-- Our Past Exhibits --
Wisconsin in
the Civil War
2024 Premier Exhibit at the Cedarburg History Museum
February 21 - October 31, 2024
Click the image to be taken to a spreadsheet of Cedarburg and Ozaukee County men who served.
Everyone agreed that a crisis was looming. The economy and slavery had been hot issues since shortly
after the Revolutionary War. For 85 years Northern and Southern States had been debating the reach of
the Federal Government and the role that slavery should have in American Society.
At 4:30a.m. on April 12, 1861 the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston
Harbor, ushering in a war that would forever change the fledgling United States. Wisconsinites rallied to
the newly elected President Lincoln’s call to arms shortly after South Carolina seceded from the Union.
Nearly 92,000 of our state's citizens left their homes and volunteered for service in what was then called
the War of Rebellion. They composed regiments in the well-known Iron Brigade, remembered in history
for their bravery, although also for suffering the most casualties. Wisconsin soldiers fought at notable
battles such as Bull Run, Antietam, Shiloh, and Gettysburg. Wisconsin soldiers were even there at the
Battle of Appomattox Court House and the subsequent surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Confederates.
Unnamed Solider Tintype
1851 Navy Colt Revolver
1840 Cavalry Saber & Scabbard
Wisconsin-issued Light Artillery
Shell Jacket Adopted in 1854
Confederate $5 banknote
dated 1861
50 cent Obsolete Banknote
from Florida dated 1863
Lincoln
Abraham
Abraham Lincoln served as President from 1861 to 1865 as a Republican from Illinois. He preserved the Union during the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, expanded presidential authority during wartime, and helped end slavery through the 13th Amendment
Path
to the White House
Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky in 1809. His family moved several times during his childhood, eventually settling in Indiana and later Illinois. Lincoln received very little formal schooling, less than one year total, but develop- ed a lifelong love of reading and self-education. He borrowed books whenever he could and studied by candlelight after long days of farm work. As a young man, Lincoln worked as a rail- splitter, store clerk, surveyor, and postmaster. He served briefly in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War and later entered politics. Elected to the Illinois legislature, he became a lawyer and built a successful legal practice while traveling the judicial circuit. His debates with Stephen Douglas over slavery made him nationally famous. Though he lost the Senate race in 1858, his powerful speeches helped him secure the Republican nomination. In 1860, Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States as the nation stood on the brink of civil war.
Sucesses
Lincoln's greatest success was preserving the United States during its most dangerous crisis. Within weeks of his inauguration, eleven Southern states formed the Confederacy and launched a rebellion against the federal government. Lincoln remained determined that the Union must survive. Through four years of war, he coordinated military strategy, selected capable generals such as Ulysses S. Grant, and maintained public support despite enormous casualties.His Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 transformed the war into a struggle for freedom as well as national unity. While it did not immediately free every enslaved person, it weakened the Confederacy and encouraged nearly 200,000 African Americans to serve in Union forces. Lincoln also championed the Thirteenth Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery throughout the United States. His leadership helped save the Union and fundamentally reshaped the nation.
Challenges
Lincoln faced extraordinary challenges. The Civil War became the deadliest conflict in American history, claiming more than 600,000 lives. Early military defeats frustrated the North, and many citizens questioned whether the war could be won. He faced criticism from abolitionists who thought he moved too slowly against slavery and from others who believed he had gone too far. Lincoln also struggled with difficult constitutional questions. He suspended habeas corpus in some areas, expanded executive authority, and faced accusations of acting beyond presidential powers. The nation remained deeply divided politically, economically, and socially. Even as Union victory approached in 1865, Lincoln understood that rebuilding the country would be a difficult task. His assassination just days after General Robert E. Lee's surrender prevented him from guiding Reconstruction and left many of his plans unfinished.
Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln served as First Lady during one of the most difficult periods in American history. Raised in Kentucky and educated beyond what was typical for women of her era, she was intelligent, politically interested, and strongly supportive of her husband's ambitions. Life in the White House was often painful. The Lincolns lost their son Willie in 1862, a tragedy that deeply affected both parents. Mary endured constant public criticism over her spending, her Southern family connections, and her outspoken personality. Despite these challenges, she hosted official events, welcomed soldiers and visitors, and supported charitable Civil War efforts. After the death of her son Willie in 1862, Mary Lincoln became interested in spiritualism and attended séances in hopes of communicating with him. The losses of Willie, Abraham Lincoln, and later her son Tad left her carrying a lifetime of grief. Mary Lincoln's years as First Lady were marked by grief, controversy, and resilience. She stood beside Abraham Lincoln as the nation fought for its survival and witnessed many of the war's most important moments. The 1875 memoir Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Lincoln's dressmaker and close friend. The book contains extensive descriptions of Mary's grief after the deaths of Willie and Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most important contemporary sources about her emotional struggles.
Fun Facts
At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Lincoln is the tallest U.S. President. The first Republican President. Before becoming a lawyer, Lincoln worked as a store clerk, surveyor, and postmaster. With an invention helping boats pass over shallow river obstacles, he is the only President with a patent. His Gettysburg Address was only 272 words long but is one of the most famous speeches in US history. Lincoln loved storytelling and often used humor to ease tension. During the 1860 campaign, 11 year-old Grace Bedell suggested whiskers to improve his appearance with voters. He took her advice and was the first bearded U.S. President.
While visiting the museum be sure to stop into our gift shop, featuring local Cedarburg items, gifts and
other history-related merchandise.