When we picture Civil War clothing, we usually think of a soldier’s uniform, bedecked with a sword and epaulets, or the hoop-skirted ball gown of a Southern debutante. This silk shawl decorated in a floral pattern is a surprising piece of Civil War clothing.
Hannah Dwyer of Pleasant Street hand-embroidered the shawl in 1863. Dwyer donated the shawl to a local raffle, which raised money to benefit a boy whose father died in battle. Each ticket cost $1 and all proceeds went to the boy’s family.
Dwyer served on the Soldiers Aid Society, a local group run entirely by women, that collected clothing, medicine, bandages and food for the Marblehead men serving on the front lines. Only some of those men received the gifts from home, as 110 Marbleheaders would perish before the war’s end.
Local schoolteachers Mary Alley and Mary Graves formed the Soldiers Aid Society inside the Old Town House in 1861. At its height, the Aid Society had over 100 members. Their children contributed to relief efforts by cutting strips of linen cloth, which their mothers sewed into bandages. The Aid Society was one of many soldier support groups formed by women throughout the North and South.
Dwyer’s shawl is on permanent display inside the Civil War Museum (part of the Marblehead Museum), located on the second floor of the Old Town House. The Civil War Museum will be open by appointment starting June 1. To schedule an appointment, contact the Marblehead Museum at 781-631-1768.
Jarrett Zeman is the assistant director of the Marblehead Museum. “From the Vault” is a partnership between the Marblehead Museum and the Marblehead Current.
