Oswego goes to war

New exhibit tells the stories of local Civil War soldiers

By Roger Matile

When the 127th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment marched off to war, two Oswego teens went with it. Alfred X. Murdock was old enough to serve as an infantryman in a company composed almost entirely of Oswego residents while young Robinson "Bob" Murphy was allowed to serve as a drummer since his father had also enlisted as a private soldier.

Two years later, during the same battle near Atlanta, Georgia, the two former Oswego schoolmates met very different fates. Murphy won the Congressional Medal of Honor for singular valor on the field of honor the only Oswegoan ever to have won the medal while Murdock was shot, killed, and buried on the battlefield where he fell.

The stories of Murphy and Murdock are two of the tales that enliven the newest exhibit at the Little White School Museum in Oswego, "Oswego Goes to War: Defending the Nation During the Civil War." The Civil War exhibit is part of the museum's larger "Oswego Goes to War" exhibit that explains some of the exploits of community residents from the 1860s through the 1940s.

Work on the new Civil War exhibit started last summer and was finally completed earlier this month. "We had to do quite a bit of research first," explained assistant museum director Bob Stekl. "We wanted the exhibit to tell the stories ot the local residents who fought and died during the war, and that took some digging."

Besides the stories of Murdock and Murphy, the stories of Captain William Harkness, Henry Greene Smith, and Charles Hubbard, another Oswegoan who served with the same regiment Murphy and Murdock joined, are also told in the exhibit.

A large map in the exhibit follows the march of the 127th Illinois as they served with Grant at Vicksburg and Sherman at Atlanta and on his March to the Sea. A section on Hubbard follows his career from the time just before he joined the 127th through the rest of his life in Oswego.

"Hubbard served as Oswegos postmaster for years," Stekl said. "We were lucky enough to have a tintype photo of him taken before he joined the Union Army as well as other photos taken throughout his life, including one taken in 1913 by Dwight Young, just a year before Hubbard died."

Also included in the display is information on Nathan Hughes, one of five black Civil War veterans buried in the Oswego Township Cemetery, and a display of Grand Army of the Republic medals and 127th Regiment reunion memorabilia.

"We think visitors will find the new exhibit both entertaining and informative," Stekl said. "We hope it provides some interest for both long-time and new residents to the community."

Admission to the museum, located at Jackson and Polk Street in Oswego, is free. Hours are Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 4 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

For more information, call the museum at 630-554-2999 or e-mail LWSMuseum@yahoo.com

Annual meeting set for April 23-24 in Elgin

Cantigny Park near Wheaton

The Society's 2004 Annual Meeting will feature the rich cultural, business, and educational history of the Fox River Valley. Headquarters for the April 23-24 event will be the elegant new Holiday Inn and Suites in Elgin. On Friday morning, April 23, registrants will tour Kline Creek, a meticulously maintained Nineteenth Century farm near Wheaton. Lunch will be served at Cantigny Park, also near Wheaton. Afterwards, the group will tour the First Division Museum and the McCormick Mansion both located in the park. The First Division is among the nation's finest and most realistic military museums. The McCormick Mansion was the country home of the founders and publishers of the Chicago Tribune. Jay Bonansinga will speak at the Annual Meeting Banquet on Friday evening. He is the author of a recent history about the Eastland steamboat disaster. On Saturday, April 24, local historian Jerry Turnquist will lead the group on a tour of Elgin Academy, the Elgin Area Historical Museum, and the city's historic neighborhoods. The weekend will conclude with the Society's Annual Awards luncheon.

Tours and meals for both days will cost members about $145. Full details and a registration form will appear in the next issue of Illinois Heritage and on the Society's website: www.historyillinois.com

22 | Illinois History