Freelance Historian

The World of Historical Manuscripts and Ephemera

Secret Message Found in Lincoln’s Watch

Steven | March 11, 2009

National Public Radio reports on a family legend about Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War that turns out to be true!
Watchmaker Jonathan Dillon as an old man told his family that he had been employed at a Washington DC jewelry store in 1861, when the recently-elected President sent his favorite pocket [...]

1864 Union Soldier’s Letter: “Fighting Rebs & Copperheads”

Steven | January 27, 2009

This is the complete transcript to a letter home written by Corporal Erastus Winters of the 50th Ohio Infantry in General Tecumseh Sherman’s army.  He talks about the fall of Atlanta and fighting General Hood’s Rebels across Georgia, and his feelings about the Rebel sympathizers back home.  This letter is currently up for auction on [...]

Confederate Veteran Writes Former Commander

Steven | January 19, 2009

May 26, 1900 letter written by BP Haynes, late Second Sergeant of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry, to his former brigade commander, General WL “Old Tige” Cabell.
In part:
“My Dear General and Friend — It is with pleasure I acknowledge the receipt of three copies of your report of the part that Cabell’s Brigade took in Gen [...]

Auction of Civil War VMI Cadet Autograph Ends Tonight

Steven | November 26, 2008

Here’s something you don’t run across every day. This is the clipped signature of John S Wise, who was a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute during the Civil War, and fought as cadet at the Battle of New Market.  Later in the war he became a Lieutenant in the Confederate Army.
After the war, he [...]

Durbin Ward (1819 – 1886)

Steven | November 22, 2008

Thought I’d get back into the the habit of really updating the blog, instead of just posting “twitters” in the side column.
Today’s look is at Mr. Durbin Ward of Ohio. Self-taught and a voracious reader as a youngster, as an adult he passed the bar and became law partners with fellow Whig Thomas Corwin, who [...]