Category Archives: 150 Years Ago

sound retreat

Posted on March 20, 2021 by SUMPTER

From the March 18, 1871 issue of Harper’s Weekly: THE SOLDIERS’ HOME. ON one of the most beautiful sites in the neighborhood of Washington stands an edifice of singular attractiveness, known as “The Soldiers’ Home,” of which we give a … Continue reading →

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up in the air

Posted on February 15, 2021 by SUMPTER

A duck, a sheep, and a rooster take off in a hot air balloon. … Already heard this one? … No? Well, actually, according to the Château de Versailles, this isn’t a joke. In 1782 the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and … Continue reading →

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a death on campus

Posted on October 12, 2020 by SUMPTER

It was a damp, chilly afternoon in Lexington, Virginia. A heavy rain set in that eventually resulted in some severe flooding. September 28, 1870 was a long day for Robert E. Lee, the president of Washington College. According to Colonel … Continue reading →

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reading the reasons

Posted on July 9, 2020 by SUMPTER

On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia voted for independence from Great Britain. On July 4th the Congress agreed to the words in the written Declaration. July 8th was a “great day of celebration” in Philadelphia as … Continue reading →

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virtual vacation

Posted on June 29, 2020 by SUMPTER

Apparently some people weren’t venturing too far from home 150 years ago. What they might have been missing: I’m so old I sort of remember when they turned off the American Falls when I was going to school. As it … Continue reading →

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lapping it up

Posted on June 15, 2020 by SUMPTER

Here’s a man that might have fit right in with Stonewall Jackson’s foot cavalry – except that he hailed from north of Mason-Dixon. From Harper’s Weekly June 11, 1870: WESTON, THE PEDESTRIAN. WE give on this page a portrait of … Continue reading →

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floral tributes

Posted on May 30, 2020 by SUMPTER

From the May 31, 1870 issue of The New-York Times. Except the day on which is celebrated the independence of these United States, there is no day that calls out the patriotic feelings of our people more than “Memorial Day.” … Continue reading →

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spring chicken

Posted on May 14, 2020 by SUMPTER

____________________ Come to find out, Meherrin Station Virginia is the site of a historical marker which commemorates two Civil War-related events. Federal cavalry units were in the area during the Wilson–Kautz Raid in late June 1864. The raid’s mission was … Continue reading →

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Old Pap gone

Posted on April 30, 2020 by SUMPTER

I first knew of him as “The Rock of Chickamauga.” In September 1863 Union General George H. Thomas and his men held off the Confederate Army of Tennessee while about a third of the Union Army of the Cumberland was … Continue reading →

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down with dramshops

Posted on April 8, 2020 by SUMPTER

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been aware of the saying, “If March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb” (and I thought vice versa, but that seems to return a lot fewer search results). … Continue reading →

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