Luxuries & Amusements:   Picnics and Photographs

    The ‘New York Journal of Commerce’ in the middle of the war found picnics in full blast in the groves and parks of that city; there were Sunday-school picnics, church picnics, an charitable society picnics; picnics everywhere and of every kind were the rage. “There is real moral heroism in the way some people attend picnics. They rise early and take their household flock with them. They carry enormous baskets. They pack themselves into the stages three deep, or wedge themselves into cars, or stand in the burning sun on the decks of the crowded steamboats.  During the afternoon a shower sets in and drives the party to the shelter of the largest tree.” More on Luxuries & Amusements: Picnics & Photographs

Anecdotes, Poetry and Incidents of the War: North and South. 1860-1865.
Collected and Arranged by Frank Moore, published 1867

By John G. Whittier.

Up the hill-side, down the glen,
Rouse the Bleeping citizen;
Summon out the might of men!

Like a lion growling low—
Like a night-storm rising slow—
Like the tread of unseen foe—

It is coming —it is nigh!
Stand your homes and altars by,
On your own free threshold die.

Clang the bells in all your spires,
On the gray hills of your sires
Fling to heaven your signal-fires.

Oh! for God and duty stand,
Heart to heart, and hand to hand,
Bound the old graves of the land.

Whoso shrinks or falters now,
Whoso to the yoke would bow,
Brand the craven on his brow. More on The Voice of the North.

The strange experience of war, the excitement, and the commercial
depression at first kept people away from the popular watering places,
Saratoga, Nahant, and Cape May, and from the many places of less importance
on the Hudson, at Lake George and Lake Champlain, on the Great Lakes, on the
Maine coast, and in the White Mountains. Even during the second year of the
war, along with slowly increasing attendance there was yet a cast of
seriousness over all the resorts, and many a hotel had its society of belles
for the making of bandages, lint, etc., but within another twelve months
frivolity reigned supreme, unattended by any tokens of war. More on Luxuries & Amusements: Fashions

Anecdotes, Poetry and Incidents of the War: North and South. 1860-1865.
Collected and Arranged by Frank Moore, published 1867

            AT sunrise, on December 20th, 1862, ten companies of the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry—460 men, under command of Major Russell, and eight companies of the Second Michigan—800 men, under command of Col. Campbell, marched due east from Nicholasville, Ky., on a secret expedition, for which thirty days were allotted for those who should be so fortunate as to return. The orders were to move “light and easy,” without tents, baggage or extra clothing; carry on your horse all you wanted, and two shoes and twenty nails for him. There were ten days’ rations issued, which each trooper carried. Marching through the farms and by-paths to avoid all towns and villages, crossing the Kentucky river at an out of the way ford, and ascending Big Hill south of Richmond, we arrived at McKees, county town of Jackson county, Ky., containing six or eight houses, being the first village we had passed through. We were halted here one day, for a corn and provision train to come up that had pack-saddles in it. There were fifty mules packed here with two days’ rations, and the wagons sent back to Lexington with half team force, leaving corn for our return, there being none in Jackson county.

            December 24th.—The weather had been very fair and beautiful, except this last day, which was rainy and cold, and we marched out in the rain for Goose creek, near its junction with the Red Bird fork of Kentucky river. Halting in the meadow an hour to give the horses a bite of hay (the first they had for four days, and about all they ever got on the march), we were joined by the Seventh Ohio Cavalry—240 men—from Winchester, Ky., under command of Major Reany. The whole force now numbered 1,000 men, and was under command of Brig. Gen. Carter, having on his staff Col. Carter, Col. Walker, Col. Garrett, Capt. Watkins, Capt. M’Nish, Capt. Easley and others, all acting as aids, assistants, or guides. We now ascertained we were sent to burn the bridges on the East Tennessee railroad, and were expected to foot it half the way over the successive steep and rugged mountain ranges of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, and recommended to cheerfully endure all the hardships and place ourselves on half rations to begin with. I will say for the soldiers that no man cavilled at it, or wanted to turn his back, but all went cheerfully forward, bearing their own burdens as best they might, without sleep, on half rations, food half cooked, and boots worn off their feet by tramping over the rocks to ease their own good horses, and trusting to Providence to keep down the wide and More on A Scout To East Tennessee by the Lochiel Cavalry

Among the three hundred and thirty volunteers from the neighborhood of
Erie, who passed through the city Thursday evening, on their way to
Pittsburg, were a number of farmers who had left everything in their hurried
departure. One old man was shearing a sheep when he was hailed by they
passing troop. He left the sheep half shorn, hung up the shears, and fell
into the ranks.
-Republican Advocate – Batavia, Genesee county- NY
June 30-1863.

