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The Lincoln Memorial Shrine

A Lincoln Museum in Redlands, CA

Two hundred years after his birth, the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln continues to fascinate and inspire. Born into poverty on the edge of an untamed frontier, his rise from obscurity to greatness has become a symbol of the universal hope that we can all improve our circumstances in life.

Camp Life

Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Store of Army Life by John D. Billings

Published in 1887, Hardtack and Coffee is a memoir by John D. Billings, a veteran of the 10th Massachusetts Light Artillery Battery. Billings brutally honest account of life in the military during the Civil War is considered one of the most significant memoirs by a Civil War veteran.

 

 

Tobacco Twist and Pipe

As one of the most important American commodities at the time of the Civil War, tobacco use was universal throughout the United States. Whether smoked, chewed, or used as “snuff,” tobacco was an indulgence for men, women, and children alike.

Cribbage Board, 1864

Played with a pack of cards, cribbage uses a board and pegs to keep score. This board was carved by 1st Lt. Leander J. Skinner of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry during his time as a prisoner of war at Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, GA.

Playing Cards

First published in 1861, The Author’s Game consists of eleven sets of four cards each representing the works of eleven authors. The object is to form complete sets of the four cards comprising the works of one author.

 

Hardtack

Made of flour and water with a bit of salt or sugar, hardtack was a cracker or biscuit-like food that served as a staple ration during the Civil War. Baking each cracker until it was as hard as possible ensured a long shelf life, making it a practically non-perishable source of sustenance. To make it palatable, soldiers were required to soften each cracker in coffee or water before consumption. Soaking hardtack also helped release insect larvae that may have infested poorly stored provisions.

 

Coffee Pot

The word coffee appears in more Civil War letters than “rifle,” slavery,” or even “Lincoln.” For soldiers, nurses, politicians, and everyday people alike, coffee served as fuel during the war. While more accessible in the north, coffee beans were a dependable and high coveted staple. Soldiers brewed coffee anywhere and used any source of water they could find. In the absence of boiling water, men were known to chew whole coffee beans to satisfy their need for caffeine. As Ebenezer N. Gilpin of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry wrote in his diary, “…nobody can soldier without coffee.”

 

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Mission Statement

As a museum and memorial, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine seeks to deepen the understanding of President Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War and its impacts on generations of Americans through education, interaction, exhibition, and research.

Donate to the LMS

If you would like to give a donation to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, please contact Nathan Gonzales, Curator at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org.

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Contact Us

Research Center - (909) 798-7632

Museum - (909) 798-7636

125 West Vine Street Redlands, CA

 

Group Tours

Tours are temporarily unavailable.

Hours of Operation

Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

Copyright © 2021 · Lincoln Memorial Shrine, All Rights Reserved

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is a unit of the Special Collections Division of A.K. Smiley Public Library. The Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association, a 501 (c)3 tax deductible organization oversees the WLMA endowment.