Jun

William P. Willey’s April 1861 letters

Posted by solnitr Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Letters & Diaries

William Patrick Willey, Dickinson College Class of 1862, was determined to graduate even though all odds seemed to be against him. As a junior in college, Willey’s world erupted as his country went to war with itself after the battle of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Ten days later Willey wrote his father, the […]

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Jun

Carlisle Fencibles

Posted by mckelveb Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Letters & Diaries, Rare Books

After the outbreak of the Civil War, four volunteer companies originally consisting of fifty to one hundred men were recruited in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on April 19, 1861. On April 21, the officers were chosen with Captain Robert M. Henderson, in charge of Company A of the 36th Regiment, 7th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. Henderson was assisted […]

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Jun

Outbreak of War at Dickinson College

Posted by rainwatj Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Letters & Diaries

The Dickinson College student body was evenly divided between Northern and Southern students who fought on both sides of the conflict. The split is well documented in Dickinson College class of 1861 student Francis Benjamin Sellers’ Autograph Album for the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Taken from the Phi Kappa Sigma News Letter, Fall, 1954: “On […]

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Jun

Frederick Douglass – Visit to Carlisle in 1872

Posted by sailerd Published in Historic Periodicals, Reconstruction (1865-1880)

Frederick Douglass gave a speech in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on March 2, 1872 about his work relating to Santo Domingo. In 1871 President Ulysses S. Grant had appointed Douglass to the Commission of Inquiry for the annexation of Santo Domingo the United States of America. Douglass delivered his speech at Rheem’s Hall, which was located behind […]

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Jun

The Capture of Fort Donelson: February 16, 1862

Posted by solnitr Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Lesson Plans, Places to Visit, Recent Scholarship

In Ulysses S. Grant ’s memoir, fully available on Google Books, the brigadier general recollected that from February 11 to 16 1862, his men battled extreme winter conditions that alternated between “rain and snow, thawing and freezing” in addition to engaging the 21,000 Confederate troops entrenched at Fort Donelson . Historians Jack Hurst and Kendall […]

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Oct

The Valley of the Shadow

Posted by sailerd Published in 19th Century (1840-1880), Images, Letters & Diaries

The Valley of the Shadow is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the different ways that northerners and southerners reacted to John Brown’s attack on Harpers Ferry. This digital history project, which from the Virginia Center for Digital History, focuses on two communities – Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, […]

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Jul

The Civil War in Carlisle

Posted by Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Images, Recent Scholarship

In the summer of 1863, the town of Carlisle, PA became the one of the northern-most posts of the Confederate Army. An account of the occupation of Carlisle during the Battle of Gettysburg by Richard Edling appears on civilwaralbum.com. 145 years ago this week, Dickinson College became host to General Ewell’s troops. Edling provides modern […]

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Apr

Roger B. Taney's home

Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Places to Visit

The Historical Society of Frederick County has converted the home of Roger Brooke Taney, the Supreme Court Chief Justice who issued the Dred Scott ruling, into an historical site which includes his house, detached kitchen, root cellar, smoke house, and slave quarters. Guided tours are available, and special events are held at the home.

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