Exhibits

Witness To A Civil War July - November 1984
1985 Award of Merit - Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations
The Susquehanna County Historical Society has in its possession a wealth of information on Susquehanna County men and women who participated in the Civil War, including photographs, letters & diaries and equipment. A decision was made in the summer of 1983 to undertake the task of bringing together museum accessions, as well as material from local families, that would document Country involvement in the Civil War.

Family of Nathan and Elizabeth Lyons. Photo in the collection of the fireman's Museum. Top Left To Right:
Sgt. Luke Lyons, Capt. Jerome Lyons, Lieut. Clark Lyons

Bottom Left To Right:
Nathan H. Lyons, Elizabeth Lyons, Lt. Benjamin Lyons (inset)

Three of the brothers died during the war. The surviving brother, Jerome, designed the Civil Warmonument located on the Green in Montrose. The four brothers Post No. 453, G.A.R., was institutedSept. 4, 1884, seven years after the death of Jerome.

Realizing this would be our most ambitious undertaking to date and knowing the time we would need to transcribe the letters and diaries in our collection, work was started in the fall of 1983. Continuing through the winter we wrote to various historical societies and families for further information to add to our resource materials. This enabled us to develop a better understanding of the people and artifacts to be documented in the exhibit. Photography was completed in May and construction on cases started in mid-June.

Pvt. Henry C. Tyler
Standing left.

Joined Cpt. Richard Van Valkenburg's Company, Co. F, 29th Regiment, Pa. Militia. Born June 18, 1836 & died June 10, 1891. His father was Moses C. Tyler, merchant in Montrose for over 40 years. Henry married Francis E. Wilcox and was an insurance agent & county treasurer in 1875. He is buried in the Montrose Cemetery.

Pvt. Benjamin H. Mulford
Seated left.

Co. G. 28th Regiment, Pa. Militia. He was born Oct. 2, 1836 & died March 15, 1897. Benjamin was the son of Silvanus S. Mulford & Fanny Jessup Mulford and was a merchant in Montrose. He is buried in the Montrose Cemetery.

Sgt. Daniel Sayre
Standing right.

Daniel joined Cpt. Richard Van Valkenburg's Company, Co. F, 29th Reg. Pa. Militia. He was born in 1831 and died in 1900. Daniel was the son of Benjamin and Priscilla Chapman Sayre and married Mary R. Groesbeck. He was the second telegraph operator in Montrose. He is buried in the old Montrose Cemetery.

Pvt. Isaac J. Post
Seated right.

Private to Q.M. 172nd Regiment, P.V. Nov. 22, 1862. He was in Co. A., 151st Reg. before that. Isaac was born June 21, 1837 and died July 10, 1885. Isaac was the son of Rev. Albert L. Post. Isaac graduated from Yale College in 1860 and was admitted to the Bar in 1862. He served one year in the Union Army and held a position in the Treasury Dept., Washington D.C. He also was a real-estate lawyer in Scranton, Pa. In 1868, he married Eliza Todd Post. He is buried in the old Montrose Cemetery.

The Rough & Ready Guards at Harrisburg, PA. Sept. 21, 1862.

Bunting, left over from the Bi-Centenial, was borrowed from local businesses. The large Civil War quilt was sewn to a muslin-covered frame and photographs and equipment, G. A. R. artifacts and written material were placed in the most appealing and organized sequence. The curator and three committee members did the majority of the work setting up the exhibit and also had the help of three CETA workers from local high schools. Other volunteers gave of their time when available after working hours.Total volunteer hours were recorded as 90, which did not include the transcribing of the letters and diaries. A total of 54 hours for 24 committee members were recorded to man the museum opening day, July 4th. Approximately 800 people went through the exhibit and museum opening day.

Lt. Allen B. Johnson was born and raised in Susquehanna County. Before enlisting inthe 39th, Illinois volunteer Infantry, he taught school in Rollo, Missouri. Lt. Johnsondied of yellow fever in North Carolina.

The title, "Witness To A Civil War" was chosen because we were looking at that war through the eyes of the soldiers, families, doctors, nurses and helpers; their thoughts, fears and wishes so vividly expressed in the letters and diaries.

Color-Sergeant Owen Phillips

Because we were looking at the war and people involved though photographs and their written words and records, we felt an obligation to look further into their lives--did they survive the war and if so, what became of them. In many cases we were successful in furthering our knowledge, but found our resources limited in some instances.

The first soldier to play "Taps" was once a resident of Susquehanna County. Duringthe Civil War, in July, 1862, Oliver Wilcox Norton, left, was summoned to the quarters ofBrigadier General Daniel Butterfield. The General whistled a new tune, asking Norton, hisbrigade bugler, to sound it for him. After some adjustments, the call, officially used thatvery night, became the call for "Taps."

