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Dec21

Christmas in Dixie! A Union Soldier’s Entry on Dec. 25, 1862

It will soon be Christmas, and for many of us that means time with family, lots of good food and drink, roaring fires and memory making. However, some of us, probably very few of us might experience this special holiday without our loved ones or the simple comforts of home. Here I share a brief diary entry from Christmas day, December 25, 1862. It was penned by Captain Howard M. Smith of the 1st New York Dragoons in his tent at Camp Suffolk, Virginia. I have provided the previous page as well for a little context, but the Christmas day entry reads:

Christmas in Dixie! To the soldier, there rises no vision of stockings well filled and happy children, with their merry laugh and songs, but desolation and war are all about him. But the fact that he enjoys none of the joys of Christmas at home leads him to think of home all the more. Today all the drills were suspended and the men were allowed to enjoy themselves as they would until afternoon when an inspection took place. During the inspection the band of the 11th Penn. Cavalry serenaded the Regt. There was the usual amount of drinking among the Officers. Fortunately the men were not able to obtain liquor.

Though somber reading before one of the happiest and most significant holidays, it does a person good to be reminded of the past, even one so tragic as the American Civil War. It is also a call to count our blessings, consider the privations of others and strive for peaceful solutions to horrific problems.

I currently have 185 pages from this diary that I will be posting in this blog in the future.

Smith & Wesson Model 1 Initialed by Captain Howard M Smith with research

The initialed backstrap of the revolver

https://www.ancestryguns.com/shop/civil-war-idd-sw-model-no-1-second-issue-revolver-w-holster-diary-letters-research-engraved-by-captain-howard-m-smith-of-the-1st-new-york-dragoons/

in Uncategorized Tags: Christmas, Civil War, Civil War Diary, Dragoons, S&W, Smith & Wesson

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Ancestry Guns considers all of our antique firearms as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R, or any license is required to posses, transport, sell or trade antique guns. All firearms sold by Ancestry Guns that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of Ancestry Guns' antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in “live” condition. They are sold as collector’s items for historical display. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from Ancestry Guns you thereby release Ancestry Guns and its employees from any and all liability associated with use of our antique firearms.

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