I'm currently in the middle of cooking dessert for Christmas dinner. So while the cookies are cooling, I thought I would share some fun facts about Christmas during the American Civil War.
Christmas and its customs fell in and out of practice between the time of settlement and the American Revolution. It was not until the early 1800's that Christmas, with elements such as Santa and the tree, began being celebrated as the peaceful family holiday we know today. In 1870, in an effort to unite the states, President Ulysses S. Grant, former General of the Army of the Potomac, made Christmas a Federal holiday.
Speaking of Santa and the Christmas tree, in 1853 Eleanor Custis Lee wrote about how her family had a Christmas tree that sat on a table at West Point. At the time, her father, Robert E. Lee, was the superintendent of the school.
It was Thomas Nast, an artist for Harper's Weekly, who created the "American Santa." In the January 3, 1863 issue, Nast drew Santa on a sleigh and had him hand out presents to Union soldiers. The image would remain unchanged until 1931 when Coca Cola created a new version of Santa. After the Civil War ended, Nast made the North Pole Santa's official residence.
Due to the various shortages being caused in the South by the Union blockade, southern children were told that Santa might not be able to pass through. This helped reinforced the evil image of the Yankees. Nevertheless, one little girl attempted to diagram the best way for Santa to avoid the Yankee troops.
The tradition of singing carols was revived and tunes such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "We Three Kings," and "Up On The Housetop" became popular. When famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow learn that his son, a Union solider, had been wounded, he wrote a poem that would later would be set to music and become "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
Soldiers tried to enjoy Christmas any way they could. Games were played and small Christmas trees were decorated with hardtack. Some stories from sailors describe music being played aboard ships as the crew danced and the captain gave out an extra ration of grog. Some camps even received a special dinner.
Cyrus Goodwin of the 59th Massachusetts wrote from City Point, Virginia on Christmas of 1864 that "for Christmas we had turkey, preserved peaches, and apples...We are going to have oysters for dinner today."
On Christmas in 1861, Newburyport’s homefront hosted a celebration that served ice cream, coffee, and tea and featured a decorated tree, dancing, recitations, a vocalist, and the reading of an original poem. In 1862, Newburyport City Hall held a Christmas Fair to benefit the Soldiers' Relief Society. The Newburyport Daily Herald reported that "the women of Newburyport have acted nobly in this humane work."
John Haley of the 17th Maine wrote that "it is rumored that there are sundry boxes and mysterious parcels over at Stoneman’s Station directed to us. We retire to sleep with feelings akin to those of children expecting Santa Claus."
However, many soldiers still had to perform guard duty and other tasks of war. Sometimes Christmas went by unnoticed. Thomas Cutter of the 35th Massachusetts only wrote in his diary that it was cloudy in Knoxville on Christmas in 1862.
Most families were still separated and many men were more homesick around Christmas than any other time of the year. Christmas during the Civil War always seemed to represent going home.
The following picture was published in Harper's Weekly on December 31, 1864.
Also printed was this picture of Christmas morning.
This must be depicting a northern household since another article carried the headline "Sherman Reaches Savannah" and two more showed Warren's Raid and the destruction of southern railroads.
Though spirits were heightening in the North, the South was reaching its breaking point by the winter of 1864. In four months time, the war would finally reach the end of the road.
The first sketch was drawn by Thomas Nast and given the rather long name of "The Union Christmas Dinner, Peace on Earth, and Good Will Toward Men." The image reflected the nationwide hope that the long and bloody Civil War would soon end. Abraham Lincoln holds out a hand of friendship to the South and is opening the door to a large banquet hall, inviting hungry rebel soldiers in from the cold. The scene in the lower left corner shows Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant. At the time Nast finished the drawing, this was simply a hope for the future. No one knew it would occur four months later. However, not all southerners would accept a peaceful handshake from Father Abraham and I think we all know how that story went.
Okay, I think the cookies have cooled long enough now. From my home to yours, have a very Merry Christmas.
Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.
Until next time.
XOXO, Kate
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