Winnetka and the Civil War

 

Image of Frank Alson Alles in the Chicago Tribune, May 30, 1940. Alles was one of the North Shore’s last surviving Civil War veterans. He died on July 30, 1940.

Winnetka’s Civil War Survivors

When the Civil War began in the spring of 1861, people across the country felt called to fight. This was true for early Winnetka settlers Frank Alson Alles and William Henry Kinney, as well as Julian Edward Buckbee and Albert Banfield Capron, who moved to the Village shortly after the war’s end. These four men risked their lives for the Union cause and, against the odds, made it home alive after the war. Learn more about these fascinating Winnetkans who fought and survived the Civil War. CLICK HERE!

Winnetkan Sanford S. Burr was a Civil War survivor and prolific inventor. Read more about him and his connection to the Winnetka Historical Society HERE!

Pair of Union army epaulettes from the Civil War, c. 1865. These were likely worn by a general or captain.

 

Charles Davis’ home at 677 Willow. Davis was the first Winnetkan to lose his life in the Civil War. The Davis house was demolished in 1990.

Sacrifice for Liberty: The Lives and Deaths of Charles Davis and George Willson

While most Winnetkans who fought for the Union survived the Civil War, two young men, Charles Davis and George Willson, paid the ultimate sacrifice in the long and arduous fight for liberty. Learn more about their heroic lives and tragic deaths. CLICK HERE!

Photo Gallery:
Scroll through the gallery of Civil War-era materials and images from the Winnetka Historical Society’s collections and beyond. CLICK HERE!

 

 

 

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