THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER Museum buys photo of The museum has acquired thousands how Hampton discovered Bronson of Civil War photos of Wisconsin wasn't simply a Wisconsin soldier Civil War soldier who soldiers and regularly seeks to add to who fought in the Iron Brigade, but a saw Abraham Lincoln its collection of original images. guy who saw Booth leap from This purchase was particularly Lincoln's theater box. assassinated important because, of all the "For a history nerd, it was one of By Meg Jones, Madison Journal eyewitness accounts of the first those 'Oh my gosh' moments," Sentinel, April 13, 2014 assassination of an American Hampton said. Madison — Like most in Ford's president, Spencer Bronson's is one It isn't known what happened to that Theatre that night 149 years ago of only a handful that include a original letter written the day after today, Spencer Bronson figured the translation of the words John Wilkes Lincoln died, and the envelope with 3- gunshot he heard was part of the Booth screamed in Latin. cent stamp addressed simply to Miss play. When Kevin Hampton, curator of Amanda Bronson, Fall River, Since enlisting in Company B of the research and public programs, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. The last Wisconsin 7th Infantry, he had heard noticed photos were being auctioned anyone heard of it was when it was many gunshots. Bronson fought in December of Spencer Bronson and sold at an auction of Civil War valiantly throughout the Civil War with his brother, Manley Bronson, he memorabilia in 1973 between the Iron Brigade — he was captured researched the Fall River brothers. unknown collectors. at Gettysburg, wounded in several Hampton originally became interested Somehow, however, a photocopy of battles and still carried a bullet in his in them because of a family the letter and envelope became part right hip when he was sent to a connection — he's a descendant of of a collection of Lincoln memorabilia hospital to convalesce. That's how he an Irish immigrant named John of the Lincoln Financial Group in ended up in Washington, D.C., at the McMahon, who fought with the Indiana. When the company's Lincoln end of the war. Bronson brothers in Company B. museum in Fort Wayne closed in When Bronson read in a newspaper Hampton began searching the 2008, part of the collection found its that President Abraham Lincoln, Internet for Spencer Bronson and way to the Allen County Public General Ulysses S. Grant and their found military records. Library in Indiana. Hampton wives were going to see "Our He also noticed that the 1996 book contacted the library and got copies American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre "We Saw Lincoln Shot: One Hundred of the photo of the actual letter, as that evening, April 14, 1865, Bronson Eye Witness Accounts" included a well as a typed version. bought a ticket and walked three letter by S.H. Bronson. He wasn't In his letter to his sister, Spencer blocks from the hospital to the sure that was the same Spencer Bronson describes the chaotic scene theater. Bronson whose photo he was trying as people shouted "hang him" and In chilling detail Bronson wrote to his to acquire. "shoot him" after Booth fled through sister Amanda Bronson back home in the backstage to a horse waiting Fall River, Wis., what happened next: outside. "A clang takes place, a dark form is He saw a distraught Mary Todd seen to fall from the private box, his Lincoln and heard her screams as spurs catching in the flag as he men hoisted water and spirits to the descends. A second & he recovered box to be given to the dying & (arising) in a tragical attitude he president. draws a dagger & with his white face It was a couple of days before towards the crowd he repeated in newspapers printed the name and Latin 'So be it ever to tyrants.'" photo of the assassin. But Spencer The Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Bronson, a regular theatergoer, knew Madison recently purchased at Photo Wisconsin Veterans Museum Eventually, he noticed Bronson's immediately who killed Lincoln. auction an original photo of Bronson, handwriting on the back of his photo He wrote his sister: dressed in his uniform dating from was the same as the letter, and both "I will also send you a paper with the around 1865 — the only known photo were signed S.H. Bronson. That's full account of the affair & also a good of him from the war. BALTIMORE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER portrait of the murderer who I am shot in the chest at the Battle of the department chair at Notre Dame until shure is J. Wilkes Booth who I have Wilderness, among other events, was retiring in 2012, and E. Susan Barber, seen