April 12, 1861 marked the beginning of the Civil War with an early-morning attack at Fort Sumter. One of Harvard Law School’s brightest alums, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. joined the ranks of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army in 1861, and fought in the war until 1864.
Two years ago the library created the Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Digital Collection, which features portions of the Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Papers relating to his experiences in the Civil War that received conservation treatment and were digitized thanks to generous funding from another HLS alum, Norman B. Tomlinson (J.D. 1951). To see the digitized letters from Holmes to his parents, his military papers, and his civil war diary, click here.
To see the full catalog record for the flag, view the VIA record here.