Research Arsenal

Josiah Osgood was born in 1842 to Hamilton Osgood and Adaline (Stevens) Osgood of Chelsea, Massachusetts. He enlisted as a corporal in Company C of the 24th Massachusetts Infantry in October, 1861. He later became the color guard of his company.

After his initial enlistment, Josiah Osgood spent some time waiting for the regiment to go south and join the war effort. His earliest letters are from Boston, Massachusetts. In one written on November 26, 1861 to his mother, he described his mess and company, both of which he had positive feelings toward. He also explained how the men passed the time while waiting to eventually be sent south.

“In our mess there is less profanity I think than in any other company in the regiment. The men like our captain very much. We may lose him if he takes the position of adjutant of the regiment. Marshall Kane, having a parole was prevented from leaving the fort (most on parole have only the liberty of the island). He probably intended the sentry on the wharf at which the boat stops recognized him and told the officer of the day. Said officer sung out and stopped the boat just as she was leaving the wharf. He has since been kept quite close. Last night, I understand, he was taken with the cholera. My opinion is that the man was little to be trusted, is confined.

Last night in our mess we made fifteen pans of molasses candy—anything to amuse ourselves with an evening. The Nantucket which is to bring a company here just passed. The captain of the boat sung out that they would be here at eleven o’clock this a.m.”

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Research Arsenal Spotlight 62: Josiah Osgood 24th Massachusetts Infantry | Research Arsenal Josiah Osgood was born in 1842 to Hamilton Osgood and Adaline (Stevens) Osgood of Chelsea, Massachusetts. He enlisted as a corporal in Company C of the 24th

For our What's it Wednesday this week, we asked you to identify the item in the 1865 Quartermaster Manual. The answer is a Hospital Flag! Here is the full description:

"Hospital flags—to be of yellow bunting, 9 feet fly and 5 feet hoist, with the letter H, 24 inches long, of green bunting, in the centre [center]; made like the recruiting flag for hoisting. For post and field hospitals, yellow bunting, 6 feet fly and 4 feet hoist, with letter H, 24 inches long, of green bunting, in the centre [center]."

Photo: Washington, D.C. Band before officers' quarters at Harewood Hospital-April 1864 https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/67067/18

Quartermaster Manual: https://app.researcharsenal.com/quartermaster-manuals/18

The Research Arsenal is proud to be digitizing and adding historical records of Civil War regiments held at the National Archives to our online database so that researchers and historians can access material that previously required a trip to Washington D.C. The 89th Illinois Infantry is one of the many regiments that has been added to our database.

RG 94 Spotlight: The 89th Illinois Infantry | Research Arsenal The Research Arsenal is proud to be digitizing and adding historical records of Civil War regiments held at the National Archives to our online database so

For our What's it Wednesday this week, can you identify this item from the 1865 Quartermaster Manual?

"to be of yellow bunting, 9 feet fly and 5 feet hoist, with the letter H, 24 inches long, of green bunting, in the centre [center]; made like the recruiting flag for hoisting."

Post your guesses below and check back Friday for the answer!

Otis Whitney was born in 1821 in Seneca, New York to Otis Whitney and Betsy (Hawley) Whitney. He married Harriett Newell Barnes in 1854 and the pair moved out west to Iowa. He served as a law clerk and acting justice of the peace until becoming the 1st lieutenant of Company H, 27th Iowa Infantry in the fall of 1862.

After completing its organization, the 27th Iowa Infantry was initially sent to St. Paul, Minnesota, in October, 1862. The journey ended up more perilous than expected. In a letter written on October 15, 1862, Otis Whitney described a serious accident during their voyage north.

