Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch, Post 11

The following excerpt is from the diary of Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch.

March 2d (Sunday) 1862

Public events approach a crisis. Clarksville & Nashville, Tenn. have been surrendered to the Union forces, and from the Potomac we hear, - after some days’ embargo of the telegraph, - of the advance of General Banks’s Division into Virginia, probably to be accompanied by the rest of the great army. On the other hand, Davis has just been inaugurated president for six years, of the Southern states. We have not ceased to be astonished at public sentiment in England taking so much the Southern side; but signs of a change are visible.

Sunday March 16^th, 1862

The war continues with great advantage on our part, especially at the west; but a week since the achievements of the rebel iron-plated steamer "Merrimack" or "Virginia" startled the land. Happily she was met and driven back by the "Monitor." We are looking with intense interest for further intelligence.

Look for post #12 in April and read Bulfinch's comments on the anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter and the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.

Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch, Post 10

The following excerpt is from the diary of Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch, including Bulfinch's thoughts on the events of the past year and some comment on the Trent Affair. 

Thursday, January 2d

The close of the year 1861 has led back my thoughts over its course. It has been one of sadness to the country, and in some degree of disgrace, from the madness on one side, the imbecility at first on the other, and the unprincipled manner in which people have used the national sufferings to promote their private fortunes. But there is much to thank God for, in the noble resurrection of patriotic feeling. We are just delivered, - we trust, - from the great danger of a war with England, about the capture of Mason & Slidell. Their surrender, consummated yesterday, is in accordance with American views of the rights of neutrals, & will, we hope, remove in some degree the bitter prejudice of our English cousins, - in whom we feel a good deal disappointed.

Monday, January 13^th

We have news of a great expedition going down the Mississippi from Cairo, - & of Gen. Burnside’s expedition from Annapolis for parts unknown, - which the army of the Potomac are held in readiness for a speedy advance. God save the United States!

From abroad, we hear of a somewhat better feeling in England towards us, which we hope will be increased when they hear of our acquiescence in their demand for release of our prisoners, Slidell, Mason & etc. There is a good deal of incitation here however, at the cause which England has pursued. Another item of recent news is the death of Prince Albert, who seems to have been universally esteemed & lamented.

Be sure to check back in February to read Bulfinch's comments on the Burnside Exposition and the Union victories at Forts Henry  and Donelson.  

The Joy of Discoveries: Answering a Visitor's Question

It is always fun to make a connections in surprising places.  It is even more fun when those connections are made as a result of a question asked by a visitor to the MHS.

Last week, a visitor to our current exhibition The Purchase by Blood: Massachusetts in the Civil War, 1861-1862, asked a simple question that I could not answer.  The question, was Stephen Perkins -- a soldier featured in the exhibition -- related to the Perkins that was the namesake of the Perkins School for the Blind. 

Unable to answer the questions off the cuff, I promised to research the relationship and provide an answer via email. This lead me on a serendipidious mission.

Thomas Handasyd Perkins (1764-1854) -- one of Boston's most successfull China trade merchants -- was an early benefactor of the the school, selling his own home (which had housed the school for a year) and donating the funds so that the school could be moved to a larger location as enrollment grew. The MHS holds a large collection of Perkins' personal and business papers (see a guide to the collection here), which is where I started my search. But I was unable to determine a clear familial connection between Thomas Handasyd Perkins and Stephen Perkins there.  So I changed my search strategy and turned to our online catalog, ABIGAIL, for assistance. 

Through ABIGAIL I discovered that the photograph of Stephen Perkins featured in our exhibtion was the only item we held credited to Perkins himself. So I kept digging through the entries for the various Perkins family members until discovering the generic subject heading "Perkins Family" which brought me to a catalog record for an item that seemed to have promise in terms of revealing a clear answer to the question at hand: a large broadside title The Perkins Family of Boston.  Dashing to the stacks to view the broadside, I was delighted to see that it  was a large genealogical chart which revealed there was a connection between Thomas Handasyd Perkins and Stephen G. Perkins, killed at the Battle of Cedar Mountain in the Civil War. 

Looking at the chart I could see that Thomas had a brother named Samuel, who was born in 1767. Samuel had a son, who he named Stephen, in 1804.  That Stephen also had a son named Stephen, born in 1835.  That Stephen, the grandson of Thomas Handasyd Perkins' brother Samuel, was the Stephen pictured in our exhibition. 

I was happy to be able to reveal the answer to the exhibition visitor as well as to build for myself a little extra knowledge to share with future visitor to the MHS. 

Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch, Post 9

The following excerpt is from the diary of Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch.

Sunday December 15^th 1861

The war advances slowly, but with pretty steady gain to the side of Union. Recent events are the occupation of Port Royal inlet and Tybee island, &c. by our troops & navy; - the arrest of Messrs Mason, Slidell, &c. on board a British steamer; - the fighting at Fort Pickens. Congress have assembled, & the question of emancipation begins to be discussed there. We have reports of great fires in Charleston, & alarm of negro insurrection. I fear to encourage such a terrible remedy; yet see with awe, the mark of that overruling hand which will probably sweep away slavery through the very war that has been undertaken to protect it.

In January Bulfinch reflects on all the events of 1861, so be sure to continuing following the Civil War series on the Beehive.