Shifting Terminology for Enslaved People
As the Civil War transformed the legal and social status of Black Americans, the language used to describe them evolved as well. In 1861, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler claimed
Tag: 1863
“I Set Forth in the December Twilight”
By Melissa A. Winn Long before Little Women became a beloved classic, Louisa May Alcott emerged as a young woman of principle and passion, shaped by poverty, reformist ideals, and
“Very Affectionately Yours for Our Country”: Assistant Surgeon Nathaniel B. Colman of the 17th Maine Infantry
By Jack Hurov, with an image and artifacts from the Author’s collection Late in the afternoon on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Nathaniel Bryant Colman of the 17th Maine Infantry
Paper Trail
Printed on a thin strip of paper cut from a newspaper page and tucked behind the mat of Oliver Gardner’s portrait are poignant details of his Civil War service. He
“Hold Straight On” at Salem Church
On the battlefield of Salem Church, the 16th New York Infantry held its ground against a larger force of Confederates. But as the fire intensified and the full weight of
Press Coverage of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, May-November 1863
The Siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg decided the fate of the Southern armies, and ultimately the Confederate nation. Gettysburg went down in history as the best remembered
“Lost an Arm in Freedom’s Fray”: Union amputees after Gettysburg
By Charles T. Joyce The destructive force of explosive artillery shells and soft lead Minié balls, combined with 19th century military medicine, took a toll on Union soldiers. The wounded
Participants in an Early Commemoration at Gettysburg’s National Cemetery? A post-war portrait shines a light on a little remembered 1865 event.
By Elizabeth A. Topping This carte de visite of an officer and ladies taken in Gettysburg, Pa., two years after the momentous battle fought in and about the town begs
The USCC at Camp Letterman
By Elizabeth A. Topping The bloody conflict that raged in and around the Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg for three days in early July 1863 resulted in 51,000 casualties. They included
They Knew Gettysburg Before the Battle
Included among the millions of artifacts in the collections of the Adams County Historical Society are these hard plate portraits of individuals connected to Gettysburg, Pa. Most were residents whose