Kristin Patterson on “How the State of Wisconsin Assisted Civil War Soldiers’ Families”

Once the War of the Rebellion was declared, Wisconsin (a state that had only been in the Union for 12 years) was quick to enlist volunteers to fight. But as the Civil War dragged on, families left without husbands, working sons, and fathers were hard pressed to make ends meet. So Wisconsin implemented 3 ways to get money to wives, mothers (and indigent fathers), and children.

First, an Allotment Fund, which soldiers could allocate all or part of their month pay to any person. This money would then be available to the person that they requested. Second, $5 extra pay per month for privates with dependant wives, mothers, or children. And lastly, bounties promised when enlisting. All of these programs helped not only the individual families but the Wisconsin economy.

The presentation will discuss how each program was implemented and who benefited. It will also talk about how the funds were raised. Original documents will be shown that were used in the processes.

Kristin, who was born and raised in Wisconsin, started collecting postage stamps when she was 10. For the past 25 years, she has focused on U.S. Civil War tax stamps and documents with revenue stamps. She has been very active in the philatelic community, serving 4 terms as President of Sequoia Stamp Club, 19 years as Chair of PENPEX Stamp Show (www.penpex.org), and on many other philatelic boards.

Kristin has authored two books. In 2003, she self published It’s a Wrap! U.S. Revenue Stamps Used on Playing Cards, 1862–1883. This colorfully illustrated book highlights fifteen U.S. Playing Card Manufacturers. In 2010, she published her second book, WESTPEX – The First 50 Years, about the most successful stamp show in the U.S.

Kristin has also written many articles for philatelic journals, including the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. This article discusses how the Gettysburg Cemetery came to be and how the union states funded the effort.