A variety of campus programs, panels, and exhibitions are being presented throughout the calendar year, both to remind us of this pivotal event in American history and to encourage us to explore contemporary issues that the Civil War narrative suggests—notions of self, memory, nationhood, and social conscience, to name a few.
As a part of this sesquicentennial commemoration, the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives presents this blog as a daily reminder of what occurred 150 years ago. The posts derive from among the historical resources in Special Collections: a passage from a letter to a soldier; a soldier’s diary entry; a note of condolence; a daily surgeon’s morning report; an account of activities on the home front. Cumulatively, these entries provide a panoramic view of the lives, emotions, and occupations of the individuals who experienced a sometimes horrific, often mundane existence during the difficult year of 1863.
Special thanks go to Glenn Skillin, a friend of Special Collections & Archives, whose preliminary research was crucial in developing the content for this blog.