before... the city is mad with sold at auction for $14,500. his former student who is now a excitement at the act. Three men Spencer Bronson's photo likely will be faculty member. have been shot dead by soldiers for displayed next year at the museum, Beginning in 1998, Ritter and saying they were glad the president and it can be seen by the public in the Barber’s journey took them from the was dead. Thus far the murderer has archives. Maryland Historical Society to the not been caught." What makes the Spencer Bronson Library of Congress and the National He also enclosed a handbill photo unusual is he chose to put his Archives, where they transcribed advertising the play and asked his Iron Brigade black hat on a table next more than 400 trial transcripts of sister to save it. to him when he sat for a Racine Union court-martials that are found in "It shows that perhaps not everyone photographer. the papers of the Judge Advocate was aware at the time it was John Many soldiers were photographed General of the U.S. Army. Wilkes Booth," Hampton said. "For without their hats, but for the Iron They read diaries of women from the Spencer Bronson it was the Brigade, the distinctive black hats time who described the assaults, realization, 'Hey, I've seen that guy were a source of pride. using such words as “ravaged” and before.'" The photo, called a carte de visite, referring to the attack as the Spencer Bronson returned to cost Spencer Bronson 3 cents. “outrage.” Wisconsin after the war and became Because they were so cheap, pretty The researchers often had to read a merchant and Fall River's much every Civil War soldier had his between the lines to discover what postmaster. He eventually settled in picture taken to send to families and had happened to a woman or a girl South Dakota, got married, had four sweethearts back home. and then study court testimony. children and was elected to the state “Finding this is a lot of work. Much of Senate. He died in 1930. Notre Dame historians it was anecdotal language, digging Jo Ann Welton of Rochester Hills, through cases, finding file numbers, Mich., is a descendant of Spencer give voice to victims of and every case was handwritten,” Bronson's older brother, Edward, a long-ago crimes said Barber. “These are 19th-century chaplain in Company K of the 32nd By Frederick Rasmussen, Baltimore documents, and sometimes there Wisconsin Infantry. Welton knew her Sun, March 28, 2014 was no attention to punctuation or ancestors had fought in the Civil War, Two Notre Dame of Maryland spelling. At times, it was daunting.” but it wasn't until the Wisconsin University history professors have They also combed through census Veterans Museum contacted her that toiled among faded and nearly records. she learned her great-great-uncle had forgotten documents and court cases A 2009 essay they had written, been at Ford's Theatre. for 15 years, trying to illuminate the “Physical Abuse … and Rough "That was news to all of us. We knew shocking story of the sexual assault Handling: Race, Gender and Sexual that he had been in a lot of Civil War of women by Union soldiers during Justice in the Occupied South,” battles and was decorated, but we the Civil War and the response by the appeared in the book “Occupied didn't know he was at Ford's military justice system. Women,” published by Louisiana Theatre," Welton said. "I was really They will travel to The Hague, State University. surprised. I just couldn't believe it." Netherlands, next month, where they The authors decided to press on and Iron Brigade memorabilia — photos, will present a lecture on the subject, expand their essay into a full-length letters, documents, uniforms — is “Dangerous Liaisons: Working book, “Sexual Justice in the American highly prized by collectors. Women and Sexual Justice in the Civil War,” which they believe is the In 2008 a collection of 55 original American Civil War,” before a first comprehensive study of Civil letters by Spencer Bronson meeting of the European Association War-era sexual assault. They hope to describing eloquently the battle of for American Studies. have it published by LSU in 2015. Antietam, where his brother Eli was The project brought together Charles “Sexual violence in war has been a killed, being taken prisoner on the F. Ritter, who during his 45-year constant, from the rape of Lucretia in first day of Gettysburg and getting career was a professor and 510 B.C. to the rape of Muslim BALTIMORE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER women in the Bosnian War of the On May 18, 1864, he entered Once the park is established, non- 1990s,” they wrote in a book proposal Kirksey’s home, gagged her with a divers will also be able to view the to LSU.