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Civil War Reunion / Education Night

Civil War Reunion / Education Night:

Civil War stories and memories are a distant past, but they were brought back to life at our Civil War Reunion/Education Night, which took place on April 9th at 6:30pm.

Jerry Tiemen of Loyal shared the story of his Great Grandfather, Fredrick Tiemen’s time of service. Fredrick served with the 12th Illinois Cavalry from February 1862 to wars end in 1865. The main job of the 12th Cav. was to render the Telegraphs, Rail Roads & Bridges inoperable. The 12th Cav. was involved in the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862. This single-day battle had casualties totaling 23,000. They joined Buford’s Division in June of 1863 in Tennessee and in November of 1863 they joined up with the Iron Brigade of Wisconsin. They joined 1,256 other men on February 9, 1864 in Louisiana. In June of 1864, they joined up with Custer. Fredrick and the 12th Cav. ended up in Huston, Texas; that is where they stayed till wars end on April 9, 1865.

Anna Williams shared her Civil War era quilts. First was a quilt that was made by the women folk for the men, to keep them warm on their journeys. It was called a Soldier’s Cot Quilt. Second, she showed us a quilt commonly made for home use from scrap fabric. The final quilt was called a Lincoln’s Platform, this was a small quilt used for table coverings or for children to play with.

Donna Smith of Neillsville spoke briefly about her Great Grandfathers, one serving with the Union and one with the Confederacy.

After the informative section of the evening speakers and guests enjoyed coffee, cupcakes and conversation.

For anyone who missed out on attending, the evening was videotaped and is available for viewing at The Learning Center.

For more information on the Reunion/Education Nights please contact The Highground at 715-743-4224.

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