Lipscomb hosts Civil War exhibit through Sunday

 | 11/12/2002

Lipscomb University's Beaman Library is hosting an exhibit of Civil War artifacts through Nov. 17. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Most of the items are from the reserve collection at the Carter House Museum and are not frequently on display, said Carolyn Wilson, director of library services at Lipscomb. The modestly sized display also includes artifacts from private collections. Visitors to the exhibit "should come away with a better appreciation for the common soldier," said Dr. Tim Johnson, professor of history and chair of the Department of History, Politics and Philosophy. "This exhibit is not about the major figures, such as Lee and Grant, but about the common soldier, camp life and the thoughts they wrote home in letters," Johnson said. Among the items in the exhibit are the general orders written by Confederate Gen. J.E. Johnston for distribution to his troops following the surrender of his army to Gen. W.T. Sherman, letters from Confederate soldiers imprisoned in the north, a small Bible given by a Confederate Army surgeon to his son, a small number of battlefield artifacts, artifacts from native Tennesseans, and more. Perhaps the most poignant artifact for area residents is a Greek text that was owned by Tod Carter, the young Confederate captain who was mortally wounded just yards from his boyhood home during the horrific Battle of Franklin in November 1864. Beaman Library is located immediately adjacent to the Belmont Boulevard entrance to the Lipscomb University campus, located near the south end of the boulevard and Shackleford Lane. Visitors may find easier access to the library during the afternoon and evening hours when parking is more readily available. For viewing hours, visit the Beaman library website at www.lipscomb.edu. Directions to Campus.