The incident took place when the Army of the Potomac was camped at Harrison's Landing on theJames River, VA. Norton's father, the Reverend Oliver William Norton, had come to Ararat earlyin 1855, from Morris County, New Jersey. At that time his eldest son, Oliver Willcox Norton, was 15 years old. The Reverand Norton held the Presbyterian charges for Gibson and Ararat, living at the Ararat parsonage from February 1855 until April 1858, when he moved to western New York.

Oliver Wilcox studied at Montrose Academy, as he is listed in its 1857 catalogue.

We wanted visitors to experience the effects the war had on communities, families and friends, realizing it is not so different from the effects of war today. We also wanted the visitor to experience the hardships of the Civil War soldier,the cumbersome uniforms, outdated rifles and equipment, the scarcity of food and the high mortality rate from unsanitary conditions and limited medical knowledge. Judging from the comments of visitors and interest in the letters and diaries, we are justified in feeling a sense of accomplishment. Many descendants of the soldiers found themselves face to face with the blown-up image of their long-dead relative or in the case of one individual, not only the image, but also uniform jacket (Daniel Sayre's). This was a learning experience for the staff and volunteers as well as the visitor.

Recruiting Posters
Recruiting Posters

We have since loaned copies of the letters and diaries to interested individuals and several are being used as resource materials in preparations of books and a play. Many individuals commented that they saved all the newspaper publicity. Johnnie Walker generated the most interest, because of his youth, pint-size uniforms, and documentation of his life.

CO. D. 50th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.

One Saturday evening in the middle of June, 1861, Frederick Warner, Benjamin Lyons (far right), Luke Lyons & Thomas Foster went to Dr. G. Z. Dimock & said they had decided to enlist in the army. Desiring to keep together, they askedhim to be captain. At first Dimock refused, feeling he was not qualified for the position, but reconsidered and proceeded to recruit a company. He was helped by John C. Foot, J. R. Cornwell, George & Benjamin Doolittle, who had served three months under Lincoln's call for 75,000 men. Charles Warner, a West Point cadet, drilled squads of the boys also. September 24, 1861, the company arrived at Camp Curtin 125 strong, being the largest new company that marched through Harrisburg "Stocker".
50th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers

We believe this is a photograph of recruiting officers listed above.

Our most effective way of evaluating this exhibit is that people are still talking about it. As one visitor said, "You will never top this!" We hope we will.

Sgt. Myron French
"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"

Myron French is a subject suitable for such a lament. This native of Jackson'sall-too-brief life is brought back to mind in this exhibit.

In his Centennial History of Susquehanna County R. M. Stocker wrote of Myron:"But with a taste for study and a desire for knowledge, he so improved his time that he excelled in his studies manywhose educational advantages were far superior to his own. When eighteen years old he worked for his board and attended select school. Studious in his habits, yet he was fond of athletic sports,and out of school was a leader among his companions."Myron was 20 and working for a neighboring farmer when he joined the Union cause in July, 1861.His performance in battles such as the second Bull Run, Antietam and Chancellorsville led to his promation to sergeant.

The string of sucesses ran out for Myron during the afternoon of July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg in the storied hand-to-hand combat for Cemetery Hill.

The body of the 22-year-old descendent of American Revolutionary fighters was brought back andlaid by the side of his mother in the cemetery at Jackson.

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Email Us: suspulib@epix.net

All information for the above exhibit was extracted from:
R.M. Stocker. Centennial History of Susquehanna County 1887.
Emily C. Blackman's History of Susquehanna County 1872.
Montrose Independent. 1984. Montrose, PA.

We have since loaned copies of the letters and diaries to interested individuals and several are being used as resource materials in preparations of books and a play. Many individuals commented that they saved all the newspaper publicity. Johnnie Walker generated the most interest, because of his youth, pint-size uniforms, and documentation of his life.
CO. D. 50th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. One Saturday evening in the middle of June, 1861, Frederick Warner, Benjamin Lyons (far right), Luke Lyons & Thomas Foster went to Dr. G. Z. Dimock & said they had decided to enlist in the army. Desiring to keep together, they askedhim to be captain. At first Dimock refused, feeling he was not qualified for the position, but reconsidered and proceeded to recruit a company. He was helped by John C. Foot, J. R. Cornwell, George & Benjamin Doolittle, who had served three months under Lincoln's call for 75,000 men. Charles Warner, a West Point cadet, drilled squads of the boys also. September 24, 1861, the company arrived at Camp Curtin 125 strong, being the largest new company that marched through Harrisburg "Stocker".	50th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers We believe this is a photograph of recruiting officers listed above.
Our most effective way of evaluating this exhibit is that people are still talking about it. As one visitor said, "You will never top this!" We hope we will. Sgt. Myron French "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" Myron French is a subject suitable for such a lament. This native of Jackson'sall-too-brief life is brought back to mind in this exhibit. In his Centennial History of Susquehanna County R. M. Stocker wrote of Myron:"But with a taste for study and a desire for knowledge, he so improved his time that he excelled in his studies manywhose educational advantages were far superior to his own. When eighteen years old he worked for his board and attended select school. Studious in his habits, yet he was fond of athletic sports,and out of school was a leader among his companions."Myron was 20 and working for a neighboring farmer when he joined the Union cause in July, 1861.His performance in battles such as the second Bull Run, Antietam and Chancellorsville led to his promation to sergeant. The string of sucesses ran out for Myron during the afternoon of July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg in the storied hand-to-hand combat for Cemetery Hill. The body of the 22-year-old descendent of American Revolutionary fighters was brought back andlaid by the side of his mother in the cemetery at Jackson.

