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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

Pennsylvania Dutch & the Civil War – Religion

| December 26, 2010

A previous post on the Pennsylvania Dutch language gave words that were used to name various occupations.  This post deals with religion. Religion was an important part of life in the community and in many cases, the Pennsylvania Dutch attended worship services that were conducted in German.  Previously mentioned also was that Rev. Dr. William […]

Christmas Day 1860

| December 25, 2010

With the secession crisis undoubtedly on the minds of most people, the Philadelphia Inquirer chose to publish news of a more social nature in its Christmas day edition, 25 December 1860.  The following selections are nearly all from page one: CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – Christmas day is celebrated with unusual pomp in […]

Christmas Eve 1860

| December 24, 2010

The Harrisburg Patriot, a weekly newspaper in 1860, published its last edition before Christmas on 20 December.  The first four pages were crammed with news of impending crisis.  There was very little social, economic, agricultural, or personal news. One article pointed out that the country had been in this state before – in fact, ten […]

The Unknown Military Musician

| December 22, 2010

In a box of pictures kept by Hannah [Rickert] Riegle of Specktown Road in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was the above picture of an unknown person, possibly a member of a military band, holding an instrument that is not often seen today.  Hannah was the wife of Harrison Riegle (1840-1899) who served in the […]

Women & the Civil War on the Northern Homefront

| December 22, 2010

Judith Giesberg’s Army at Home:  Women and the Civil War on the Northern Home Front (University of North Carolina Press, 2009), caught my attention while browsing in the open stacks at the Central Library here in Philadelphia a few weeks ago.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the book to find several pages devoted to […]