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The Extraordinary Life of Pauline Cushman: Actress, Spy, and Brevet Major
Pauline Cushman, born Harriet Wood in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1833, led a remarkable life that intertwined theater and espionage. Her mother was French, her father a Spanish merchant with a lineage allegedly linked to one of Napoleon’s soldiers. As a young girl, her...
April Fools Day
Happy April Fools Day Everyone loves a good April Fools joke even during the Civil War. Published in April 2, 1864, in Harper’s Weekly, Thomas Nast's drawing titled 'The First of April, 1864' is a mix of jokes, making fun of the Civil War, and commenting on...
The History of Thanksgiving in the United States
The History of Thanksgiving in the United States In the early days of the United States, Thanksgiving was declared by Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison, but it was primarily observed on a state or territory level in the following years....
Laura Keene
Laura Keene, a renowned British-American stage actress, is celebrated for her pivotal role as the first influential female theater manager, instrumental in establishing New York City as the premier theatrical hub in the United States. Her legacy is forever intertwined...
Somebody’s Darling – A Civil War Poem
The poem was written by Marie Ravenel de La Coste and was later put to music. It appeared in newspapers, North and South, during the Civil War. A bleak and haunting poem about the loss of a young soldier during the Civil War. This poem, reprinted here as it...
Governor Curtain Proclaims Thanksgiving Day 1862
Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin issues this proclamation during the Civil War on October 16, 1861: Proclamation of a Day of Thanksgiving. – 1862. Pennsylvania, ss. (Signed) A. G. Curtin. IN THE NAME AND BY the Authority of the Commonwealth of...
David Wills RFP for the dead at Gettysburg
On October 15, 1863, David Wills posted advertisements across Gettysburg for contractors to remove the dead from the battlefield. He asked for a sealed proposal and a price for those interested in two job opportunities. The first was to identify and disinter the Union...
Pa Civil War Flags Education Center
On October 4, 2023 the new Pennsylvania Civil War Flags Education Center opened its doors at 2221 Forster Street, Harrisburg. I had the opportunity to tour the new facility as part of their grand opening event.