The Susquehanna County Historical Society has in its possession a wealth of information on Susquehanna County men and women who participated in the Civil War, including photographs, letters & diaries and equipment. A decision was made in the summer of 1983 to undertake the task of bringing together museum accessions, as well as material from local families, that would document Country involvement in the Civil War.
*Family of Nathan and Elizabeth Lyons. Photo in the collection of the fireman's Museum.*	Top Left To Right: Sgt. Luke Lyons, Capt. Jerome Lyons, Lieut. Clark Lyons Bottom Left To Right: Nathan H. Lyons, Elizabeth Lyons, Lt. Benjamin Lyons (inset) Three of the brothers died during the war. The surviving brother, Jerome, designed the Civil Warmonument located on the Green in Montrose. The four brothers Post No. 453, G.A.R., was institutedSept. 4, 1884, seven years after the death of Jerome.
Realizing this would be our most ambitious undertaking to date and knowing the time we would need to transcribe the letters and diaries in our collection, work was started in the fall of 1983. Continuing through the winter we wrote to various historical societies and families for further information to add to our resource materials. This enabled us to develop a better understanding of the people and artifacts to be documented in the exhibit. Photography was completed in May and construction on cases started in mid-June.

Bunting, left over from the Bi-Centenial, was borrowed from local businesses. The large Civil War quilt was sewn to a muslin-covered frame and photographs and equipment, G. A. R. artifacts and written material were placed in the most appealing and organized sequence. The curator and three committee members did the majority of the work setting up the exhibit and also had the help of three CETA workers from local high schools. Other volunteers gave of their time when available after working hours.Total volunteer hours were recorded as 90, which did not include the transcribing of the letters and diaries. A total of 54 hours for 24 committee members were recorded to man the museum opening day, July 4th. Approximately 800 people went through the exhibit and museum opening day.
	Lt. Allen B. Johnson was born and raised in Susquehanna County. Before enlisting inthe 39th, Illinois volunteer Infantry, he taught school in Rollo, Missouri. Lt. Johnsondied of yellow fever in North Carolina.
The title, "Witness To A Civil War" was chosen because we were looking at that war through the eyes of the soldiers, families, doctors, nurses and helpers; their thoughts, fears and wishes so vividly expressed in the letters and diaries.

Because we were looking at the war and people involved though photographs and their written words and records, we felt an obligation to look further into their lives--did they survive the war and if so, what became of them. In many cases we were successful in furthering our knowledge, but found our resources limited in some instances.
	The first soldier to play "Taps" was once a resident of Susquehanna County. Duringthe Civil War, in July, 1862, Oliver Wilcox Norton, left, was summoned to the quarters ofBrigadier General Daniel Butterfield. The General whistled a new tune, asking Norton, hisbrigade bugler, to sound it for him. After some adjustments, the call, officially used thatvery night, became the call for "Taps." The incident took place when the Army of the Potomac was camped at Harrison's Landing on theJames River, VA. Norton's father, the Reverend Oliver William Norton, had come to Ararat earlyin 1855, from Morris County, New Jersey. At that time his eldest son, Oliver Willcox Norton, was 15 years old. The Reverand Norton held the Presbyterian charges for Gibson and Ararat, living at the Ararat parsonage from February 1855 until April 1858, when he moved to western New York. Oliver Wilcox studied at Montrose Academy, as he is listed in its 1857 catalogue.
We wanted visitors to experience the effects the war had on communities, families and friends, realizing it is not so different from the effects of war today. We also wanted the visitor to experience the hardships of the Civil War soldier,the cumbersome uniforms, outdated rifles and equipment, the scarcity of food and the high mortality rate from unsanitary conditions and limited medical knowledge. Judging from the comments of visitors and interest in the letters and diaries, we are justified in feeling a sense of accomplishment. Many descendants of the soldiers found themselves face to face with the blown-up image of their long-dead relative or in the case of one individual, not only the image, but also uniform jacket (Daniel Sayre's). This was a learning experience for the staff and volunteers as well as the visitor.