{"id":95733,"date":"2023-11-07T12:23:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T17:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=95733"},"modified":"2023-11-17T11:49:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T16:49:40","slug":"for-veterans-day-anecdotes-of-civil-war-vets-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/for-veterans-day-anecdotes-of-civil-war-vets-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"For Veterans Day: Anecdotes of Civil War Vets (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, in honor of Veterans Day, Melissa Davenport Berry shares some fun and even startling stories about Civil War veterans. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In honor of Veterans Day, here are some anecdotes about Civil War veterans.<\/p>\n

Civil War Vet: Champion Knitter, 1917<\/strong><\/p>\n

Civil War veteran Edwin Newell Armstrong (1845-1921) was the son of John Edwin Armstrong and Eliza Jane Anderson. He married Laura S. Gibbs and 2nd<\/sup> Lucie Wolfe, leaving descendants. As detailed in the below newspaper article, Edwin became a champion knitter later in his life.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Edwin Newell Armstrong. Credit: Beth Gregory Warmuth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Trenton Evening Times<\/em> published an article in 1917 about Armstrong\u2019s knitting efforts to help the soldiers overseas fighting in WWI.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 9 December 1917, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reported:<\/p>\n

PEORIA, ILL., Dec. 8. \u2013 E. N. Armstrong of Peoria, president of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad and a veteran of the Civil War [served with Company \u201cE\u201d 11th Illinois Infantry<\/a>] is, without a doubt, the champion knitter of Peoria. Since the outbreak of the war [W.W. I] he has been busily engaged, during his spare time, in the knitting of sweaters, wristlets, mufflers, and socks for the Sammies [American servicemen].<\/p>\n

He is a master at the art and for the past few months he has been giving instructions to women organizations who have organized knitting clubs. He has taught members of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic [GAR] the art of knitting.<\/p>\n

Within the last few weeks he has knitted several sweaters and mufflers and turned them over to the Red Cross Society for distribution.<\/p>\n

The railroad magnate is also the head of a family which is busily engaged at the art. He knits, his daughter knits, his granddaughter knits, and his great-granddaughter knits.<\/p>\n

An enormous quantity of sweaters, socks, wristlets, and mufflers have come from the needles of Mr. Armstrong; Mrs. W. A. Boettger of Denver, Colo., his daughter; Mrs. L. [B]. Sale of Bloomington, Ill., his granddaughter; and Miss Muriel Sale of Bloomington, his great-granddaughter.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: four generations of the Armstrong family (standing L to R): Edwin Newall Armstrong and his father John Edwin Armstrong; (sitting) Laura Ann Armstrong Boettger and her daughter Mabel Henrietta Boettger; 20 May 1890. Credit: Beth Gregory Warmuth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Armstrong family details:<\/p>\n