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Walt Whitman’s O Captain! My Captain
Walt Whitman wrote the poem "O Captain! My Captain!" in 1865 in response to US President Abraham Lincoln's death. The poem was the most well-liked one written by Whitman during his lifetime and was the first to be included in an anthology after it was published. It is...
Samuel Abbott Cooley: The Civil War Photographer Who Captured History
Samuel Abbott Cooley, born on November 3, 1821, in Hartford, Connecticut, was a pioneering figure in Civil War photography. As the eldest child of Dr. Abiel Abbott Cooley and Lucretia Hurlbert Cooley, Samuel’s early life was shaped by his family’s support and the...
Laura Keene
Laura Keene, a renowned British-American stage actress, is celebrated for her pivotal role as the first influential female theater manager, instrumental in establishing New York City as the premier theatrical hub in the United States. Her legacy is forever intertwined...
Somebody’s Darling – A Civil War Poem
The poem was written by Marie Ravenel de La Coste and was later put to music. It appeared in newspapers, North and South, during the Civil War. A bleak and haunting poem about the loss of a young soldier during the Civil War. This poem, reprinted here as it...
Governor Curtain Proclaims Thanksgiving Day 1862
Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin issues this proclamation during the Civil War on October 16, 1861: Proclamation of a Day of Thanksgiving. – 1862. Pennsylvania, ss. (Signed) A. G. Curtin. IN THE NAME AND BY the Authority of the Commonwealth of...
David Wills RFP for the dead at Gettysburg
On October 15, 1863, David Wills posted advertisements across Gettysburg for contractors to remove the dead from the battlefield. He asked for a sealed proposal and a price for those interested in two job opportunities. The first was to identify and disinter the Union...
Pa Civil War Flags Education Center
On October 4, 2023 the new Pennsylvania Civil War Flags Education Center opened its doors at 2221 Forster Street, Harrisburg. I had the opportunity to tour the new facility as part of their grand opening event.
Gettysburg 160th Anniversary Recap
160th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg Recap Over the last weekend in June and the first weekend in July, I participated in and attended numerous events related to the 160th anniversary. First, I attended and presented at the Patriots of the Civil War...