Old Abe Wisconsin’s War Eagle
Old Abe, an icon in Wisconsin Civil War history was an American bald eagle who served with the Eighth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He participated in over 30 battles, narrowly avoiding wounds on several occasions. During the war, he became a rallying point to Union troops and an anathema to
History of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum
This account was written by the late Dr. Richard H. Zeitlin, former director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Dr. Zeitlin was a respected historian, author, and scholar. He led the museum and it's foundation for nearly 30 years, overseeing major changes that included our crucial move to 30 West Mifflin.
A Soldier’s Sacrifice by Emily Irwin
On January 1, 1866, Governor Lucius C. Fairchild delivered his inaugural address and emphasized the Civil War’s impact on Wisconsin. A million of men have returned from the war, been disbanded in our midst, and resumed their former occupations… The transition from the citizen to the soldier was not half so rapid, nor
The Archivist Chronicles: A Union Addition by Andrew Baraniak
The use of wallpaper as a substitute for newsprint was a common occurrence for some printers in Louisiana and Mississippi during the Civil War. Most paper mills were in the North, and printers in those regions looked to wallpaper as an alternative to dwindling paper supplies as the war dragged
The “Grand Old Lady of Memorial Days” by Jennifer Carlson
Did you know that Memorial Day was first established as “Decoration Day” by the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) in May of 1868? Just three years after the Civil War, with so many soldiers lost, it was a way to pay tribute to those killed during America’s bloodiest war. To honor their loved