The Ticonderoga Historical Society is set to present its first program of the year, “One Man’s Impact: U.S. Grant and Our Memory of the Civil War,” on Friday, July 31st. [Read more…] about Ulysses S. Grant Program Planned in Ticonderoga
Civil War
The Life and Death of Saratoga’s Statue to the 77th Regiment
During the American Civil War – which, despite attempts to argue otherwise, was in effect America’s crusade against slavery – several hundred thousand citizens from New York State enlisted in the United States Army.
Many from Saratoga County (and also some from Essex and Fulton Counties) joined the 77th Regiment, its unit number chosen to recall the 1777 Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution. It was known as the “Bemis Heights Regiment,” the place so evocative of the “turning point” of the War of Independence. [Read more…] about The Life and Death of Saratoga’s Statue to the 77th Regiment
To Identify The Dead: World War Two Student ‘Dog Tags’
During the Civil War personal identification of soldiers killed and severely wounded in combat was daunting, because of inadequate record keeping in both the Union and the Confederate armies.
An early attempt to ID them was called “name discs” or “soldier pins,” but these met with limited success. Historians estimate that 50% of those killed in the Civil War were simply marked unknown. [Read more…] about To Identify The Dead: World War Two Student ‘Dog Tags’
Dreams of the Civil War Soldiers (Podcast)
This week on The Historians Podcast, Wanda Burch tells stories from her book The Home Voices Speak Louder than the Drums: Dreams and the Imagination in Civil War Letters and Memoirs (McFarland, 2017). [Read more…] about Dreams of the Civil War Soldiers (Podcast)
Lion Courage: A New Paltz Soldier During The Civil War
Johannes LeFevre was born in New Paltz on May 26, 1837, to Josiah P. LeFevre and his wife, Elizabeth. Around New Paltz, his family was known as the Bontecoe LeFevres because of their large farm, just outside town.
The oldest child of seven, Johannes was born in his father’s stone house on what is today White Duck Road in New Paltz, off Route 32. The home had been built by Daniel LeFevre. Later, Josiah built a home in 1849, on the opposite side of Route 32. Both houses remain standing and look much as they did during Johannes’s lifetime.
[Read more…] about Lion Courage: A New Paltz Soldier During The Civil War
Elmer Ellsworth: Lincoln’s Friend, Killed By A Confederate Sympathizer
On Friday, May 24, 1861 President Lincoln received two visitors: a Senator and a reporter.
Years later the reporter gave this account of the occasion: “As we entered the library we observed Mr. Lincoln before a window, looking out across the Potomac….. “Excuse me,” he said,” but I cannot talk.”… Then to our surprise the President burst into tears, and concealed his face in his handkerchief… After composing himself somewhat, Mr. Lincoln sat down and invited us to him. “I will make no apology, gentlemen,” he said, “for my weakness; but I knew poor Ellsworth well, and held him in great regard.” [Read more…] about Elmer Ellsworth: Lincoln’s Friend, Killed By A Confederate Sympathizer
Grave Encounters: Hudson Valley Headstone Design
The Albert Wisner Library in Warwick, Orange County, is set to host researcher Marisa Hayes, who will share her studies of headstone design in the Hudson Valley’s oldest cemeteries.
Her talk will focus on styles from the colonial period through the Civil War and participants will discover how decorations and motifs reflect the social identities and views of death held by people of the region. [Read more…] about Grave Encounters: Hudson Valley Headstone Design
A Brief History of Governors Island
An island at the tip of Lower Manhattan provided a stage where a local military community participated in national and international events.
From its military beginnings as a colonial militia in 1755, Governors Island became a major headquarters for the U.S. Army and Coast Guard, making it one of the longest continually operated military installations in the country until its closure in 1996. [Read more…] about A Brief History of Governors Island
War of 1812: The Invasion of Sandy Bay (Podcast)
This week on The Historians Podcast, environmental educator Anita Sanchez has history stories from the War of 1812 (the invasion of Sandy Bay, Massachusetts) and the Civil War (President Lincoln and the Shakers). Malta historian Paul Perreault tells the tale of a missing metal eagle. And history authors are interviewed at the 2016 Chronicle Book Fair in Glens Falls. [Read more…] about War of 1812: The Invasion of Sandy Bay (Podcast)
Civil War Alcohol: A Virtual History Happy Hour on Friday
The Capital District Civil War Round Table is set to host a virtual happy hour on Friday about the influence of alcohol on the Civil War and the drinking habits of past United States Presidents. [Read more…] about Civil War Alcohol: A Virtual History Happy Hour on Friday