Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
June 30, 2002
By Betty Stroup Wright
Vigo County Historical Society
Memories evolve after Military room visit
Visiting the Vigo County Historical Museum and the Military room, I was reminded of event from my past. Observing the Revolutionary War wine-colored military jacket, I thought of the 100 acres of land that was awarded my ancestor, grandfather John Hunt, for his participation and service. His move from the East Coast to Illinois is why I am here today. His son, Thomas Hunt, was in the Legislature with Abraham Lincoln when the state capital was at Vandalia, so I got to see a picture of him when my husband and I visited there. Thomas had 15 children, one of whom was named “Liberty Independence,” and I tried to get my youngest son, Tom, to name his new baby girl that, but I had no takers.
My paternal grandfather, Johnathan Samuel Stroup, enlisted in Company I of the 40th Regiment, Southern Illinois, and served as an advance scout, but lost the use of one eye during the felling of trees at the bloody battle of Shiloh. His brother, Andrew Stroup, was in the infamous prison in Andersonville, Ga., and was finally released after having lost more than 100 pounds of weight. Many men didn’t have that much to spare. While my husband, Paul, and I visited the national park there, I brought back some bullets of the Civil War that looked like concrete or cement to me, but Paul took his pocketknife and scraped some of the cement and shiny lead shone through.
As a child in first grade, I heard the wonderful story about our flag and how Francis Scott Key had written a song called “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I was only 6 but I knew that my grandmother had been a Scott before marrying my Grampa. I told her the flag story and asked if we were related. “Yes, child,” she replied “about forty-leventh.” I was so thrilled, then stopped, and knowing up to third cousins, I said, “But there isn’t any such thing.” Grandma then said, “ and that’s about how close we are.”
But still until this day, the flag has been special to me. Grampa John was one of the last three surviving Civil War veterans in Edwards County, Ill., and he flew the flag every day from a large flag staff in our front yard.
Do you recall the picture of Uncle Sam with his finger pointing directly at you, wanting you to enlist? I have a similar poster in my upstairs bedroom, which use to frighten a small grandson of mine (the pointing finger).
At age 17, my brother, John, enlisted as a paratrooper during World War II. My husband, Paul, was in the occupation forces in Japan, following World War II.
When you visit the Historical Museum take time to renew your own memories.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth Street, is open from 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.