Spring Newsletter 2008

FROM OUR ARCHIVES:

Civil War Letter from the Front

Maryland Hights
Mar 18th /63

Dear Brother Cal,
As I sit in my bunk here with my long shanks [legs] hanging down over the edge writing to you I think of the good times we used to have at home and wonder when the time will come when we shall squabble together again as we used to when I was at home. I haven’t forgotten how to squabble yet for I am always fooling with the Sergeant or some one else when there is nothing else that I can do. I suppose you and Milt [their brother] are at it pretty often the same as ever as Milt said that he & you had been down to the barn squabling the last time he wrote. When you see Aunt Harriet I want you to tell her about that money that I sent to her. The Lieut said she wrote to Capt Draper about having his [her deceased son’s] things sent home. She said he had a watch that his Father used to own and she prized it very highly, but he swaped it for a pistol then traded the pistol for another watch and then sold the watch to a fellow in this Co. and the ten Dollars I sent home to her is the pay for the watch so she will know all about it now. I shall have a little more money to send to her when we are paid off again. The Lieut said that he would try to make arrangements with the Capt so as to send his things home but if they can’t send them home they will be sold and the money sent to her. I suppose you will be plunking [shooting] the crows with your rifle if they come on to the gate. I should like to shoot my rifle with yours and see which will shoot the best. We have a mark to fire at when we come off of guard about 20 rods or so as to see who makes the best shot. The one that makes the best shot is put down on the report book every morning. I made the best shot the last time I was on guard. Our rifles are made to shoot 500 yards but I guess we couldn’t hit a man as far as that. I think you hit pretty well on the mark when you fired at that picture of the crow. You may have that powder flash if you want it for it won’t do me any good now. If ever I want another one I can get it I guess. I should like those apples that you talk of sending me well enough but I think it would cost more than they would be worth to send them out here but you can do as you think best about it. How much are apples per bbl now at home I suppose they are cheap for they were so pleanty last fall. Tell Jacob [another brother] now he is constable he must try and write a little oftener so I can hear how he gets along. I should like to see him now and shake him up a little (if I could do it). Hoping this letter will find you in as good health as I am I remain as ever your brother
G. W. Rea
(Give my best respects to all the folks)

[The author of this Civil War letter, George W. Rea, was born in Andover on January 9, 1843, and died September 23, 1864, in the Andersonville Prison in Georgia. This and other Civil War letters were donated to the Society by Ken W. Rea, a third generation nephew of George W. Rea.]

NEW MEMBERS
Family
Essex Nat’l Heritage Staff
Kathleen Keith & Family
Trisha Kitteredge & Family
The D’Onofrio Family
Single
Karen Klein Lina Hunter
Brian Sheehy
Sponsor
Walter & Margery Freed
“Welcome Back “
Nancy Roy - Single

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ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTIONS

The North Andover Historical Society is grateful to the following people whose gifts have expanded and enhanced our collections in several areas:

Maria Bartlett
Martha Larson
Nancy Leonardi
Ken Rea
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ADVENTURES IN TIME

The Society is accepting reservations ( there are only a few spots left) for its children’s summer enrichment program, “Adventures in Time”. The first week, “Working in Time”, will be held July 7 through July 11, will fry and answer the question: What would I be in earlier times? Field trips to the Andover Historical Society and the Wenham Museum will provide a chance to try our different trades and vocations. In the second week, “Our Bright New Age”, August 4 through August 8, we will look at good times and challenges of the early 20th century, including the labor movement, the birth of movies, the impact of the automobile and the “making due” of the Great Depression. Visits to the Lawerence Heritage State Park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum will help bring the period alive. The fee is $140 per week, $250 for two weeks. North Andover Historical Society members receive a 20% discount. “Second Child
child” receives a 10% discount. Morning drop-off time is 9:30am and pick-up is at 2:30pm. There will be a supervised lunch period, children must bring their own brown bag lunch. Please call the Society for further details or to request a reservation.

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GRANTS

The Society would like to thank the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund and the Brown Family Fund for their very generous support of Adventures in Time 2008. We would also thank the Rogers Family Foundation for their support of this year’s Second Grade Program. We also received a grant from the Essex County Community Foundation to underwrite the Society’s strategic planning process.

___________________________________________VOLUNTEERS / STAFF

Director Carol Majahad spoke at Vincent Terranova’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Sunday, April 13th. Carol awarded to him a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Society for the completion of two raised garden beds, which we installed here at the Society headquarters property. Museum assistant Kathy Szyska attended “Archives Alive”, a seminar sponsored by the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System.

“President’s Corner”

The Garden Tour on Saturday, June 21 includes a hundred year old garden on the lake, a children’s butterfly garden, an original Victorian garden, the personal garden of a landscape designer, and a garden on Academy Road. This is a wonderful opportunity to see these gardens and to meet the property owners who maintain them. Tickets are on sale now online or at the Scoiety as well as at several locations in town. If you volunteer to work as a garden hostess for two hours, yuour ticket will be half price. To volunteer, contact Dot Nolin at 978-686-1329 or by e-mail, dotnolin@Yahoo.com.
The Garden Tour is a fundraiser to support the preservation of our property the Parson Barnard House because the maintenance of this property exceed our current annual budget of five thousand dollars. If you have been there recently, you have seen the peeling paint. We have stretched our funds with the use of volunteers and are exploring the possibility of grants. As the stewards of this property for fifty years we have a responsibility to ensure its long-term preservation. Any contribution that you make to the Garden Tour, whether it is buying tickets, volunteering, or becoming a sponsor is a contribution toward the preservation of the Parson Barnard House. At the annual meeting I said that the Society’s goals are to increase our financial strength to support our current level of mission activities and to create a plan to increase space available for future accessions. To progress toward these goals the Board has begun a strategic planning project. We are reviewing all of our buildings in light of our mission and the preservation tools currently available. If you were able to attend the Preservation Speak Easy last week, you heard the Merrimack Valley Preservation Group discuss these tools. If not, watch for this program in the North Andover cable TV. I will keep you informed about our strategic planning project and welcome questions and comments about any of our activities. Reach me at crowtuck@aol.com or at 978-683-5522.
See you at the Society,

Page Last Modified Fri 07-13-2007 22:42