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Christmas during the Civil War was a difficult time for both soldiers and civilians as they were often separated from their loved ones during the time of year that is often represented by families spending time together. The one thing that the vast majority of them could not do during the war. "Christmas Eve," Harper's Weekly, January 3, 1863.

Christmas During the Civil War: Voices from the Front and Home

Christmas During the Civil War: Voices from the Front and Home The Civil War did not pause for the holidays, yet Christmas still came. For soldiers and families separated by…

Photo of fortifications along the Petersburg lines.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 40: Benjamin Hulburd 2nd Vermont Infantry

Benjamin Hulburd was born in 1822 in Waterville, Vermont. He was 40 years old when he first enlisted in the 7th Vermont Infantry in 1862. He was discharged for disability…

Camp of the 100th New York Infantry on Morris Island.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 39: Samuel Huntingdon 100th New York Infantry

Samuel Huntingdon was born in 1829 and lived in Carrollton, New York. He was married to Elizabeth “Libby” Desire (Fuller) Huntingdon and the couple had three children: Adele, …

This painting depicts a rather subdued version of events of the West Point Eggnog Riot.

The Great West Point Eggnog Riot of 1826

The Great West Point Eggnog Riot of 1826 The night of December 24–25, 1826, at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, was anything but silent. What began …

Illustration of the Battle of Secessionville showing a bayonet charge of Union troops. Originally appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper dated 12 July 1862 via Wikimedia Commons.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 38: Amasa Hammond 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery

Amasa Hammond was born in Rhode Island in 1846. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery as private in Company K. Because of his youth, Amasa…

Photograph of the USS Cairo and crew taken sometime during 1862. https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/68594

The First Ship Sunk by a Naval Mine: The USS Cairo

The First Ship Sunk by a Naval Mine: The USS Cairo This week marks the 163rd anniversary of the sinking of the gunboat USS Cairo. Remarkably, a sinking with no loss of life….

Photo of Richard Weld of the 44th Massachusetts Infantry via findagrave.org.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 37: Richard Weld 44th Massachusetts Infantry

Richard Weld was born in 1835 to Aaron Davis Weld and Abbie (Harding) Weld of West Roxbury, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University and graduated in 1856. After a short…

Notice how this soldier's letter has torn along the crease where it was originally folded over 150 years ago. Storing it flat and unfolded could have prevented the additional strain on the crease that caused that damage.

How to Store Historical Documents

How to Store Historical Documents This week while scanning some Civil War letters I ran across damage that I’ve seen all too often with old documents that have been folded. T…

Photo of soldiers from Company E, 47th Illinois Infantry at Oxford, Mississippi taken on December 18, 1862 via Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 36: David McGowan 47th Illinois Infantry

David McGowan was born in 1838 to James and Eliza (Conn) McGowan in Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, but David himself was living in Bennington,…

Image from Harper's Weekly depicting President Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1864. The proclamation was issued on October 3, 1863, making the Thanksgiving of 1863 the first official national celebration of the holiday.

Thanksgiving: A Civil War Call For Unity

Thanksgiving: A Civil War Call For Unity As Americans prepare each year for a festive Thanksgiving dinner, it’s worth remembering how deeply the holiday’s modern identity was …

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