display their firearms as mementos of ..read more
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The History of Thanksgiving in the United States
Teaching the Civil War with Technology
by beeghleytech
4M ago
The History of Thanksgiving in the United States In the early days of the United States, Thanksgiving was declared by Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison, but it was primarily observed on a state or territory level in the following years. However, one woman’s passionate advocacy would eventually lead to the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.  Poet and author, Sarah Josepha Hale, is renowned for her creation of the beloved nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Yet, her impact stretches far beyond the world of verse, leaving an enduring mark on hi ..read more
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