Hi List,
My family recently visited the Port Columbus Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga.
The collections and displays are quite impressive and it's a interesing and
fun place to visit (
www.portcolumbus.org).
That particular weekend they had a Victorian Holiday Open House and a Civil
War era Santa Claus. He was the best Santa Claus I've ever seen! Below is an
article that appeared in a local paper about this event and Santa Claus from
the 1860s.
In case you're interested in learning more about how our ancestors
celebrated Christmas, I've found a fun webpage to visit:
http://www.victoriana.com Click on Victorian Christmas in the right top
corner of the page.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
Carla Miles
Marion County Coordinator, Ga. Gen Web
Columbus Community News
Civil War Santa Claus
By Kim Lewis
Page 25
Civil War Santa Claus greeted children and families recently at the
Victorian Holiday Open House held at the Port Columbus National Civil War
Naval Museum in Columbus.
This was the fourth year that Kevin Rawlings, a Civil War-era historian from
Maryland has made the yuletide trip to Columbus.
Rawlings appeared in the authentic patriotic design of red and white striped
pants and a blue coat with large white stars. The costume is based on the
1862 illustration drawn by Thomas Nast of Harpers Weekly.
The special occasion intrigued us at the Columbus Community News as to what
Christmas may have been like during the Civil War era. So we did some
research.
A Christmas tree during the 1860s might include simple decorations like
dried and sugared nuts and fruits, popcorn balls, and string. Colored
paper, wax ribbon, spun glass and silver foil ornaments were also popular.
The trees were often placed on a table and gifts were left unwrapped.
Although war had emerged by Christmas of 1861, soldiers were still in good
spirits and pretty well equipped with food and supplies. Families sent
Christmas boxes filled with special treats. Camp scenes included small
evergreens decorated with hard tack and pork, carols being sung, eggnog
consumed, and friendly competitions and games.
By 1862 the full impact of the war began to sink in with the battle at
Shiloh, Mass., and Antietam, as well as the movements in the Peninsula and
Shenandoah Valley.
It was at this time that Nast first created the image of Santa Claus with a
rendition based on German folk tradition of an elderly kind and gentle man.
In an effort to help with morale, the illustration showed Santa visiting the
soldiers. Although Nast was a loyal Unionist, it was he who declared Santa
s home address as the North Pole so that no nation could claim Santa as its
own.
Christmas of 1863 brought the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Cautious
Southern parents prepared children that Santa may not make it through the
blockade to deliver presents. Boxes were again sent to those serving and
contained food, clothing and small comforts from home.
Several Christmas carols specifically mention the Civil War, but the most
famous is, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, which began as a poem
written in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
The final wartime Christmas during this period was in 1864. That was the
year that Abraham Lincoln was presented the unusual holiday gift the city
of Savannah, Ga. via telegram by General William T. Sherman.
The long war left many Americans struggling for such a lengthy time that by
now they were completely destitute. Supplies for most were depleted,
allowing very few Christmas boxes to be sent to the soldiers.
President Lincolns assassination stunned the nation, but the capture and
conviction of the conspirators by midsummer brought restitution. The war
came to an end and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution became law on Dec.
18, 1865, abolishing the institution of slavery.
Families kept apart for years reunited and embraced again the Victorian
holiday customs associated with Christmas. Newspapers that had previously
filled the pages with subjects of war were now illustrating domestic and
wintry scenes.