Research Arsenal

12/05/2025

This week for our What's it Wednesday question, we asked you to identify this corps flag. The answer is the VI Corps flag. Pictured here is Bvt. Major General T. H. Neill and staff.

https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/68654

12/04/2025

This week while scanning some Civil War letters I ran across damage that I’ve seen all too often with old documents that have been folded. The original crease of the letter had become brittle and damaged over time to the point that it had torn nearly the entire length except for a short 2-inch section. This is something that tends to happen when documents are stored folded. It’s not necessarily from poor handling (although that certainly plays a role) it can happen just from being stored improperly. Here are a few tips on how to store historical documents that you can use in your archive to avoid similar damage.

Here are a few tips on how to store historical documents that you can use in your archive to avoid similar damage.

12/03/2025

This month, we thought we'd have some fun with flags for our What's it Wednesday questions. Can you name this corps flag? Post your guesses below and check back Friday for the answer!

12/02/2025

We love days where we just spend scanning original records for the database! Today we ran across this equipment record from Sgt. William Wallace Dimond from the 83rd PA infantry.

It looks like he lost all his equipment, weapons and accoutrements at the battle of Malvern Hill on July 1st, 1862!

It would be fun to refer to the American Battlefield Trust maps to see what the 83rd was doing at Malvern Hill.

12/02/2025

🎅Kris Kringle Spotted in Delaware in 1862

Joseph Brinton Darlington enlisted in Company A of the 1st Pennsylvania Reserves on June 4, 1861. He left behind his young sister, Edna Darlington, who wrote him a letter from Wilmington, Delaware, on December 22, 1862, where she was visiting her cousins. She had some rather exciting news about who she spotted lurking around the house.

“I have seen Kriss Kringle in the window. He is a very large man I would like Martin and Weldon [her brothers] to see him. He has long white beard. He [is] a funny man.”

According to an 1853 article by William John Duane, Kris (or Chris) Kringle was the name more commonly used in Pennsylvania, while other parts of the United States used St. Nicholas or Santa Claus to describe the mythical fellow that brought gifts to children on Christmas.

Edna’s letter is part of a collection of letters written by and to Joseph Darlington. You can read her full letter here:

https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/148323

The image is an 1863 illustration of Santa Claus by Thomas Nast.

11/28/2025

For our What's it Wednesday this week we asked you when Thanksgiving became a national holiday and if it was celebrated by the military prior to that date.

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Thanksgiving on October 3, 1863 to set aside the last Thursday of November for the holiday. Lincoln wrote, “I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

Prior to the national declaration, Thanksgiving was being celebrated sporadically around the United States. The following is a General Order sent to the 1st Minnesota Infantry in November 1861, authorizing a Thanksgiving day of rest.

"Hd Qrs 1st Min Vols.
Camp Stone Nov 27 1861

Genl Order
No 19.

Tomorrow being set apart by His Excellency the Gov
of Minnesota as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer
there will be no drills for the day.

By order of Col Dana
Lieut Jno. N Chase
Act Adjutant"

Read more about Abraham Lincoln and Thanksgiving here: https://www.wcia.com/news/abraham-lincoln-the-president-who-made-thanksgiving-a-holiday/

See the 1st Minnesota Thanksgiving order here: https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/25033

11/27/2025

As Americans prepare each year for a festive Thanksgiving dinner, it’s worth remembering how deeply the holiday’s modern identity was shaped by the Civil War — and by the long efforts of a single woman who lobbied tirelessly for a national day of thanks.

As Americans prepare each year for a festive Thanksgiving dinner, it’s worth remembering how deeply the holiday’s modern identity was shaped by the Civil War

11/27/2025

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! Proof that the food coma and over indulgence of Thanksgiving is not anything new. 🍗

Cartoon: Harper's Weekly, December 3, 1864

11/26/2025

As we gather with family and friends this week for Thanksgiving, our What's it Wednesday question to you is, when did Thanksgiving become a national holiday? And was it celebrated by the military prior to that?

11/25/2025

In November 1861, Aaron Wheeler and the 50th Illinois Infantry were stationed in Missouri and fighting against bushwhackers. On November 2, 1861, he wrote home to assure his wife that the rumors she’d heard about his regiment were false and that they were all well.

“I suppose you have heard some bad news about our regiment but it is all false. We have not had any battle yet. Last Sunday there was about 250 of us went out on a scout about 25 miles. There was 33 out of my company went. I was along with them to a town called Jamestown. It was once quite a little town but now there is but four families in it & they are Union. We see no chance for fight. The rebels are scattered. We don’t find more than 2 or 3 together. They are what they call here bushwhackers. We got back here last Tuesday. We brought 8 of the rebels with us and the rest that was taken took the oath that was sealed with blue pills. How many there was, I don’t know, but probably there was 30 or 40. We had a cavalry company that joined us. When we got there they sealed those oaths.”

The “blue pills” that Aaron Wheeler refers to in the passage above are bullets. As guerrilla fighters were out of uniform, they were not subject to the laws regarding prisoners of war.

Aaron Wheeler was born in 1830 and resided in Avon, Illinois when he enlisted in Company G of the 50th Illinois Infantry on September 24, 1861. He was married

11/21/2025

The answer to our What's it Wednesday this week is a Clothing ledger. We've been focusing on the types of books Civil War company clerks were required to keep. Clothing ledgers in the Civil War were used to track the clothing issued to each soldier, including the cost of each item and the date of issue. This particular book belonged to the 203rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

11/19/2025

This month we're focusing on the books a Civil War company clerk was required to keep. This week, our What's it Wednesday question is, what book is this from? Post your answers below and check back Friday for the answer!