Civil War Letters

Civil War Comes to the Museum

One of the new exhibits of the 2024 season features 48 letters from the Civil War. Written by Sidney R. Chipman between 1862 and 1865, these letters reflect the movements of the 20th Iowa Infantry Volunteers, a regiment made up mostly of young men from Linn and Scott counties. This group served throughout the Mississippi River states and down the eastern coastline of Texas.

The exhibit is located on the nine-foot-long Assessors Desk. Each year of letters is contained in a three-ring binder. The letters on display are copies of the originals which are archived off site. Each is followed by a typewritten transcript so that the letter is more easily understood.