Remembering 2012 and the Civil War

SHARON — Members of the Sharon Historical Society (SHS) took a trip back in time, to the Civil War, at their annual meeting held March 9 at the Congregational Church.Historian and re-enactor Steve Trimm presented a one-hour program on the life of Civil War soldier Lawrence Van Alstyne, who settled in Sharon and became a leading citizen of the town.Before turning their attention to the 19th century, though, society members focused on the past year. Historical Society President Brent Colley reported the society has had a very good year. The annual fundraising gala brought in $33,000. On the expense side, $10,000 was spent painting the exterior of the new addition to the Gay-Hoyt House on Main Street, which is the society’s headquarters. During the last fiscal year there were approximately 275 paid members.For the 2013 fiscal year, the society members set several goals including increasing membership to 300 individuals; increasing the number of contributors; establishing a five-year capital plan so there will be funds to take care of the building and grounds (including the front portico and windows); planning for celebration of Sharon’s 275th anniversary in 2014; and completing the inventory of the Historical Society’s collection of documents and artifacts.Judy Albright, who is the society’s gallery coordinator, said six art shows were held at the society headquarters in 2012. Going forward, she said, every art show, regardless of medium, will somehow relate to history.During the second half of the meeting, society members got an intimate look at the life of Civil War soldier Lawrence Van Alstyne.Trimm, dressed in period clothing, used as his source material Van Alstyne’s self-published book of the letters he had written to his parents about the war.Among other facts the audience learned that in 1820 the New York state Legislature repealed slavery, but because the law was phased in, it was not until 1827 that the last remaining slave was set free.In one letter, Van Alstyne wrote that he came upon a “colored” Union Army regiment.He mused that white folks thought of colored people as not intelligent and not clean. When he first came upon a unit of freed slaves, he said he was impressed by the neatness of their camp, especially in comparison to white regiment camps he had seen. “That camp beat any white regiment I had seen,” he wrote.Van Alstyne joined the Union Army in 1862. By 1863 he was fighting rebels in Louisiana. In 1864 he was promoted to lieutenant with the 90th United States Colored Infantry.After the Civil War, Van Alstyne moved from his family farm in Amenia to Sharon, where he became active in the life of the town.Later in life, he reread the letters he had written to his parents about his war experiences. At that time, with the 50th anniversary of the Civil War approaching, Van Alstyne realized his letters contained many little-remembered episodes and incidents of that conflict.In 1910, he reproduced his letters in a self-published book, “Diary of an Enlisted Man.”For more information about the Sharon Historical Society, go to www.sharonhist.org.