Exhibit: Gettysburg: “nip and tug right smart fighting”

The
Avon Sesquicentennial Committee of the Civil War, which is part of the Avon
Historical Society, is pleased to present an exhibit outside the Marian Hunter
History Room at the Avon Free Public Library. 
Gettysburg: “nip and tug right smart
fighting” was conceived, researched, created and mounted by members of the
Sesquicentennial Committee and is on display now through August.  The exhibit coincides with the 150th
commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg which was fought on July 1-3, 1863
and is part of the ongoing “Avon to Appomattox” series currently supported by
Connecticut Humanities, a non-profit
affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds, creates and
collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year.

The
exhibit’s title is a quote taken from a letter written on July 4, 1863, which
is on display, by Avon native Private Eugene Hawley, 5th Reg. CT
Volunteers, who fought at Gettysburg. Private Hawley wrote numerous letters
home to his family; they are in the collection of the Society archived in the
Marian Hunter History Room of the Avon Free Public Library.  Highlighting the exhibit is an original
Grimsley saddle (see photo attached) used by a Connecticut officer in the Civil
War.  The pattern was patented by Thorton
Grimsley of St. Louis, MO in 1846 and was adopted as the standard saddle for
the U.S. Calvary and U.S Dragoons in 1847. 
This model was widely used by Union officers and by the U.S. Light
(Mounted) Artillery during the Civil War. 
The saddle is in remarkable condition and was found in a house in
Fairfield County. Also on display are two cannon balls picked up on the
battlefield. One is a 12 pdr solid shot ball from a Napoleon smooth
bore canon while the second is a 10 pdr Parrott shell from a Parrott rifle
canon. These were collected shortly after the battle and acquired
by a Pennsylvania soldier who lived in Gettysburg after the War.  In addition there are descriptions of the
three days of the battle, photographs and prints of scenes then and now, maps, and
an original bayonet.  Focus is on the
Connecticut soldiers who fought all three days of the Battle.   Original letters from General George Meade,
the Union’s Commanding Officer, on loan from the Roy Seelye family is also on display.  Photos of a recent trip by Connecticut
residents to Gettysburg are featured with a model of the CT 14th
Monument cast in resin by a Gettysburg artist in 2013.  Rounding out the exhibit are photos and
description of the visit by President Abraham Lincoln in November 1863 when he
gave his famous Gettysburg Address to open the National Soldier’s Cemetery on
the battlefield.

The
Society will also present two special events this summer, also supported by
Connecticut Humanities, with nationally known historians on Gettysburg.  On Tuesday, July 16, Mr. Edwin Cole Bearss,
Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service and nationally known
Civil War historian, will present “Major General Dan Sickles : Soldier,
Scoundrel, Statesman,” who served with the Union Army at Gettysburg but is
mostly remembered for his very long and colorful life during and after the
Civil War.  A US Marine Corps veteran of
WWII, Mr. Bearss served as Chief Historian of the National Park Service from
1981 to 1994 and has authored and edited more than two dozen books on the Civil
War. He is a lively, popular lecturer and will bring his usual flair and style
to this event. On Tuesday, August 20, Mr. David Ward, President of Civil War
Tours, Winchester, CT will present “Mr. Lincoln Goes to Gettysburg: The
Crossroads of History and Hollywood.” He will first provide background on
Lincoln’s visit to Gettysburg in November 1863. 
He will also share his participation on the research for the recently released
movie “Lincoln” when he provided a tour of Gettysburg in 2011 to Stephen
Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis.   Both events will begin at 7:00pm in the
Community Room of the Avon Free Public Library. 
It is free to attend, but RSVP is encouraged at: 860-678-7621 or visit: http://www.avonctlibrary.info/

The
exhibit in the History Room will be one of several that will be placed on
display during the course of the next two and half years as Avon continues to
commemorate the 150th events of the Civil War.

 Connecticut
Humanities (CTH) brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to express,
share and explore ideas in thoughtful and productive ways. From local
discussion groups to major exhibitions on important historical events, CTH
programs engage, enlighten and educate. Learn more by visiting www.cthumanities.org

  AVON
HISTORICAL SOCIETY MISSION: to identify, collect, utilize, publish, display,
promote and preserve the history and
heritage of Avon. (approved by
the AHS Board, Jan. 10, 2001) www.avonhistoricalsociety.org