Civil War Oddities #22

Early in the war, when Confederate invasion of Washington was threatened, field guns were placed in hallways of the Capitol and Treasury building.

The iron plate’s cast for the dome of the Capitol was raised on heavy timbers between columns of the building as breastworks. Statuary and pictures were shielded with heavy planking, and an army kitchen was set up in the basement.

Civil War Oddities #21

In the Confederate retreat as the battle of Shiloh ended, three gray-clad officers rode past Colonel A. K. Johnson, of the 28^th Illinois regiment. Johnson chased and fired at one rider. The victim slumped on his horse’s neck, but Johnson, thinking this a feint, rode nearer and seized the Confederate by the hair to drag him from the saddle. A tug brought his a trophy, a wig. The Confederate officer was dead, and soon toppled to the ground.

Civil War Oddities #20

Secretary of War Simon Cameron, a Pennsylvania politician in Lincoln’s Cabinet, opposed early orders for European rifles, saying that these should be bought at home, and that the North already had too many guns for the men at hand. One result: The Confederates were able to reach some markets first, and import arms they would otherwise have lost.

Civil War Oddities #19

Secretary of War Simon Cameron, a Pennsylvanian politician in Lincoln’s Cabinet, opposed early orders for European rifles, saying that these should be bought at home, and that the North already had too many guns for the men at hand. One result: The Confederates were able to reach some markets first, and import arms they would otherwise have lost.

Civil War Oddities #18

The Union Army had one company made up entirely of pugilists. There were others composed of musicians, farmers or butchers. One Temperance Company went into battle stone sober, tradition has it. The 126^th New York was the YMCA Regiment. Nicholas Busch, later Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, formed a woodchopper’s corps of German immigrants who were unable to fight, and had them cut and haul wood for Mississippi River army steamers, pausing now and then to beat off guerrillas.

Bridgett Schneider of Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK), R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that I report that Bridgett Schneider, best known as the primary person behind Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness, passed away today. She was 64 years old.


The last message I received from Bridgett was on October 18 when she wrote:

RAOGK has been around with our volunteers helping other genealogists get copies of documents required to prove your lineage back to Adam and Eve (giggle). Pictures of your ancestors' tombstones were also high on the lists of requests. I hope everyone got as much service as we were able to give.


Our heart is saddened that we will be offline for quite awhile. Between computer problems (harddrive turning to toast) and the health of the administrator very questionable ... RAOGK, after 11 years, will cease to exist for awhile.

Civil War Oddities #17

Despite the neat phrase, which has come down to us, “The Blue and the Gray,” uniforms of the armies were fantastically varied, and often perplexing.

When the war opened, federal troops were often clad in “Standard Gray.” The 3^rd New York, the 1^st Vermont and almost all Indiana troops wore gray with black facings, just as did Confederate troops from Georgia.

The 1^st Iowa dressed like troops from Louisiana. Men of Maine, Kansas, and Nebraska wore Gray.

A New Jersey battalion of cavalry wore blue and yellow, and was known as “The Butterflies.” A Polish regiment from New York wore traditional native caps, square, and blazing in red and white.