Buchanan's Boys in Blue - Civil War Presentation

Buchanan’s Boys in Blue

Join Buchanan District Library’s Archivist, John Urschel, on a sojourn into Buchanan’s Civil War past. Journey back in time with the area’s Union Soldiers as they are recruited, experience camp life, form companies and regiments, struggle with contagious diseases, travel to distant states, comprise parts of larger divisions, corps and armies, engage in battle, go campaigning, enter hospitals, endure prisoner of war camps, perform acts of heroism, cowardice, occupation and more.

Urschel has thoroughly researched the Civil War lives of area soldiers from Buchanan, Weesaw, Bertrand and Galien townships. A companion collection of all research material and data on over 1,700 military-aged area men will be available for purchase for a nominal fee, but the presentation will be free of charge.

Wednesday April 4, 2012 1:00 pm - Buchanan Senior Center
Wednesday April 11, 2012 7:00 pm - Buchanan District Library
Wednesday April 18, 2012 7:00 pm - Ralph Rumbaugh American Legion Post

Mary E Carlisle, 1 Nov 1862

Unpleasant News

Nov. 1st <1862>

Dear Mother

It is with a sad heart that I
now seat myself to inform you that we are
now left desolate. Our house, barn and all
(with many other buildings) was yesterday burned to
the ground. About two o'clock afternoon a fire broke
out in a shop. just a little south
of the sash factory, it was burned and Kelly's
shop Mrs. Dutton's house, Rea_den and Mead's
grocery. Ross and Bainton store. The grocery
and store joined Dutton's house. The old
brick store and all the buildings up to Miller's
shop. Dr Dodd's barn, Livery Stable paint
shop and Blacksmith shop. We thought the
whole town would burn the wind blew very
hard and we had no fire Engine. They teligr-
aphed to Niles for theirs, but in such confusion
that it could not be read when it got
there. A man was sent - finaly on horse back.
Some of our things were saved. one bed stead
three or four feather beds, and some bed clothes.
tables and chairs. no dishes or spoons. No one

page 2 (076)

was at home when the fire comenced. Tamerson
went to Mr. Dewey's a visiting and was taken
sick, but she had recovered so that when the
alarm came there she was able to come home
Pa was over the river digging potatoes. Fannie was
up to Aunt Julia's. Bell and myself were at
school. Fannie and the men suceeded in
getting most of the things out of the
front room and some out of the chamber.
but what is that towards housekeeping.
None of us but fannie have a chang of
under clothes some of our dresses were saved.
Aunt Julia had a conjestive
chill a few days ago she was very sick, but is
better now. Alonzo How was hurt while
digging sand a few days since and died last
night. his back was broken. Many folks are
sick. some of them in the country. Some
of the folks were so exhausted and frightened that it was
thought that they could not recover. in all about
twenty four buildings. Mrs. Dutton has nothing but
the clothes on her back. After her things were taken
out they were burned. Alexander says to his wife we are
poor now that is himself. It really seemed as though
the day of judgement had come. but we are preserved
alive

page 3 (077)

we will rent a house for the present - I
think it will be the old cottage house
on the hill back of the parsonage.
You of core will use your own judgement
about coming home. It seems to me
if you can earn any thing there
you had better stay. The people are
very kind to us. they say that we shall
have a new house right - away. Mr Dewey
wants to employ Fannie in his office to
set type the terms were good. perhaps since
our trouble he will give more. we do not
know what to do. I wrote to uncle A.
I guess he will help us. write as soon as
you get this.

Mary E. Carlisle.

I have written previously about the Buchanan Fire of 1862.

For more see: Carlisle Family Letters

Carlisle, Mary E. (Buchanan, MI) to “Dear Mother”
[Hannah Glover Carlisle]. Letter. 1 November 1862. Digital Images 1-3.
Privately held by Charlotte Grabowski, Orlando, Florida. 2012.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1862,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Do Not Open Until 15 Mar 2112

At West in New England, Bill West has issued The Genealogist's Time Capsule Challenge.

My first thought is how would I insure that anything I set aside now would be kept by the family and yet remain unopened for 100 years. I'm not sure I have a good answer. I could certainly leave instructions in my Will but there would be nothing to stop someone down the line from deciding to get rid of old junk or conversely deciding that there is no reason to wait until 2112 to open it. Perhaps the best way would be to entrust my time capsule to a bank or law firm with sufficient funds for them to maintain its safety and see that my final wishes are followed. I'd make a big deal over it, perhaps have a family ceremony so that the youngest members of the family would remember and pass the story down with promises of riches for family members not yet born. At the ceremony the the box will have already been partiality filled by me and those contents covered and hidden from view. I would ask my grandchildren to each add one item with a note they'd written about it. The final items added to the box would be six silver dollars, one for each grandchild. Not a fortune today but one hundred years from now, who knows?

The first item I would add would be my tell-all auto-biography, a great read for the family historian of the future!

Next will be family photos. I will have to chose carefully or the box will be too large. All will be labeled, however to keep it interesting some of the labels will be just a year and a place, others just initials and a few labeled mere Aunt and Uncle.

Technology changes so incredibly fast but I 'm certain that my descendants could find a way to read a flash drive or DVD one hundred years from now. But to make life easier on them I will include a new laptop. I will include all of the family history research I have done, digital images of old family photos and all of the photos that I culled earlier on a flash drive which will be downloaded just as they are now on my computer, a jumbled mess. I will also backup the files I feel are most important to DVDs.


I will also include items that I think of as family treasure but which don't seem to hold much interest for others.

• I think my grandmothers pink ball gown will be too bulky to include but I will add her gavel and a photo of her in the gown. Also my grandfather's IOOF ribbon/pin.
• One of my father's 35mm cameras along with photos of his old box camera and enlarging equipment.
• A crystal owl and a crystal apple and a note detailing why they were important to me.
• A pair of gardening gloves.
• As long as I have provided a means to watch DVDs I will include some of our favorite movies with notes tucked into the cases telling why they are favorites. I know my grandchildren have little patience for old movies so I wonder what my great-great-grandchildren will think of Star Wars, A Walk in the Clouds and Avatar? 
• My grandfather's Bible and Book of Psalms.
• Something that I cross stitched. Perhaps the blue bird Christmas wreath that I made for my father years ago.
• My "Love Boat" pin. No explanation, they'll have to find the photo of me wearing it to learn it's significance.
• Baby shoes. Will they figure out who they belonged too?
• Old report cards.
• The wooden pyramid puzzle made by my father.
• Grandma Lottie's watch, the one on a chain. Perhaps a descendant will have the initials L. S.

I have a yellow plastic tote that has held craft items for many years and it would be just the right size to hold all of the items listed. Not so small as to be easily lost, yet not so large as to be in the way. It could easy sit on a storage self until the time came to open it.