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

About This Collection

The Indiana Pennsylvania in the Civil War Era project includes primary sources including letters, diaries, and modern and historical photographs, now held in the collections of Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Special Collections or the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, that document the experience of men and women of Indiana County, PA during the Civil War era. Central to the collection are the papers of the White family including a diary kept by Pennsylvania State Senator Harry White, who fought for the North during the Civil War and was imprisoned in Libby Prison and a number of other prisons across the South; the letters of his father Thomas White, a prominent judge who was involved in the organization of the Republican Party in Pittsburgh; correspondence of Richard White, a brother who also served in the Union Army during the Civil War; and letters to members of the White family from the Pennsylvania governor and high ranking representatives of the federal government. Also included are other diaries of Civil War soldiers from the Indiana County area. Together these primary sources provide a glimpse into the experience of Civil War soldiers and their families at home and political life during the war.
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Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part M, Pages 372 to 401
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part M, Pages 372 to 401
The following are pages three hundred and seventy-two to four hundred and one of the Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was the daughter of physician and abolitionist, Robert Mitchell.
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part N, Pages 404 to 434
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part N, Pages 404 to 434
The following are pages four hundred and four to four hundred and thirty-four of the Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was the daughter of Indiana County physician and abolitionist, Robert Mitchell.
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part O, Pages 435 to 465
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part O, Pages 435 to 465
The following are pages four hundred and thirty-five to four hundred and sixty-five of the Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was the daughter of Indiana County physician and abolitonist, Robert Mitchell.
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part P, Pages 466 to 479
Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell, Indiana, PA, Part P, Pages 466 to 479
The following are pages four hundred and sixty-six to four hundred and seventy-nine of the Scrap Book of Jennie Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was the daughter of Indiana County physician and abolitionist, Robert Mitchell.
Scythe
Scythe
Scythes--19th century--Pictorial works. Agricultural implements--United States--History--19th century--Pictorial works.
This is a photo of a scythe, probably dating before 1850. It has a 30'' blade and handmade handle. It is used to cut grain such as wheat and hay. This farming tool was replaced around the time of the Civil War by the reaper. In the Graham Collection (GC1) in a letter Agnes wrote to her brother James, she refers tpo a rye field that they owned. It is still likely that the Graham family grew hay and wheat on their farm, and may have used a scythe during harvesting. Source: The Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, PA: Graham Collection (GC1); Fletcher, Whitcomb W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life 1840-1940. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955. Print.
Shakespeare Club Group Photograph. Includes Harry and Anna White.
Shakespeare Club Group Photograph. Includes Harry and Anna White.
White, Harry L., 1834-1920. White, Anna Sutton, d. 1912. Shakespeare Club (Indiana, Pa.)--Portraits. Group portraits--1900-1910. Portrait photographs--1900-1910.
Group photograph of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Shakespeare Club with Judge Harry and Anna Sutton White.
Sickle
Sickle
Sickles--19th century--Pictorial works. Agricultural implements--United States--History--19th century--Pictorial works.
This is a photograph of a sickle. This tool was probably used during the 1800s to harvest grain crops. Source: Smithsonian Institute- Source in photo, top left.
Soldier's and Sailor's Almanac for 1865
Soldier's and Sailor's Almanac for 1865
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Almanacs. Almanacs, American. Soldiers--Religious life--United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865. Christian literature, English.
This is The Soldier's and Sailor's Almanac for 1865, published by the Protestant Episcopal Society for the Promotion of Evangelical Knowledge, No. 3 Bible House, New York. The book is paperbound and has forty-eight pages of text with black and white illustrations. It includes stories in the form of religious parables or sermons. The images here are of the first two pages of the almanac. The almanac is inscribed, "in memory of Camp Cadwalader, Philadelphia, Pa."
Some Local Stories About Judge White
Some Local Stories About Judge White
White, Harry L., 1834-1920--Anecdotes. White, Harry L., 1834-1920--Biography. Indiana Co. (Pa.)--History--Periodicals. Indiana County Heritage (Indiana County, Pa.)
The article from Indiana County Heritage contains some brief anecdotes about Judge Harry White.
Speech Written by Winfield Scott Shields Upon Receiving an Award for His Military Duty During the Civil War, May 12, 1882
Speech Written by Winfield Scott Shields Upon Receiving an Award for His Military Duty During the Civil War, May 12, 1882
This is an original copy of a speech written by Winfield Scott Shields upon receiving an award for his military duty during the Civil War. In this speech, Shields describes his view of the necessity of defending his country in the war, and discusses the sacrifices that not only the soldiers made for their country, but also acknowledges those made by the women who were left behind.
