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Two scrapbooks containing Civil War documents and other ephemera kept by Samuel Aquilla Beddall (1845 1925), who was color bearer for the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company E, and later a mining engineer for the Sheafer Estate in the Shenandoah District of Pennsylvania. Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Beddall entered union service at the age of 16 as the drummer boy for the 48th regiment until he mustered out in 1865. During his enlistment, he was promoted to sergeant and became the color bearer until the end of the rebellion. He was highly regarded among his superiors. One of the scrapbooks contains a handwritten letter from Colonel Joshua K. Sigfried who wrote: "I take great pleasure in saying that he was one of the best soldiers in my command." The two scrapbooks, apparently created by Beddall, are made from used bookkeeping ledgers, which have hundreds of period newspaper clippings, and some of his Civil War memorabilia pasted over the handwritten entries. The Civil War material includes: Handwritten recommendation letter, dated August 27, 1864, for Beddall s promotion to sergeant, signed by Captain Charles W. Schnarr Handwritten letter promoting Beddall to sergeant, dated August 29, 1864, signed by Major Oliver Christian Bosbyshell Certificate of membership in the Grand Army, Department of Pennsylvania, dated February 1868 $2 Confederate bill Handbill titled Seven Days Fight, published by Johnson Song Publisher, Stationer & Printer, No. 7, Philadelphia, no date Quarter page handwritten note about a special assignment for Beddall during the war, dated March 18, 1864 Handbill titled The Soldier s Farewell to the Service, published by Mahanoy Valley Record Print, no date Handwritten letter written by Charles Bedford, who died of typhoid fever in July 1863. It is accompanied by a note, apparently written by Beddall who commented: "leaving home in the bloom of youth, in high spirits, at the thought of doing what he could in defense of his country, state, and his home how sad." Among the newspaper clippings are advertisements for Beddall and Bedford dry good store, real estate listings offered by S.A. Beddall, and programs for special events held at the Cumberland Valley Institute. At the front of one of the scrapbooks are eight laid in handwritten documents apparently written while attending college in 1866-67. One, composed on a quarter sheet of paper, is a copy of a portion of Patrick Henry s "Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death" speech given March 23, 1775, before the Virginia House of Burgesses. Another is a four-page handwritten essay on bifolium by Beddall about Abraham Lincoln. He wrote: "No fact so thoroughly attests to the love and appreciation with which our people hold his memory that even now his name is only coupled with that of Washington, and we speak of Washington as the father and Lincoln as the savior of our country." The other writings include: Four-page handwritten bifolium lecture by Beddall titled "One Wish" dated April 24, 1866 Two-page essay handwritten on bifolium, no title, credited to Samuel Gaskil (faded and difficult to read) Two-page handwritten prose poem by Beddall titled The Starless Crown, dated April 18, 1867 Three-page handwritten essay on bifolium by Beddall titled Child Heralds Departure and The Harmony of the Just, October 24, 1866 Two-page handwritten poem by Beddall titled The Progress of Madness, dated December 11, 1866 Two-page handwritten essay by Beddall, no title, no date The loose handwritten pages are now housed in mylar sleeves and overall are in very good condition. The spines of the scrapbooks have perished and the boards have detached, with the rear panel missing from one. The newspaper clippings are toned with staining from glue used to affix them to the scrapbook leaves. The Civil War materials, while are affixed to pages, are in very good condition and are now interleaved with tissue.
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