Category Archives: 150 Years Ago This Month

straddle

It’s May 1st somewhere … Since the beginning of the war Elmira served as a rendezvous point for New York soldiers heading south. Here’s evidence that Union soldier miscreants were also confined there and that Confederate prisoners would soon be … Continue reading

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aiding and abedding

Desperation sure can lead to some creativity. Here a soldier and his friends used a “novel mode” to try to escape the military, but the Confederate authorities eventually got their man. The Richmond paper reminded their readers about the high … Continue reading

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brief furlough

From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in April 1864: AT HOME. – Lieut. WM. VAN RENSSELEAR of the 50th Engineer Regiment, is at home on a brief furlough.

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marry the family

Mary, the family In April 1864 a Democrat newspaper in Seneca County, New York reprinted some alleged investigative journalism by a New York City publication: Treason at the White House. The Tribune a few days ago asserted that Mrs. J. … Continue reading

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Aprilpole

A photograph of the “Military telegraph construction corps” taken by Alexander Gardner in April 1865: You can read more about this photograph at the Cornell Library. Apparently as the Overland campaign began in May 1864 a new insulated wire began … Continue reading

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plus … and minus

The army reported on the number of troops it added from January 1863. A Democrat publication said the net gain needed to be adjusted for re-enlistments and lost men. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in March 1864: The … Continue reading

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rebel strength

As the undoubted spring campaign approached, a northern journalist tried to ascertain the rebel strength. He came up with numbers in all the southern armies and suggested that “Anaconda” might be squeezing the South into much greater self-reliance. From a … Continue reading

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potpourri

150 years ago this month a grab bag of miscellaneous news was dominated by the war. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in March 1864: News Miscellany. No less than 500 of our prisoners in Richmond died during February. … Continue reading

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diggin’ for the CSA

This notice has been running in the Dispatch most of the month. The Confederate Niter and Mining Bureau was tasked with supplying necessary minerals and metals to the South’s military. As white men continued to get killed and wounded and … Continue reading

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reprieve

From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in March 1864: SENTENCED TO BE SHOT. – At a recent court martial, presided over by Capt. Winfield Scott, of the 126th Regiment, private Chas. Audler, of the 108th Regiment, was tried, convicted, … Continue reading

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