Dear Friend: Letters from a Union Soldier

Registration required: The Conkling Center

Christine Hogan-Kilburn, who in 2021 embarked on developing a book containing a collection of Civil War letters donated to the Historical Society by the Smith family of South Glens Falls. The thirty letters were penned by a Wisconsin soldier to his dear friend John A. Bentley, whose family members resided in the Parks-Bentley house from the mid 1800’s through the early 1900’s. Her presentation is about the book titled, “Dear Friend: Letters from Union Soldier Gustavuus Wintermeyer to John A. Bentley.” She will take you through her journey of discovering the letters, the creation of the book, and several of the things she learned about the Civil War from the very personal insights provided by this young infantryman.