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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
4C COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 25, 2015 Happy Thanksgiving I N ANY LANGUAGE ... Annie Manning and granddaughter Clara took advantage of a recent segment in the Sentinel's popular "Kids Scoop" section to learn Egyptian Heiroglyphics, and the upcoming holiday gave them a perfect opportunity to try out the ancient pictorial language. fr om our family to yours! How Civil War soldiers celebrated Thanksgiving in the fi eld BY TOM EMERY For the Sentinel A s in most wars, the men of the Civil War found it excruciatingly diffi cult to be away from loved ones at holi- day time. Thanksgiving was no exception. The holiday itself has its roots in the Civil War. The fi rst of- fi cial proclamation declaring Thanksgiving as a national day of remembrance was issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, part- ly in honor of northern successes in the war that year. Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” That year, Thanksgiv- ing fell on the day after a crucial Union victory at the battle of Chat- tanooga. The previous year in late November, armies were on the march during the Freder- icksburg and Vicksburg cam- paigns. Around Thanksgiving 1864, some Union forces were on the cusp of the bloody battle of Franklin, while others were marching to the sea with Wil- liam T. Sherman. Due to their harsh surround- ings, many Civil War men in the fi eld enjoyed only the most Spartan of celebrations. In Ke- wanee, Illinois, teenage sisters Tirzah and Sarah Vaill received a letter from their older brother, an Illinois infantryman, after Thanksgiving 1861 that de- scribed his holiday meal, “hard bread” and salt pork. He added that “during the day I thought of you at home having your nice dinners” and “wishing maybe that you might present a plate to some of us soldiers fi lled with your own goodies.” From his camp in Virginia that same year, Private Zebina Bickford of the 6th Vermont In- fantry made the best of his day. In a letter home, he mused that “you may think we are home- sick today but it is not so,” mainly because of a care pack- age sent from loved ones back in Vermont. The goodies con- sisted of “a box of clothing and a few knick-knacks consisting turnip, apple butter, and cheese butter.” Bean, though, lamented that he “cannot eat much with- out being sick.” He, too, would die months later. Elsewhere that year, Federal soldiers stationed at Fort Pu- laski, Ga. held their own “fete and festival.” The day’s events included target practice and a rowing match, foot race, and hurdle sack race. Competitions involving a greased pole and a greased pig were also on the agenda, as was a “burlesque dress parade.” "With tongue in cheek, he wrote that 'you can’t imagine what a lot of fi ne things we had for supper…a piece of sour bread and salt pork.' of eatables” that made “a very good thanksgiving for us.” With tongue in cheek, he wrote that “you can’t imagine what a lot of fi ne things we had for supper…a piece of sour bread and salt pork.” However, he gleefully noted that “some of mother’s cookies and doughnuts that came in our box” made the evening memorable. It would be Bickford’s last Thanksgiving, as he died the following April 30. The following year, Asa Bean, a doctor in the 114th Ohio, en- joyed greater tidings. On Nov. 27, 1862, he wrote that “there has been a surprise party here today for the benefi t of soldiers and nurses.” The feast included “roast turkey, chicken, pigeon, and oysters stewed” along with “baked chicken, boiled potatoes, In some cases, Thanksgiving was a time of spiritual refl ec- tion. On the fi rst offi cial install- ment of the holiday in 1863, Sewell Van Alstine, a soldier in the 95th Illinois, wrote in his di- ary that he “went to town” and “heard an excellent discourse by an army chaplain at the Presby- terian Church.” He also wrote there was “no drill today,” a welcome respite. In 1864, the Union League Club of New York City pleaded for donations of “cooked poul- try and other proper meats” as well as “mince pies, sausag- es, and fruits” for men in the fi eld. The call brought in some $57,000 in cash donations, as well as nearly 225,000 pounds of poultry and large quantities of cakes, gingerbread, pickles, C OTTAGE G ROVE T AX O FFICE Income Taxes • Bookkeeping Quickbooks Specialist Payroll Cauleen & Laura - Owners 541-942-7070 •541-767-1841 cgtaxoffi ce@gmail.com PO Box 844 28 South 6th St. Suite C • CG apples, vegetables, and cheese. One appreciative soldier saw the deeper meaning, writing that “it isn’t the turkey, but the idea that we care for.” Others received far less. That year, Lewis Crater of the 50th Pennsylvania recorded in his diary that the Sanitary Commis- sion “issued three fi ne apples to every man.” Despite the mid- dling fare, Crater and others likely gave thanks that they had survived to see another Thanks- giving during the four bloodiest years in American history. DR. JONATHAN BACKER “Creating Smiles That Last A Lifetime” 1551 E. MAIN ST. (ACROSS FROM SAFEWAY) COTTAGE GROVE 541-942-8437 Abundant Blessings to You & Yours Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or il- civilwar@yahoo.com. Old Mill Farm Store 327 South River Rd. • Cottage Grove 541-942-3042 ... And to let you know just how thankful we are to have such wonderful friends and neighbors like yourselves! 914 South 4th St. Cottage Grove 541-942-1559 With our best wishes for a happy, healthy and hearty Thanksgiving holiday celebration this year. Dr. Maddess and his team would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING 625 E. 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