Civil War Veteran

[WeirsGuard]

From childhood through my college years my family spent the summer at the New Hampshire Veteran's Association. We lived in the Sharpshooter's Building each year. Many friends and relatives rented buildings through out the summer and it was an ideal place to grow up, set right in the Weirs.

What always amazed me, and kindled my lifetime interest in History, was the treasure trove of Civil War artifacts contained in each of these buildings. Photographs, artwork, military equipment. Each building had a theme related to the regiments or units that stayed there. In addition, the Headquarters Building had a small upstairs museum containing an eclectic collection of items donated and collected by the veterans over the years. There were several muskets, (Harpers Ferry, 1858's), sabers, uniforms, more photos and atrwork and a stovepipe hat supposedly left behind by Lincoln during his travel East and picked up by a NH man working for the reailroad at the time, who fought in one of the NH Regimants during the war a few years later.

Over the years these items were pillfered or lost to fire. Concerned, my brother and I offered to catalog all the items in the mid 70's so they could be controlled and properly displayed. The Quartermaster at the time was not interested. In fact, he was later found to have sold off some of the items. I remember him even entertaining an offer for one of the Headquarter's cannon proffered by a South Carolina group who were camping on the site to participate in a battle re-enactment on the grounds.

Long story to get my question. Does anyone know what became of all the memorabilia? Has it been consolidated and stored? DO they still ahve teh museum?

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by Chickie

I read with interest in this morning’s Laconia Citizen an article concerning a veteran of the Civil War, whose descendants have recently had a marker placed on his grave at Union Cemetery. According to the article, John Page Davis was with the 12th Regiment, N.H. Volunteers and was injured in the Battle of Gettysburg. He returned to Laconia where he lived out the remainder of his life and passed away in 1921. It is certainly a credit to his descendants who cared enough to accomplish this task and it is fitting that the stone has been laid as we approach Veterans’ Day.

When I visited the Gettysburg Battlefield many years ago, I remember pausing at the small monument dedicated to the 12th Regiment of the N.H. Volunteers. I am wondering if there are other descendants of Civil War veterans who may be members of this forum? It would be interesting to hear about them.

My great-great grandfather, Horace B Fuller (b. 1836, d. 1899) was in the Massachusetts 36th Regiment Infantry. After the war he became a publisher. He was the owner of "Merry's Museum", a children's periodical. His company was in Boston and hired Louisa May Alcott as an editor. She wrote about him in her diary but it wasn't very nice...

She also wrote poetry for the magazine. She was not happy with the editorial post: in early January 1868 she wrote in her journal, "F. pays me $500 a year for my name and some editorial work on Merry's Museum," but by 18 January she was writing, "F. seems to expect me to write the wholemagazine, which I did not bargain for."

Ref: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/lo...y-alcott-dlb3/



MASSACHUSETTS
36th Regiment Infantry

Organized at Worcester and mustered in August 30, 1862. Left State for Washington, D.C., September 2, thence moved to Leesburg, Md., September 9, and to Pleasant Valley. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to April, 1863, and Dept. Ohio, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Dept. Ohio, and Army Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. Ohio, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty at Pleasant Valley, Md., until October 26. March to Lovettsville, Va., October 26-29, and to Warrenton October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Moved to Newport News, Va., February 10, thence to Lexington, Ky., March 19-23. Duty at Camp Dick Robinson, Ky., April 9-30, and at Middleburg until May 23. March to Columbia May 23-26. Expedition toward Cumberland River after Morgan May 27-30. Jamestown June 2. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., June 7-14. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June 14-July 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. At Milldale until August 5. Moved to Covington, Ky., August 5-12, and to Crab Orchard August 17-18. March across Cumberland Mountains to East Tennessee September 10-22. Near Knoxville September 27-October 3. Action at Blue Springs October 10. At Lenoir October 29-November 14. Knoxville Campaign November-December. Lenoir Station November 14-15. Campbell's Station November 17. Siege of Knoxville November 17-December 4. Pursuit of Longstreet December 5-19. Operations in East Tennessee until March 21, 1864. Strawberry Plains January 21-22. Moved from Knoxville, Tenn., to Covington, Ky., thence to Annapolis, Md., March 21-April 6. Rapidan Campaign May-June, Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania C. H. May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. Stannard's Mills May 21. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. At Fort Rice until April, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. March to Farmville April 3-9. Moved to Petersburg and City Point, thence to Alexandria April 20-28. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 8, 1865, and discharged from service June 21, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 105 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 160 Enlisted men by disease. Total 274.

[Boardwalk Bluesboy]

Originally Posted by WeirsGuard

From childhood through my college years my family spent the summer at the New Hampshire Veteran's Association. We lived in the Sharpshooter's Building each year. Many friends and relatives rented buildings through out the summer and it was an ideal place to grow up, set right in the Weirs.

What always amazed me, and kindled my lifetime interest in History, was the treasure trove of Civil War artifacts contained in each of these buildings. Photographs, artwork, military equipment. Each building had a theme related to the regiments or units that stayed there. In addition, the Headquarters Building had a small upstairs museum containing an eclectic collection of items donated and collected by the veterans over the years. There were several muskets, (Harpers Ferry, 1858's), sabers, uniforms, more photos and atrwork and a stovepipe hat supposedly left behind by Lincoln during his travel East and picked up by a NH man working for the reailroad at the time, who fought in one of the NH Regimants during the war a few years later.

Over the years these items were pillfered or lost to fire. Concerned, my brother and I offered to catalog all the items in the mid 70's so they could be controlled and properly displayed. The Quartermaster at the time was not interested. In fact, he was later found to have sold off some of the items. I remember him even entertaining an offer for one of the Headquarter's cannon proffered by a South Carolina group who were camping on the site to participate in a battle re-enactment on the grounds.

Long story to get my question. Does anyone know what became of all the memorabilia? Has it been consolidated and stored? DO they still ahve teh museum?

WeirsGuard, I have some very good news. In a letter dated November 7, 2008, Dennis Covey, the President of the NHVA, wrote to the NHVA membership as follows:

We took some big steps this year towards a goal that has been on our back-burner for a number of years. And that is our museum. This year I appointed a new historian to take over for Ken Leidner who had been doing it for a number of years, but due to health issues wasn't able to continue as we have expanded that role.

With the approval of our Board of Directors and then a By-Law change which was approved at the annual meeting the role has been redefined to Historian/Museum Director. Charlie Toutant has stepped into that job and has begun to make some real progress in turning our dream into reality. He has met with with an architect and museum experts and this looks like it will finally happen.

I checked the bylaws, and the key part of section 10 reads as follows:

It shall be the duty of the Historian/Museum Director to be responsible for the collection, categorization and storage of all artifacts of historical consequence of the NHVA...and to supervise training of all docent volunteers for the museum, and to set the hours of operation and manage the exhibit.

I believe that the NHVA has always had in mind the former Jean's Cafe/Elvio's/Mike's NY Pizza building as the location for the museum. This is on the site of where the 3rd regiment building burnt down in 1924, to the left of the NHVA HQ. I don't know for sure that this is where the museum would be located, but the building is currently vacant, so I'd say its a high probability.

I think it would a great addition to the area, so I wish them the best of luck.