This picture was taken in 1913. I paid 7 dollars 34 cents for it. I was 15 years & 3 months old when I enlisted in the year 1864 at which time it was first taken at Carlisle, Penna. John L. Hackman.
Oscar Hackman gave it to me Sarah E. Warner, Nov. 6, 1957. Oscar is 89 years old now [and in] April 1958 he will be 90 years. One son and one daughter of John and Sarah Hackman had. Oscar is John's son, Lizzie Stiner, sister of Oscar, [is] 85 years old 1957.
I was named after John's wife Sarah Elizabeth Neissinger Hackman. My grandma was Sarah's sister, Fiona Neissinger Hollinger. Oscar is the last of [the] family of Hackmans. I am on the Hollinger-Neissinger side of family. Great Aunt Sarah (?), Oscar's mother __ __ is also the discharge of 1865 of John L. Hackman here ___ time 1957.
Upholstered wingback commode chair has four turned Sheraton legs. Has replacement of original soiled handsewn homespun linen (remnants in this file), now an orange fabric with potted and vining flower design. Solid pinewood seat under cushion has center hole with fitted removable wooden disc.
This chair was from the Pownall home at Gap, where it was used by Dickinson Gorsuch, Maryland slaveholder, during his recovery from wounds sustained during the Christiana Riot of Sept. 11, 1851. His father and two others were killed during the skirmish at the home of freedman William Parker, and Dickinson was transported to the Pownall home for recovery. William Parker later published his story in the "Atlantic Monthly" in 1866, making it highly publicized.
This incident "is an important example of the struggle over the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act and the escalating tension between the North and the South. This act gave slave owners broad powers to recapture runaway slaves". (ExplorePAhistory.com)
Polaroid photos of chair before re-upholstery, in file.
Likely Lancaster or Chester Co.
Provenance
Provenance: Chair owned by the Pownall family & given in 1973 to the Lancaster County Historical Society by Mrs. Levi Pownall of Lancashire Hall (569-7279).
It was initially loaned to the Heritage Center (# L.77.9 and # 161.64.80) but soon donated to HCLC. Board minutes of Dec. 8, 1975 include Richard F. Smith's Museum Committee report noting a donation of a "Sheraton armed wing chair commode, used by the Pownall home in nursing Dickinson Gorsuch following Christiana Riot in 1851." Later unsigned note (Bruce Shoemaker?) states John Aungst of LCHS was consulted & chair was removed 11/9/84 from list on LCHS loan form, settling an apparent question of ownership.
Ribbon from the 10th reunion of the veterans of the 45th Pa. Volunteers held at State College, PA on 26 September 1919. Likely attended by Blanton C. Welsh.
Provenance
Provenance: Passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend.
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This ribbon was in an envelope which contained item numbrs #24-#31.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
1A: Wooden lift latch, 8 1/2 inches long, with 2 drilled holes in it and a cord tied through it. Written in pencil on back "Riot house door latch" .
1B: Bottom part of wooden latch, tapered, with notch in thick end to receive lift latch. 6 inches long, with two screw holes in it, mounted vertically with notch at upper end. On the back in pencil "Latch of…" covered up by a pasted-on newsclipping: "Historical Society Meeting. A number of new names proposed for membership - Christiana Relic Received. The stated October meeting of the Lancaster County Historical Society was held at the Free Library on Fri-" Paper ends there.-
four squares of hard tack. One square had been broken. Found in envelope which reads, "Hard tack given to Milton S. Royer Company L. Pennsylvania (near Middletown), 6th Volunteers, Camp Meade, August, 27, 1898." Made from flour, water, and salt.
Cape has finely over cast lower edge. Cape is fully lined with black wool with hemmed lower edge, tacked to outer cape every 8 to 15 inches.
Black wool collar with black velvet stiched to top side.
Underneath collar are two metal threaded pins that anchor metal ends with a chain for hanging the cape. This chain (3 inches) is inside at the neck above a label:
"JACOB REED'S SONS PHILADELPHIA"
2 ornate black cord frogs (7 inches in length) with a loop on the end to loop arouind a cord (2 inches). One on both sides. Sturdy hook and loop at neck.
