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Samuel Abbott Cooley: The Civil War Photographer Who Captured History
Samuel Abbott Cooley, born on November 3, 1821, in Hartford, Connecticut, was a pioneering figure in Civil War photography. As the eldest child of Dr. Abiel Abbott Cooley and Lucretia Hurlbert Cooley, Samuel’s early life was shaped by his family’s support and the...
The Deadly Halloween Candy of 1858
As Halloween approaches, tales of poisoned candy often seem like urban legends—but in 1858, a real-life candy horror unfolded in Bradford, Yorkshire, leaving over 200 people gravely ill and claiming the lives of 20 others. This tragedy, known as the Bradford Humbug...
Walt Whitman – Pensive On Her Dead Grazing
Walt Whitman wrote a stirring poem titled "Pensive On Her Dead Grazing" within days of the surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia. “Pensive on her dead gazing I heard the...
A Civil War Basket Case
So this came across my Facebook feed recently. It is a photo of a Civil war amputee carrying basket from 1861. According to the card on the image, the historical origin of the phrase 'basket case' came from Civil war veterans with amputated legs who were...
Emily Todd – Mrs. Lincoln’s Half-Sister
Emily Todd was Mary Todd Lincoln’s half-sister with Southern sympathies who often visited the White House.
Civil War in Color Series – 2nd New York Artillery
Civil War in Color Series - 2nd New York ArtilleryMy latest in my Civil War in Color series is of the Officers of Company F, 2d New York Artillery at Fort C.F. Smith. The original image was taken in June 1865 by photographer William Morris Smith....
Civil War in Color Series – Robert E Lee
Happy Birthday General Robert E. Lee Confederate General Robert Edward Lee was born on this day in 1807. He was the fifth child of Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee. In 1829 he was graduated second in his class at West Point without having incurred a single demerit in his...
Civil War Music – Rosin the Bow
Rosin the Bow "Rosin the Bow" is an American folk song popular in the 19th century, probably of British or Irish origin, first published in Philadelphia during 1838. The song refers to rosining the bow of a violin, and the tune has been used in many songs for...