United We Stand—Divided We Fall: The Filson’s Civil War Exhibit

72 OHIO VALLEY HISTORY Collections Essay “UnitedWe Stand—DividedWe Fall” The Filson’s Civil War Exhibit T he American Civil War has been part of The Filson’s heritage since its founding in 1884. Its ten founders were evenly divided between North and South. While the war could be a sensitive subject, Filson lectures included accounts of battles and personal reminiscences. And The Filson collected Civil War-related material so that collection today is large and nationally significant . Previous collection essays profiled the institution’s secession related material and the letters of Captain Benjamin F. Walter of the 23rd Indiana Infantry. As the sesquicentennial of the conflict continues, The Filson decided to devote its entire carriage house museum space to the Civil War exhibit, “United We Stand—Divided We Fall.” The title is, of course, Kentucky’s state motto, adopted long before 1861 and prescient in its prediction of what civil war would do to the nation over four long, terrible years. Kentucky could not sustain its initial effort to remain neutral and play the role of compromiser and peacemaker . Kentuckians had to choose sides. The state legislature voted into office in the summer of 1861 determined that Kentucky would remain in the Union. The majority of Kentuckians supported that decision, but a vocal and determined minority did not. As many as forty thousand Kentuckians fought for the Confederacy, and many more sympathized with the southern cause. Kentuckians The 1850s and the election of 1860, part of The Filson’s “United We Stand—Divided We Fall” exhibit. THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY JAMES J. HOLMBERG SUMMER 2012 73 on both sides wrote letters, kept diaries, had photographs made, and tucked away remembrances of the war when they came home—uniforms , weapons, flags, and such. After the war, both Union and Confederate veterans participated in reunions. As the years passed and the soldiers aged and died, they or their families gathered up this documentary and artifact heritage and presented it to The Filson. While The Filson has exhibited small segments of the collection for years, the sesquicentennial seemed like an appropriate time to devote a major exhibit to the war. “UnitedWe Stand—DividedWe Fall” begins in the 1850s and the widening division between North and South. A number of Kentuckians played significant roles on the national stage in the antebellum period, including Henry Clay, Zachary Taylor, James Guthrie, and John Crittenden. Two native Kentuckians— Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis—served as presidents of the warring sides. Native Louisvillian Robert Anderson commanded Fort Sumter at the war’s beginning and became an early hero in the North. Subsequent exhibit sections are thematic, addressing areas such as Louisville during the war, African Americans, weapons, medical care, death and mourning, the Shepherdsville, Kentucky, slave sale broadside, 1854. THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY “UNITED WE STAND —DIVIDED WE FALL” 74 OHIO VALLEY HISTORY home front, guerrilla activity, a soldier’s life and experience, prisoners of war, music, and reunions. Utilizing a broad range of materials—letters, diaries, photographs, prints, portraits, maps, books, pamphlets, and artifacts—the exhibit allows the visitor to learn more about the conflict and view historical material. A sampling of the items on display include the guidon of Company I of the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, Union, kept by Lieutenant Lewis Dunn of Grayson County, Kentucky, as a souvenir ; a battle scarred second national flag of the Confederate States of America, captured at Jenkins’ Ferry, Arkansas, on April 30, 1864, by the 50th Indiana Infantry (raised in Clark County) and brought home by Captain Isaac Craig. His diary entry for that day notes the fierce battle and the taking of three enemy colors (this flag being one). Henry Hurst of the 6th Kentucky Infantry, CSA, belonged to the famous Orphan Brigade. He wrote his sweetheart and sent her his photo. His letter to her of July 13, 1864, was written nine days before he died outside Atlanta. Captain John Weller of the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry of the Orphan Brigade was more fortunate . His letter of December 1, 1863, describes his wounding at Chickamauga a couple of months earlier. His photo taken in January 1864 shows he healed nicely. Not all soldiers kept their uniforms...