Union Home and School for the Education and Maintenance
of Children of Our Volunteers, New York.

This organization, the first of its kind established in the country, was
organized in May, 1861, and incorporated by the Legislature, April 22d,
1862.

The building now occupied was purchased in 1868, at a cost of $32,000.
It is a commodious brick edifice, formerly a private residence, and will
accommodate two hundred and fifty inmates. During the past year it has been
extensively repaired, and is well suited for its present purposes. Its
location is on Eleventh avenue and One Hundred and Fifty-first street, near
Carmansville.

More on Union Home & School for Children of Volunteers

Anecdotes, Poetry and Incidents of the War: North and South. 1860-1865.
Collected and Arranged by Frank Moore, published 1867

            The following occurred on board the steamer Canada during her passage from Dubuque to St. Louis.

            In the evening while many of the passengers were engaged in conversation, others whiling away their time at “euchre,” while some more rude perhaps, with the ribald jest and ungentlemanly oath, were passing the evening away, a young man seated himself at one of the tables, and engaged in reading his Bible. Another, and still another took their places around this temporary altar, until nearly all of that little band of soldiers, numbering about twenty, were reading the Scriptures. An aged man took his station in their midst. He had a pious and venerable air, for his hoary locks proclaimed that many a winter had passed over his head. There, those farming boys, with that old man, formed a group, whose actions indeed were worthy of all commendation. The creaking machinery of the boat, the dirge-like music of the wind, was loud; yet, above the clatter, all things else, we know those boys were heard in heaven, and that their prayers will be answered! Their Bibles, precious gift of home, are sacred with them, and will shield them too, when the glittering mail of yore would fall. Parents and friends of home, fear not for such brave sons, who, relying on Heaven, are not ashamed nor afraid to praise God, and do battle for the Star-Spangled Banner.

            These were soldiers of the regular army enlisted in Dubuque, by Captain Washington.

SUMMARY: Photograph of Washington, 1862-1865, view of the defenses of Washington. Photograph of 1st Connecticut Artillery drilling at Fort Richardson.

MEDIUM: 1 negative (2 plates) : glass, stereograph, wet collodion.

Civil War photographs, 1861-1865 / compiled by Hirst D. Milhollen and Donald H. Mugridge, Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1977.

digital file from original neg. of left half

Head Quarters Near Muddy Run,
Oct. 26, 1861.

I have had a very hard hard time since I wrote to you last, and have witnessed some horrible sights – sights that would make any one’s blood run cold.

A week ago last Sunday, sixteen of our cavalry were ordered out to escort a paymaster up to Frederick City, and from there to Williamsport, and then to Harper’s Ferry. When we arrived at the Ferry, they were having a battle, and we had to remain two days, for the regiment we went to pay off were on the battle field-and here we witnessed an awful sight, for there were a great many killed and wounded. Our loss was five killed and seven wounded, and the rebel loss was eighty killed and fifty or sixty wounded. Our men who were killed were stripped and then bayoneted by the rebels. More on Head Quarters Near Muddy Run

Fort Marshall,

Baltimore, July, 7, 1863.

    Friend Waite: – Yesterday was a lively day in this city, all available troops having been ordered to the front, but I am sorry to say our regiment was not fortunate enough to be among them, as it was found absolutely necessary to detain a small garrison here for each fort, and they have plenty of business on land just now, in looking after the rebel prisoners captured in the late battles, – for four thousand having arrived at Fort McHenry during the past two days, besides many wagon loads of wounded. More on Army Correspondence: Fort Marshall