Ok, I've pretty much spent all day working on CD 2 of the NGS HSC and while doing the research for one of the lessons I came across an interesting reference. I've heard of locales holding get-togethers/reunions for Civil War vets throughout the remainder of the 19th century and into the 20th century and always thought about how great it would be to be able to have seen them in person. I would kill for time travel to check those things out but today I had a different thought on the matter.
In a county history of Parke County, Indiana there was a brief reference to a soldier's reunion occurring in the county seat, Rockville, in 1875 (no exact day was given). At that time, my only Confederate ancestor (at least the only one that I've found so far) was a fairly recent citizen of Parke Co., having migrated shortly after the war. Part of my assignment was to look at the list of 100+ neighbors living in close proximity to him at the time of the 1870 census; they were all from Indiana and most of the families that I've seen were from Union families. In the little snapshot of a list that I've compiled, Emsley McMasters and his family were probably one of only a handfull of former-Confederates in the area suddenly swarmed by several thousand former Union sympathizers and veterans. I've already posted about my theory that he was probably not a willing Confederate participant, but regardless, it makes me wonder just how comfortable he may have been on the day of that "reunion".
....Oh, and did I forget to mention who the honored guest of the Parke County event was? It was General William T. Sherman. Yes, that Sherman. The Gone with the Wind burning of Atlanta Sherman. Now that's the kind of guest that would make any former Confederate get the warm and cozies, right?
YIKES!!
Just my random thought for the day. One of many anyway :)
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Isn't is facinating to see how history met the lives of our ancestors? I wander if your ancestor stayed inside that weekend or maybe he even went to the reunion.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was wondering as well. If it were me, I think I might be a bit leery of venturing out that weekend. But who knows what was going on in his mind. I'm heading out to Parke County again tomorrow for a little 2-day research trip and if I have time I might meander over to the library and see if I can pull up some newspaper articles on the event....on second thought, that may have to wait for another trip. But in any case, I'd be very interested to read more about the event.
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