Why?, you may ask do people collect and keep artifacts, antiques from the Civil War Era.  Well, that particular war changed our Country's history. We have come to know of the Civil War because of predominant facts and issues in connection with this war.  Slavery, family members on opposing sides, the enormous loss of life and bloodshed, Abe Lincoln, the fear of our Country being divided.  So much more associates with this era.

So, in my article I will state some trivia, facts and points of interest for the lighter side.

First, some trivia. Lt. Thomas Cluster, brother to George A. Cluster, was the first person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor twice.  It is believed that the first" Rebel Yell" was used at Bull Run on July 21, 1861.  May 27, 1863 at Port Hudson, Louisiana was the battle in which Union black soldiers first actively participated in the war. The first Civil War monument was erected at the Shiloh battleground in late 1863.  Battles were named differently by the North and the South.  The North used terrain features such as Bull Run and Antietam Creek and the South used the closest town such as Manassas which is located in VA.  The gold braids on an officer's coat were referred to as chicken guts by the soldiers.

Quilts are one of the America's most collected antiques.  The quilts made during the Civil War era hold a special sentimental value.   Early in 1860s, men would take quilts into military service for their bedding.  The wartime quilt was used to smuggle messages or supplies through enemy  lines and not to mention showing of the soldier's religious beliefs.  Because of so much shortage of material due to the war, quilts were often made from discarded clothing.  This is how we came to know the quilt as "patchwork or "scrap".  Fallen soldiers were rolled in family quilts and buried on Civil War battlefields.

It is estimated that 300 woman disguised themselves as men and fought in the ranks.  In 1862 , the first paper currency was called "greenbacks".   Disease killed twice as many men as did the wounds from battle.

The Civil War lives on in our memories from collectibles and artifacts.