Civil War Quilts: Yankee Diary 11: Victory is Grant-ed

Block 12

Victory is Grant-ed

From Carrie's Diary:

April 10, 1865
"We were quietly eating our breakfast this morning about 7 o'clock, when our church bell commenced to ring, then the Methodist bell, and now all the bells in town are ringing....

Methodist Church in Canandaigua.

Photo by Carrie's friend Augustus Coleman

"I saw Capt. Aldrich passing, so I rushed to the window and he waved his hat. I raised the window and asked him what was the matter? He came to the front door where I met him and he almost shook my hand off and said, 'The war is over. We have Lee's surrender, with his own name signed.' I am going down town now, to see for myself, what is going on.

Chauncey S Aldridge is second from left.

"Later—I have returned and I never saw such performances in my life. Every man has a bell or a horn, and every girl a flag and a little bell, and everyone is tied with red, white and blue ribbons. I am going down town again now, with my flag in one hand and bell in the other and make all the noise I can.... "

Before electricity made glowing nighttime windows commonplace,

towns celebrated by "illuminating" windows.

Here a print of an illumination and parade

for Lincoln's election in New York City.

"Have been out walking for the last hour and a half, looking at the brilliant illuminations, transparencies and everything else and I don't believe I was ever so tired in my life. The bells have not stopped ringing more than five minutes all day and every one is glad to see Canandaigua startled out of its propriety for once.

The Atwater Block about 1910

just before it was torn down for the new post office

"The Court House, Atwater Block, and hotel have about two dozen candles in each window throughout, besides flags and mottoes of every description....'Victory is Grant-ed' is in large red, white and blue letters in front of Atwater Block."

Union General Grant accepts Confederate General Lee's surrender,

April 9, 1865

The Block

Block # 11

Becky Brown

The celebratory dog and bird block is adapted from one in an album

quilt dated 1861-1862 from Rockland County, New York.

Read a post on that quilt here:
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2012/05/album-quilt-part-2-rockland-county-ny.html

A flag goes over the seam line between blocks 11 and 9.

Cutting a 12" finished block

Cut a background square 12-1/2" x 12-1/2" or larger and trim to 12-1/2" after applique and pressing.
Fold the background in half and half again and press for guide lines for placement.

Print this JPG out full size. It should just fit on an 8-1/2" wide sheet.

Add seams. Cut 1 of every piece.

Applique the dog and bird

When you are appliquéing the dog begin with his chin and leave his mouth unstitched so you can add a flag pole later over the seam line between Block 11 and Block 9.

Lori Kukuk quilted my Yankee Diary on her long arm machine.

You have a leftover flag from Block #2. Cut the flag pole 1" x 6-1/2" and turn the sides under so you have a strip finishing to 1/2" wide. The flag might be a little large but you can easily trim the stripes. I let mine overlap the pole in Block 9.

Insert the flag pole in the dog's mouth and finish stitching that down while you applique the pole.