Spinning Wheel
Spinning Wheel
This is a photograph of a spinning wheel, probably in use around the 1700's and early 1800's. Pennsylvania farm women were making all the linen and woolen clothes worn by their families, usually used to spin flax and wool into thread or yarn. Source: Fletcher, Whitcomb W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955. Print.
Teacher's Professional Certificate, Awarded to Winfield Scott Shields, May 4, 1871
Teacher's Professional Certificate, Awarded to Winfield Scott Shields, May 4, 1871
Teachers--Certification, Common Schools of Pennsylvania
This is a teacher's professional certificate that was awarded to Winfield Scott Shields on May 4, 1871 by the Common Schools of Pennsylvania. The diploma is signed and authorized by a County Superintendent, whose name is difficult to transcribe.
Telegram from R. [Richard] White to Thomas White, February 20, 1864
Telegram from R. [Richard] White to Thomas White, February 20, 1864
White, Richard, 1826-1865--Correspondence. White, Richard, 1826-1865--Military service. White, Thomas, 1799-1866. United States. Army--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.--Civil War, 1861-1865. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Sources.
Telegram sent by R. [Richard?] White to Judge Thomas White from Harrisburg, PA on February 20, 1864. Richard [the signature appears to be that of Richard White] asks Judge White to tell Adair to recruit all the men he can. He should date all of their papers as the first or fifteenth of July. Richard states that these men will be put on artillery duty. He reports that he is working day and night.
Two Lovers Discussion, handwritten by James Graham, a traditional poem (original author is unknown)
Two Lovers Discussion, handwritten by James Graham, a traditional poem (original author is unknown)
The Two Lovers Discussion is a poem that was found among James Graham's papers, and does not specify an author. There are several versions in existence of this song or poem, and its variations have been found mostly in The Bodleian Collection of Broadsides. One alternate title is "Craig Dhu; or, My Lodging by the Sea," a version by Edwin Waugh (Manchester; John Heywood 1870). This version contains nine stanzas, each with eight lines.
Volunteer Medical Service Corps of the United States Rules of Organization Pamphlet, August, 1918
Volunteer Medical Service Corps of the United States Rules of Organization Pamphlet, August, 1918
This is a pamphlet from Volunteer Medical Service Corps of the United States Rules of Organization. It was published by the Council of National Defense, with a date of August, 1918. The pamphlet was among the documents and letters that once belonged to Winfield Scott Shields, a pharmacist and Civil War veteran from Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
War Prison Diary of Harry White (Transcription)
War Prison Diary of Harry White (Transcription)
White, Harry, 1834-1920--Diaries. White, Harry L., 1834-1920--Military service. White, Richard, 1826-1865--Military service. Libby Prison (Va.). Salisbury Prison (N.C.). Prisoners of war--South Carolina--Columbia. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Prisoners and prisons--Personal narratives. Prisoner-of-war escapes--Confederate States of America--History--Personal narratives. Prisoners of war--Health and hygiene. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Sources.
Transcription of a diary that Harry White kept while he was being held in three Confederate prisons--Libby in Virginia, Salisbury in North Carolina, and Richland Prison in South Carolina. The diary begins on December 15, 1863 in Libby Prison in Richmond and ends on June 11, 1864 with Harry still imprisoned. Among Harry's entries is a description of his escape with four other officers in May 1864 as they were being moved by train to Richland Jail in South Carolina. He also describes prison conditions including the whippings of prisoners, poor food, boredom, lack of information about the war, etc. [Harry is subjected to harsher treatment and is not released in prisoner exchanges because his captors know that he is a senator in Pennsylvania whose vote, if he were released, would affect Pennsylvania's deadlocked Senate and the state's diminishing support for the war.] Harry compares prisons in South Carolina with Libby Prison in Virginia. In South Carolina the treatment is more humane--the food is better; he has access to books; and, on Sundays, there may even be a sermon from a local Presbyterian minister. Imprisonment, however, is difficult to bear--he suffers from depression and a constant yearning for family and friends. On May 23, 1864 he learns of the imprisonment of his brother Richard. He worries about Richard's condition and the impact of his capture on their parents who now have two sons in Confederate prisons.