“We embarked Sunday morning & had a pleasant trip with some little adventure. Sunday night, just at dark, a snag (a large tree trunk) smashed through the guard deck near the bow of the boat & came very near throwing some of the boys overboard. A few minutes before there were several standing on the very spot where the crash was made. Last night a steamer coming down undertook for some unexplained reason to run our boat down but by the skill of our pilot, we avoided being struck but in doing so, the stern of the boat was thrown so near the shore that a tree on the shore crashed through the side of the boat & tore out the entire side of the barber shop to the great fright of several men who were sleeping on the floor & in chairs. The fright was not without cause as it came near sweeping off several men.”

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Research Arsenal Spotlight 61: Otis Whitney 27th Iowa Infantry | Research Arsenal Otis Whitney was born in 1821 in Seneca, New York to Otis Whitney and Betsy (Hawley) Whitney. He married Harriett Newell Barnes in 1854 and the pair moved out

For our What's it Wednesday question this week, we asked you what you thought of this gentleman's prominent hat. Here is the rest of the photograph. This is the camp of 110th Pennsylvania Infantry near Falmouth, Va., Dec. 1862.

Do you think he's wearing a modified hardee hat or something else?

Here's a link to the image: https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/68135

In this blog and the next entry, I’ll be going over how to handle, clean, store and digitize your glass plate negatives. Properly caring for these negatives is important to ensure that they continue to survive for decades (and centuries) to come, and so that the image emulsion is not inadvertently damaged by improper storage and handling. Please also consider cataloging your negatives as you go through this process.

How to Handle and Store Glass Plate Negatives | Research Arsenal In this blog I’ll be going over how to handle and store glass plate negatives. Properly caring for these negatives is important to ensure that they continue to survive for decades (and centuries) to come, and so that the image emulsion is not inadvertently damaged by improper storage and handling.

For our What's it Wednesday this week, what can you tell us about this hat? Is it a modified Hardee or something else? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Constantine Hege was born in 1843 to Solomon Hege and Catharine (Guenther) Hege of Davidson County, North Carolina. The Hege family were Moravians, an early Protestant religion originating from the Bohemian Reformation in the late 1400s. Religiously, they were opposed to war, but nevertheless Constantine Hege was conscripted into Company H of the 48th North Carolina Infantry in the summer of 1862.

Constantine Hege’s letters begin on August 8, 1862 at Camp Holmes outside Raleigh, North Carolina. Though he opens his letter with a description of his trip, from the beginning its clear that he finds camp life difficult and is less than thrilled to be there.

“I enjoyed my ride tolerably well. I saw a great many things that interested me very much. I counted 14 engines at the company shops. I also saw the state house and many other fine buildings. We are now in Camp Holmes about 4 miles from Raleigh. We have good tents and a beautiful grove to camp in. There are also several wells of good water in the camp. We are guarded all round by stout looking guards with muskets well loaded.

I will now tell you what I think of camp life. I think it is a very hard life. We drawed 440 lbs. of flour for 4 days. We also drawed 3 skillets & 1 pot for about 20 men to prepare their victuals in. I do not like such fare nor I am not content at present. I feel very much downcast but I think that several of my tent mates are very nice men and I hope that I can after a while do better if I must stay in camp.”

Read more on the blog!

Research Arsenal Spotlight 60: Constantine Hege 48th North Carolina Infantry | Research Arsenal Constantine Hege was born in 1843 to Solomon Hege and Catharine (Guenther) Hege of Davidson County, North Carolina. The Hege family were Moravians, an early

Today we celebrate Memorial Day to honor all those who died while in service to their country. Memorial Day's roots go back to Decoration Day, the first of which was observed on May 30, 1868. John Logan, Commander in Chief of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) issued General Order No. 11 on May 5, 1868 officially designating Decoration Day on a national scale. Logan stated:
"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there. Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Despite this, Southern states, continued to honor the dead on separate days until after World War I.

Following WWI, there was a need to honor fallen American soldiers beyond just the Civil War. The name changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30th, the date General Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Be sure to take some time to day to remember and reflect on those who gave the supreme sacrifice so that we might be here today and live free.

Images: Burying the dead at Fredericksburg hospital https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/67997
and 1907 Decoration Day card