Today, June 11, in 1850, Abraham Lincoln decided on a little home-improvement project.

That he wasn’t exactly a regular customer at home depot shows the, somewhat stilted, letter he wrote to order the supplies he needed:

“I wish to build a front fence, on a brick foundation, at my house. 

I therefore shall be obliged, if you will, as soon as possible, deliver me bricks of suitable quality, and sufficient number to build such foundation, fifty feet long; of proper width, and depth, under ground, and about two feet above ground.”

The order was sent to Nathaniel Hay who was in the brick business in Springfield. 

And if that name sounds familiar…Nathaniel was an uncle to John Hay, who at that time was only twelve years old but who’d become President Lincoln’s secretary exactly ten years later.

From allthinsglincoln on Tumblr

 

Garry Ladd, Bob Mohrman, Dave Wildumuth, John Fulton, and John McKee presented a living history display at the Koerner House in Belleville, IL.

Koerner was a journalist, lawyer, politician, judge, and statesman in Illinois and Germany and a Colonel of the U.S. Army during the Civil War. He was a friend of Abraham Lincoln and served as a pall bearer for Lincoln's funeral.

The house was built in 1849 and is currently being restored.

Most of the artifacts presented here are from the 50 year collection of Robert Mohrman

- See more at: http://www.heckercamp443.us/#sthash.7F4qopFi.dpuf

The concept of defacing property with immature doodles, known to punks the world around as "graffiti", is not new-- not even a little bit. Ancient Greek and Roman graffiti has been found etched into stone, and even early Americans got in on the fun. One of the best-preserved examples of old-timey doodling on private property is the so-called Graffiti House in Brandy Station, Virginia, where Civil War soldiers let their imaginations (and their pens) run wild all over the walls of the building. 

Of course, The Graffiti House wasn't always the Graffiti House. It was built in 1858 and eventually came to be owned by James Barbour, who served on the staff of Confederare General Richard S. Ewell. Mr. Barbour likely used it for some commercial purpose, given its proximity to the railroad tracks and railroad station. However, the fact that it was so close to the station also made it very valuable during the Civil War. Both Union and Confederate troops used the building at various points during the war (often as a field hospital or shelter) and both sides left their mark on it. 

Read more from Anna Hider on Roadtrippers.com

 

Photo taken shortly after the end of the Civil War

The ruins of the Virginia Military Institute Barracks , extensively damaged during Hunter’s Raid are visible in the background.

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Virginia Military Institute — Photographs.

From The Civil War Parlor

Members from the Col. Hecker Camp #443 (SUVCW) participated in a living history day at the Gustav Koerner House in Belleville, Illinois, on Saturday April 5, 2014.

Gustav Philipp Koerner, also spelled Gustave or Gustavus Koerner (20 November 1809 –  9 April 1896) was a revolutionary, journalist, lawyer, politician, judge, and statesman in Illinois and Germany and a Colonel of the U.S. Army who was a confessed enemy of slavery. He married on 17 June 1836 in Belleville Sophia Dorothea Engelmann (16 November 1815 – 1 March 1888),[5] they had 9 children.[6] He belonged to the co-founders and was one of the first members of the Grand Old Party; and he was a close confidant of Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd and had essential portion on his nomination and election for president in 1860.

The event was held to celebrate the City of Belleville's 200th anniversary. More living history event are scheduled throughout the year.

Koerner's House is currently under renovation by The Belleville Heritage Society.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Koerner

 

 

The Missouri Civil War Museum is a great place to bring students and groups to learn more about Missouri’s role in the American Civil War. Currently, educational programs take place in the museum and must be scheduled in advance. Currently under renovation at this time, the historic 1918 Jefferson Barracks Post Exchange Building located next to the museum building is scheduled to be completed in 2015 as a new Civil War library and educational center for students. The 6,000 square foot facility will be equipped with a library, lecture room, video presentation rooms and a dining facility. The building is being designed specifically to conduct educational programs and events.

For more information about the Missouri Civil War Museum or their educational programs, please call the museum at 314-845-1861

The Missouri Civil War Museum

 

 Benjamin Henry Grierson (July 8, 1826 – August 31, 1911) was a music teacher, then a career officer in the United States Army. He was a cavalry general in the volunteer Union Army during the Civil War and later led troops in the American Old West. He is most noted for an 1863 expedition through Confederate-held territory that severed enemy communication lines betweenVicksburg, Mississippi and Confederate commanders in the Eastern Theater. After the war he organized and led the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment from 1866 to 1888.

Colonel Grierson is a prominent figure in Turner Network Television’s documentary, "Buffalo Soldiers".

The part of Colonel Marlowe, played by John Wayne in the movie The Horse Soldiers, is loosely based on Grierson. 

Horse Soldiers was based on a novel by Harold Sinclair.

Grierson’s Home and grave are in Jacksonville, Illinois

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Grierson

During the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family lived in a Richmond, Virginia mansion. Now referred to as “the White House of the Confederacy,” the residence was saved from demolition in 1896 and since 1988 has been restored to it’s wartime appearance. American History TV visited to learn about the Mexican War veteran and U.S. Senator who became leader of the Confederate States of America. 

Link to C-Span's video

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Developers plan to turn former South Carolina slave cabins built in the 1850s into single-room rental homes while keeping the historic look. WYFF’s Mandy Gaither reports.

 

  From NBC News

Records of District Courts of the United States National Archives Identifier: 279088

This inventory, dated August 29, 1863, lists items confiscated by Union soldiers from Arlington House, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s home. The courts eventually ruled that Arlington House and its property had been seized illegally.

From: The Natioanl Archives