A Civil War Vintage Fabric & Lace Book

Happy TGIF Sweet Friends...

The sun is shining, the sky is bright blue & the ground is

blanketed in white. Out the window, I can see smoke

coming from the chimney of the house next door.

It is MOST charming!!

I have been having a love affair...

a love affair with vintage lace, fabric, buttons & bows.

This Christmas, I made each one of the girls in my family

a fabric book filled with all the things I love. Each one had

a different theme...Baby's, Angels, Sisters, Photographs by

Julia Margaret Cameron & the one I made for myself...

Children of the Civil War.

I adore old tintypes, they always catch my eye, but it's the

images of children that I can't resist. Dressed in their

finest, little girls wearing beads around their necks,

there is often a hint of sadness in their eyes.

This little one is down right MAD,

with her off the shoulders, fine damask dress. 

Loving history the way I do & loving genealogy, it has been a

revelation to me to find that on nearly all sides of my family tree,

I have grandfathers & uncles that fought in the Civil War. 

They are equally divided by the North & South. In my family,

it is completely regional. The ones who lived in Illinois &

Ohio fought for in the Union Army, while those that

lived in Virginia, fought for the Confederacy.

In question was the equality of human beings,

the rights of man & the basic principal that this nation

was founded on...that ALL MEN are created EQUAL.

A nation divided...

a family divided.

I added a little envelope to each one of my books,

filled with tiny treasures.

In my book I have my business card, an antique handkerchief
& a picture of an old tintype of a little girl & her doll.

And I have copies of 2 letters sent to my Aunt Catharine

informing her of the death of her husband, my

Great~Great~Great Uncle James Knight,

from disease contracted while fighting

for the Union Army in 1862.

James & his brothers, Joseph & Thomas, joined
Company 'F' 123rd Illinois Infantry on September 6th 1862.
Both Joseph & Thomas returned from the war in 1865,
while James died in November of 1862, only
2 months after his enlistment. 

"Woodsonville, KY Jan 14 1862

Mrs Night

I sit down to in form you of the death of James Night

he died her this morning about 6 oclock. I will send

his knapsack to you. I have nothing to tile about him

for he was a stranger to me he will be buried her to

day nothing more

J J Goudnay"

"January 17th, 1862

Mrs Knight,

I thout this evning that I woud write you a few lines 

witch I thout of doing good while a go.

you have had to her the sad nues of the departire

of you husbman. I know will inform you that I was

at the same Hosptel but was in another room. he

hadent ben well for som time. I went to the hosptel

about the same time. I did as soon as I got abel I

went to see him and talk with him. he was very 

 joley but at his write mind. I ask him if he thout he

would git well and he sed he didn't know. he was

witing to die he had a good bed and evy thing he

wonted to eat. he was cered for and as well taken

cer of as cood be but you must recolebt that we

must all die sooner or later. I suspect that James

is at peas he sed that he was wiling to go. he

didnt say eny thing about wonting to be sent home.

we had a nise plane cofen made and he was berade

very desend. I think if I was in you place that I wodent

go to the trobel of moving him for he is at rest.

To Cathing Knight

From Samuel C Blankenbecker"

In the 1860 census, Samuel Blakenbecker was 17 & lived

with his parents on a farm neighboring my Aunt & Uncle.

James was 32 when he died & Catharine was left with

7 children to raise on her own. 

With this sweet little fabric book, I honor my own American Story.

There is an American Story in each of us, I can't wait

to find out more about mine!!

XOXO

vintagesusie