As the war continued, men who had served for years wrote home with worries about family life, business concerns, and farm management they could not be part of.  Joshua Long’s wife Matilda Sweet Long, gave birth to a son who died before his father got home on leave to see him.  She had a photograph taken of herself holding the dead baby so at least his father would know what he had looked like.

Among the first to volunteer from Kinsman were 2 of the Gillis brothers, Allen and Amos, who enlisted as privates in 1861, and 2 more brothers soon joined up.  James Gillis was taken prisoner after a battle in Winchester, Virginia, but escaped.  After traveling only at night for 10 days, and having no idea where he was, James was so hungry he surrendered to the first soldier he saw—fortunately a Union man!  Of the 4 brothers, one was wounded, two spent time at home recovering from illness, and Capt. Amos Gillis died in battle at Berryville, Virginia in September, 1864.

By the end of the Civil War in April of 1865, a weary nation needed time to recover from war exhaustion.  The assassination of President Lincoln on April 15 seemed more than the country could bear.  With most people already mourning individual and community losses, the death of the President was devastating.  Mourning customs required special clothing for extensive periods of time, and restricted social contact.  Mementos of the dead, such as jewelry made from a loved one’s hair, were treasured.

What would you worry about if you had to be away from home for a long time?  If someone you know died, how would you show you missed them?  Is it better to have rules about how to behave, or to make up your own based on how you feel? 

Visit the website of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society at www.mahoninghistory.org to learn more about Valley history.  Under ‘Education,’ and ‘What Do You Know About,’ click on an article title to access downloadable files of these and other images.