Major national events had a deep impact on children during the 19th century, none more than the Civil War. They wrote their thoughts about news they read or heard, and some even took up the task of reporting on the war. The two manuscript newspapers that best represent this in the Historic Children's Voices collections are Our Chip Basket and The Illustrated News. They were written by Ellen Harriet Sargent and by Louis Aaron Leland, respectively. Both were published in 1862 and included ample descriptions of the battles and lives of Union soldiers.
Our Chip Basket
Ellen Harriet Sargent (1845-1937) lived in Hopkinton, N.H. and was a student in School District No. 4. She lived with her parents and six siblings. She moved to Michigan after 1880 and worked as a schoolteacher. She edited Our Chip Basket as part of a school project with the help of her peers. They wrote about the seasons, snowy weather, city life, animals, and more. They also included a letter, addressed to an unidentified uncle, describing the experience of a Union soldier during the war. The unnamed soldier recounts his travels through the South and the battles he fought in. He also laments on having to celebrate Thanksgiving away from his family.
The people of New Hampshire actively participated in the Civil War by quickly mobilizing recruits at the start of hostilities in 1861. Approximately 10% of the population was mobilized to serve in the Union military, industries switched to produce wartime materials and goods, communities provided care for affected families and individuals, and the government fell into debt to support the war. New Hampshire contributed 18 infantry regiments for the Union Army, with the most famous of them being the Fifth New Hampshire Regiment, famously known as the "Fighting Fifth." Recruits also served in the Union Navy, one of these being Commodore George Hamilton Perkins (1835-1899). He was born in Hopkinton, N.H. and served with Captain David Farragut during the war. A statue in his honor was built after his death in 1899.
The Illustrated News
Louis Aaron Leland (1847-1881) lived in Sherborn, Massachusetts with his parents Abijah Richardson and Mary Ann (Sawyer) Leland and his sister Mercie Daniels. They lived on a farm at the junction of Apple and Woodland Streets, where his father Abijah and his grandfather Joseph Perry Leland manufactured vinegar. Two of his uncles were serving as physicians in the war at the same time as Louis wrote his newspaper. One of them, Dr. Francis Leland was commissioned as a Major and taken prisoner in June 1862. He was wounded at the Battle of Cedar Mt. in August of the same year and was honorably discharged in October due to serious illness. His father's business must have been profitable since Abijah bought a large mansion and property at 8 Washington Street in 1874. Louis went on to become an artist and worked as an apothecary in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
In his newspaper, Louis reports on the Civil War battles happening during 1862 and the contributions of the state in the war effort. He included several facts and figures about the battles where Massachusetts soldiers fought in, officers that had been killed or wounded, and dates and locations of the various campaigns. Louis copied illustrations from the January and February 1862 issues of the Harper's Weekly magazine into his newspaper. These included scenes of marching soldiers, naval battles, military camps, and victory celebrations. He also added a few satirical and comical drawings at the end of the paper.
At the start of the war, the town of Sherborn formed committees and passed resolutions to mobilize its population and economy for the war effort. They formed a military school subsidized by the town and provided economic incentives and support for volunteers and their families. The town contributed 82 men to fight for the Union. About 19 of them were killed in the war, including James W. Green and William F. Hill who joined the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first African American regiment in the Union Army.
Suggested Classroom Questions and Activities
- How did children react to events during the Civil War?
- How did they choose to report on the war? What did they choose to include? What did they choose to omit?
- What were the events of the war that children thought most important?
Ask students to choose an event or individual of the war that they think is important, do research, and write about them.
(MA 5.T5 4. Identify the major military leaders and battles of the Civil War (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson; Battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Appomattox. 5.W 7. Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support written analysis, reflection, and research.)
Alternatively, ask students to imagine they are a soldier in the war and write a letter to their family or friends describing their experience and how they spend their time. To add on, ask them to mention a specific battle or important figure and do more research on them.
(MA 5.W 3. Write narratives in prose or poem form to develop experiences or events using effective literary techniques, descriptive details, and clear sequences.)