The Civil War in Philly and other places

My wife and I along with my son will be off to Philadelphia soon to visit my niece who is a graduate student at Villanova. While mostly known for its historical sites related to the Revolution I am hoping to steal a little time and get to the Civil War Museum. I am mostly interested in looking up a few things. I have been just uncovered a few possible leads on additional source material related to the First Maine Heavy Artillery. One of these leads is an article published by Zemro A. Smith in MOLLUS Papers for Indiana. I also have a lead on some Civil War and post war papers from another officer who lived in the Washington DC area but I am waiting to confirm. The other lead I am following up on is with the Gatchell Museum in Buffalo, Wyoming. This museum is actually named after Jim Gatchell the son of Prince A. Gatchell an officer in the First Maine Heavy Artillery. After the war Prince went out west and his son who grew up out there developed a life long interest in preserving the history of the Americas frontier. He also learned to speak Sioux and became a trusted friend amongst the local Native American tribes.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Andy,

You probably want to try to find time for a visit to Laurel Hill Cemetery, overlooking the Schuylkill River. For much of the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries, it was definitely THE place to spend eternity in Philadelphia. Among the many notables buried there:

General Hugh Mercer, the Revolutionary War hero who was killed at Princeton
George Gordon Meade
Admiral John A. Dahlgren
Col. Ulric Dahlgren
Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson
Brig. Gen. Henry Bohlen, killed during the Second Bull Run Campaign
Maj. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford
Capt. Frank Furness, the only member of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry to win a MOH, and who became one of the most influential architects in American history
Lt. Benjamin Hodgson, 7th Cavalry, killed during the valley portion of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, who surrendered Vicksburg

This is only a partial list. It is definitely worth a visit.

Enjoy my home town.

Eric
Andy said…
Thanks Eric, I will put this on my list. I would also like to find where Turner's Lane Hospital was located.

Regards,
Andy

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