Wittenberg During the Civil War
Leave a reply
Dr. Samuel Sprecher was the President of Wittenberg College (as it was then known) during the Civil War. Many Wittenberg students served in the Union Army during the war and, for a time, so many were serving in the Army or otherwise supporting the cause that classes were suspended. In an effort to boost military enlistment, Dr. Sprecher donated a cow to be auctioned to raise money paid in bounties, or bonuses to enlistees. The clipping above is from the Springfield Republic dated July 3, 1863, and offers just a glimpse of Wittenberg’s involvement in the war.