Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Indiana, Pennsylvania in the Civil War

This is a photograph of a dasher butter [plunge] churn, which was common in the 19th century. the hand-operated wooden plunger (or dash) stirs the cream until it clumps together. The excess liquid is then drained. During the Civil War, butter and cheese were made at home. With the improvements in transportation, milk no longer had to be processed into cheese or butter before it was sold. Many farmers still made butter and cheese at home, howeverl, and sold it to markets during the war. Sources: Fletcher, Whitcomb W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life 1840-1940. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955. Print. Gates, Paul W. The Impact of the Civil War: Agriculture and the Civil War. Ed. Nevins, Allan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, 1965. Print. "churn". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 19 Jun. 2012.

This diary was kept by Rhoda Stone Lowry between May 16, 1863 and June 17, 1864. It contains descriptions of what Mrs. Lowry did during her day. Many of these activities are church-related: services, prayer meetings, and women's prayer meetings. The rest of the diary is filled with prayers for Mrs. Lowry's two sons (William Gustin and Robert Alexander) who fought and died in the Civil War. She expresses her grief at her loss and hopes for eternal life for her lost sons.

This is a photograph of a flax board that was used during the 1700s and throughout the 1800s. This tool was called a "hetchel" or "hackle." Flax was a leading commerical crop grown in Pennsylvania during the Civil War. There was an effort to replace cotton with more easily grown crops, including flax, so that the Union didn't have to rely on the South's cotton production during the war. Sources: Fletcher, Whitcomb W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life 1840-1940. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955. Print.

An invitation addressed to Winfield S. Shields from The Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Commission dated September 27, 1910 requesting his presence at the dedication of the State memorial in honor of the Pennsylvania soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. The invitation was issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This article from Indiana County Heritage provides a brief biography of Harry White; his military service during the Civil War, the legislative actions he took while in state and national office, and his tenure as a judge in Indiana.

This is a photograph of a horse-drawn plow, probably used in the 1840's or 1860's to cultivate fields. Sources: Fletcher, Whitcomb W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life 1840-1940. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955. Print.

The Leaky Tent is a small booklet written anonymously by a Chaplain of the United States Army, and published in 1864. It was published by Perkinpine & Higgins in Philadelphia and includes 64 pages of text.

Letter sent by Pennsylvania Governor A. G. Curtin to Judge Thomas White from Harrisburg on July 10, 1865. Curtin reports that May [his daughter] has returned to her old self after Judge White was able to resolve a matter involving her [likely the incident that also involved Judge White's nephew]. Curtin also mentions that his wife has been feeling better and that she will be going on an excursion in the following week. Curtin states that he is greatly indebted to Judge White.

Letter sent by Pennsylvania Governor A. G. Curtin to Judge Thomas White from Harrisburg on June 22, 1865. Curtin writes because he is concerned about Judge White's nephew [Harry McConnell]. Some time ago, the nephew asked if he could visit Governor Curtin. Since Curtin knew the boy's family, he had no objections, however, the nephew seems to have been lying to members of Curtin's family. Curtin is anxious because his daughter seems to have an interest in the nephew.

This is a letter from A. J. M. Luler to James Graham,[ Sr.] written from Utica [Ohio] and dated May 29, 1865. In this letter, A. J. M. Luler [who may be a Reformed Presbyterian minister] writes to James Graham to inform him know that he will not be able to meet with Graham until after Synod, [a meeting of the hierarchy of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America which began on May 24, 1865] because he wants to remain until the end of the meeting and because issues such as the "war question have not been taken up." [The Reformed Presbyterian Church prohibited its members, including soldiers, from swearing loyalty oaths in support of the secular government and the constitution. A resolution adopted at this meeting directed Church governing bodies to uphold these restrictions, and, when dealing with returning soldiers who had sworn such oaths, to follow the "usual practice of the Church." This may be of concern to Graham who apparently is a Reformed Presbyterian and whose son, James, is a soldier.] Luler also writes that he was able to get Mr. Milligan to assist him with Communion at a church in Sandy [?] on the last Sabbath of June. He concludes the letter with fears that there will be a division in the Synod regarding "the war question." In a postscript, he mentions that Graham's day will be the first Sabbath after the sacrament.