Graffiti Of Civil War Revealed As History - TN

CMWinkler

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Graffiti Of Civil War
Revealed As History


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Sun Photo by Kristen Buckles

National Park Service Guide Burke Greear explains an exhibit he put together to provide visitors with background information on the graffiti etched and marked on the walls of the Andrew Johnson Homestead in the 1860s by Union and Confederate soldiers who temporarily occupied the house.
Originally published: 2013-02-19 09:35:13
Last modified: 2013-02-19 10:24:26​


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BY KRISTEN BUCKLES
STAFF WRITER
Ask any park ranger at the Andrew Johnson Homestead -- sometimes, walls can talk.

The walls at the Homestead have a lot to say beneath their wallpaper, where the rough plaster holds dates, names, stories and, essentially, the graffiti of 150 years ago.

The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is hosting an exhibit related to these writings, called "... But Words Shall Never Harm Me," now through May. Although not profane, the writings reveal some harsh realities about life in the Civil War.

http://www.greenevillesun.com/Local_News/article/Graffiti-Of-Civil-War-Revealed-As-History-id-323277
 
Interesting.... It seems I recall reading an article in regards to grafitti on other buildings near battle fields. I'll see if I can dig them up.
 
Reminds me of the time my reenacting unit, the 76th OVI reenacted coming home to Columbus, Ohio, after reenlisting and becoming a 'veteran' unit (76th OVVI).

The men who reenlisted were granted 40 days furlough and went home by train, arriving in Columbus, Ohio, late at night. There was no room for the boys at the barracks, so the Colonel marched the boys down High Street to the Ohio Statehouse, where upon they threw out the janitors who tried to stop them from entering, and bedded down for the night by rolling out their blankets on the floor of the rotunda of that esteemed building. 400 men of the 76th OVVI thought it only fair that the state give them shelter for the night and they slept there until 'invited' out by state officials who had somehow found them suitable quarters for the time in Columbus.

My 76th OVI got to recreate that very event, by being permitted to sleep in the Ohio Statehouse rotunda for a night over one weekend. Part of that event was being taken up to the top of the rotunda, a trip not afforded to the general public, to view recently discovered names written in the plaster from the 1860s during renovations being done at that time. It seems when it was completed, the Ohio Statehouse was the tallest building in Columbus, and many recently married couples, as part of their honeymoon, would climb the very stairs we did to the top, view the city and write their names and the date on the plaster walls. After viewing this bit of history, our guide asked us if we wanted to write our names into newly made plaster walls near the historic section. We all jumped at the chance and signed our first-person reenacting names, with our ranks and unit(i.e., Pvt. Jeremiah T. Hamilton, 76th OVI, 1995).

I wonder how future folks will react when they rediscover this section of wall way up in the rotunda and how confused they will be at Civil War soldiers from the 20th century!

Sincerely,
Unionblue
 
Oh gosh, Unionblue, I think it's going to worry the bejeesis out of folks who are not acquainted with Civil War reenactors well before your capitol building remnants are discovered by Charlton Heston and some grumpy gorillas. Folks are going to wonder what on earth implosion of our country they've missed, seeing that from 1995, that's hysterical. It must have been awfully nice for you folks, having that chance to add those names up there though.

Thanks for this post. I hadn't known it was a 'thing' until catching an article in one of the Civil War magazines. All these messages from people who witnessed what they did are too, too fascinating. Nice to have the professionals preserving them further, you wonder what the original authors would have thought if they were told we'd all be viewing these.
 
Was one of the discoveries at the Confederate White House, where they discovered the Davis children had left some fascinating wall-art, the kind all children do? I looked for my copy of the Civil War magazine where I thought I read that, of course canNOT find it. Rats. It was a great article, which is the trouble with those magazines. It's like eating one potato chip, just enough information to get you REALLY interested, then cut you off. Must be what an addict feels like when they take the drugs away. :smile:
 
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