#1863

Diamond Engagement Ring (Circa 1863)

The material universe : its vastness and durability. 1863. Cover.

On June 15, 1863, the Second Battle of Winchester concluded in a decisive Confederate victory during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Robert H. Milroy had attempted to hold the strategically important Shenandoah Valley town of Winchester, Virginia, but were ultimately overwhelmed by the advancing Confederate Second Corps led by Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell as part of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.

The Confederate assault was swift and coordinated, with Ewell’s divisions encircling the Union garrison and cutting off escape routes. Milroy’s forces, already weakened and poorly positioned after earlier skirmishes, were forced into a desperate retreat under heavy fire. Many Union soldiers attempted to flee toward Harpers Ferry, but the collapse of defensive positions turned the withdrawal into a rout.

Kobyłka, wieś pojezuicka w stronie wschodniej Pragi, o dwie mile od War­szawy, początkiem swoim odległych sięgająca wieków. Podług podania, miej­sce to kiedyś zwało się Targową Wolą: tu bowiem, po ukończonym targu na Pradze, jeszcze sprzedawano pozostałe konie, i z tego zapewne powodu na­zwisko Kobyłki otrzymała. Otaczają ją wzniosłe i rozległe łasy, a dwie małe rzeczki przerzynają jej pola, z…

A colleague was recently talking about Civil War history and this map popped back up on my radar. Published by Silas Farmer & Co., this map was digitized by in the NYPL Map Division. In 1863, everything of importance was half a mile away from Campus Martius from government buildings, colleges, high school, hospitals and churches. Notably, a number of “colored” churches are listed along Beaubien…