Mrs. Abernethy's Global Gorillas

Today I met Mrs. Abernethy's Global Gorillas. They are a fifth grade class learning about the Civil War. Today they chose their topics to research. The topics they will learn about are: Abby and Taylor - Medicine; Aaron and Ryuji - Guns and ammunition; Kayla S., Kayla G. and Jacqueline - Food; Shayla and Stacie - Uniforms and clothing; Zachery and Sawyer - Shelter; Joseph, Joshua and Abram - Communication; Nathan and Jesse - Ships; Jessica and Kylee - Flags; Kaylee and Heather - Photography; Megan and Kortni - Music; Skyleigh and Cassia - Battles; William and Spencer - Soldiers;

They are going to do some totally radical projects that they can put on the web. They won't be done this week, so be sure to keep checking back. I will give you their link as soon as it is ready.

I can tell this is going to be a fun stay!

PA Regional Computer Fair

Hello,

I am here to tell everyone that on March 24, 2009 my friend Sarah and I won 1st place at the Regional PA Middle School Computer Fair event that was held at Capital Area Intermediate Unit. Sarah and I will now go to the State Computer Fair on May 20, 2009 at Dickinson College. We will be competing against other kids from around the state and we will be judged twice throughout the day. 

Please wish Sarah and I luck on May 20, 2009 when we will be competing against other kids from across the state in the Webpage Design category.  I hope we win.

Here is Sarah after winning 1st place.

Next stop...Mrs. Abernethy and the Global Gorillas

Sallie in Ohio

You might not think about Ohio as a State that experienced the Civil War, but I visited a few places that the War touched.

New Richmond, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati, sits right on the Ohio River. It was an early center of abolitionist activity and has many Underground Railroad and Abolitionist Sites still standing. Here I am in front of two of the houses:

The white house was the home and office of Dr. John Rodgers, a famed Abolitionist. He delivered future Union General and President of the U.S., Ulysses S. Grant on April 27, 1822.

From here I went to Point Pleasant, birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant. You can see me in front of the house and by the signs. It's a basic 2-room structure built in 1817. Grant's family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, not far from Point Pleasant, where you can still see his boyhood home and schoolhouse.

I went back towards Cincinnati to Camp Dennison. Here are some great sites on it:

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

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=663&nm=Camp-Dennison

http://www.48ovvi.org/oh48dennison.html

Here I am visiting the Guard House.

Camp Dennison was used primarily as a general training center, recruiting depot and hospital post. Only the Guard House and the Waldschmidt Homestead which served as the headquarters for General Joshua Bates remain. The Camp is now a park.

My last stop was a place where the Little Miami Railroad went through the countryside. At this spot, General Morgan of the famed Morgan's Raiders stopped a train and killed the conductor. He had led his cavalry into northern Kentucky and through the northern parts of the City of Cincinnati to cause disorder. He spent the night of July 13, 1863 within site of the Union army's Camp Dennison. Here's a site about Morgan's Raiders: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=610

Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan led his men on a daring expedition behind enemy lines. It was known in the South as The Great Raid of 1863. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan's_Raid

Morgan eventually surrendered in northeastern Ohio.

Ohio was important to the Civil War effort, contributing 320,000 soldiers to the Union army, third behind New York and Pennsylvania. President Lincoln was heard to say, "...I know that if there are many Ohio soldiers to be engaged, it is probable we will win the battle, for they can be relied upon in such an emergency."

The David Wills House in Gettysburg

Hello Everyone,

On President's Day 2008, I took a trip to my favorite town of Gettysburg and visited the newly opened David Wills House.  In November 1863, this was the home of David Wills and is where President Abraham Lincoln stayed prior to giving his famous Gettysburg Address.

President Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg on November 18, 1863 at the local train station and went to the Wills home.  President Lincoln was invited to Gettysburg to provide "a few appropriate remarks" as part of the ceremony dedicating the National Cemetery.  While at the Wills house, President Lincoln meet with Pennsylvania Governor Curtin, said a few words on the public and then completed his now famous Gettysburg Address. 

Here are a few photos from the museum:

Here is a pocket hymn book that soldiers would have carried with them.

Check out the prices for things like corn and flour on this sign!

This is the key to the bedroom where President Lincoln slept

Here is a chair in the bedroom where President Lincoln slept.

Here I am checking out the actual bed that President Lincoln slept on.  Did you know that they took the headboard off of the bed in the summer time so it would be cooler when sleeping?

This is the saddle that on the horse President Lincoln rode to the cemetery on November 19, 1863.

I hope you enjoyed this post on my visit to the David Wills house.  I hope to go back soon and visit the train station where President Lincoln arrived so stay tuned for that post.  

Do you have somewhere near you that played a role in the Civil War?  If so, I would love to come visit you.  Check out my wiki at http://civilwarsallie.wikispaces.com

National Civil War Museum Part 2

Hello Again,

In my first post, I showed you some of the photos from my recent trip to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. Today I would like to show you some more photos and tell you more about what I learned.

This is the bible that was owned by Confederate General Robert. E. Lee

This is a piece of wallpaper from the Peterson House in Washington, DC. After President Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theater, he was carried across the street to the home of William Peterson.

This is a medical display at the musuem. The surgeon is getting ready to cut off the leg of the wounded soldier on the table while another soldier tries to hold him down. He is biting on a piece of rope to help with the pain.

As part of the events that day, the Victorian Dance Ensemble displayed some Civil War era dancing. You can read more about Civil War Dancing in this post.

Finally, outside of the museum is a monument showing Sgt. Kirkland giving water to a wounded soldier at the Battle of Fredericksburg. This brave confederate soldier risked his life to give water to wounded soldiers from both the north and the south. For this he earned the nickname, "The Angel of Marye's Heights"

If you are in the Harrisburg area, be sure to stop by the Civil War Museum. You can see more photos from the museum on my Flickr page.

Sallie

National Civil War Museum Part 1

Hello,

Yesterday, I went to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA. I enjoyed learning about the Civil War. I also got meet President Lincoln and have my picture taken with him. I even remembered to wish him a happy 200

Me with President Lincoln

I enjoyed going through the gallery and looking at the different artifacts about the Civil War. They had displays on slavery, medicine, music, artillery, the role of women in the war and lots uniforms and equipment the soldiers would have worn. In the gallery, they also talked about the Camp Curtain that was located in Harrisburg, Pa. Camp Curtain was a Union training camp during the Civil War.

Here are some photos from my visit:

Here I am looking at a diorama of battle of Antietam, this is Burnside's Bridge

Some of the cooking utinsils solders would have used

Did you know that soldiers played marbles, chess and dominos?

Here is a photo of some drums and a bugle. Soldiers played music both in camp and while marching to help regulate their day and to pass the time.

In part two of my visit to the Civil War museum I will show you more photos of what I saw and learned.

Sallie Ann

Civil War Dancing

While visiting the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg recently, I had the chance to watch the Victorian Dance Ensemble do a great demonstration of Civil War era dancing.

Here is short video of them dancing. During the dance you can hear the dance master giving directions to the dancer. For example, in the beginning you hear him say honor your partner and honor your opposite which means that the men will bow to the ladies and the women curtsy to the men.

In this next video, you see the dancers performing a quatrain. This dance would have been one that Mrs. Lincoln would have danced during one of President Lincoln's inaugural balls. I aslo learned that Mrs. Lincoln did not dance with her husband, but instead danced with Steven Douglas who ran against President Lincoln.

I hope you enjoyed these dances. To learn more about Civil War era dancing, please be sure to check out the Victorian Dance Ensemble's website.