Confederate Civil War Scrapbooks

Collection — Box: 1131

Identifier: 2002.183

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Two scrapbooks and one printed address memorializing the Confederate States of America, and containing primarily newspaper clippings, currency, poetry, written tributes and memorials, and photographic images. Address is a tribute to General Robert E. Lee by Honorable Harry B. Hawes of Missouri. The tributes and memorials are mostly about well known generals, namely Robert E. Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson, Sterling Price, and Jefferson Davis and some minor leaders. There are also some patriotic poems and articles.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within 1857-1930, Bulk [Early 1900's]

Rights Statement

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Biographical / Historical

These scrapbooks were probably compiled to commemorate the Civil War from the Confederate point of view. Scrapbooks were one of several ways used to commemorate the Civil War. Commemoration began in the years immediately following the war and still exists today. A major method of commemoration is monuments of both citizen-soldiers and officers. This method actually began during the war. Commemoration speeches were also common, like the one by Harry B. Hawes included in the collection. They were of major figures or battles of the war. Another major way of commemoration is through motion pictures such as “Gettysburg” and “Glory” (about the 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment). Today, major battles are commemorated through reenactments of the battles. Commemoration has been fairly steady since its beginning and has not slowed down.