A national touring exhibition documenting the parallel lives of Abraham Lincoln and the Russian Tsar Alexander II

When Civil War broke out in America in 1861, it became a fiery test of the nation's resolve, led by President Abraham Lincoln. The effort to restore the Union was supported by a man Lincoln never met: Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Beginning July 12, 2008, the Oshkosh Public Museum will host the incredible exhibition, The President and the Tsar: Emancipator and Liberator, which explores the Civil War and the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Tsar Alexander II.

The impact of the Tsar's help and its effect on Wisconsin men has been recorded in John Henry Otto's memoirs of the Civil War. Otto served with the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, a regiment of Oshkosh and Fox Valley men. After capturing Confederate soldiers in late December 1862, Otto was told by the prisoners that they expected England and France to soon come to the South's assistance. He wrote, "It might have been undertaken and carried out, had not the following May [1863] a powerfull fleet of russian men of War appeared suddenly in New York harbor and remained their for a long time."

The museum will add its own exhibit showing the role Oshkosh played in the conflict that shaped America, and a major collaborative effort with the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra is planned.

The President and the Tsar is supported in part by a community Impact grant from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and major support from the Alberta S. Kimball Foundation. Other sponsorship dollars to support rental and shipped costs are needed in order to make this once in a lifetime exhibition possible. Anyone interested in being part of this effort should contact museum director Brad Larson at 920-236-5769 or by email








“The best executed battle scenes on canvas . . . you cannot see the Expressions of passions, of hope or despair, of joy or doubt, of reckless bravery or hesitating fear, of hate and revenge. You cannot hear the infernal roar and noise of all the batteries and small arms, the shreeks [sic] and moans of the wounded, the groans of the dieing [sic] the cried for help, for water —The liveliest immagination [sic] can not realize the situation in real battle.” — John Henry Otto

German immigrant John Henry Otto served with the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, a regiment raised from Oshkosh and Fox Valley men in 1862 and trained at Oshkosh’s Camp Bragg. Recounted in Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill, Kent State University Press, 2004.

Civil War Exhibit

Almost 150 years later, the Civil War continues to captivate people. It was a time that pitted brother against brother, the North against the South. The question of slavery divided the nation, and in 1861 the debate over the right of Southern states to hold people in bondage escalated into full-scale war. The war brought dreadful battles with names like Antietam, Chickamauga, Gettysburg, and Shiloh. Evocative songs of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb, such as Rally Round the Flag, Dixie, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, and Bonnie Blue Flag, remain with us yet today. The Civil War culminated with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by Southern sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth.

As part of The President and the Tsar, the museum brings the story of the Civil War to Oshkosh. Through photographs, artifacts, paintings and lithographs, and first hand accounts of battles, and entries from the diary of Oshkosh resident Nancy Derby, the exhibit will convey this difficult and terrible part of America’s past.

In an interactive display, visitors will be able to heft a real Springfield percussion rifle musket, the primary weapon of both Union and Confederate soldiers. The muzzle loading rifle musket fired a hollow base .58 caliber Minie ball that was propelled by 60 grains of black powder. The use of the Minie ball increased the range and devastation of the basic infantry weapon, resulting in casualties that staggered the American public, both North and South. The percussion revolver was the primary handgun of the era, carried by officers, cavalry, and even a few infantry soldiers, The hands-on section of the exhibit will include an original revolver that visitors can hold. The percussion revolver was loaded using combustible paper cartridges that contained a pre-set powder charge and a lead bullet. It was loaded into the front of the cylinder with the aid of a lever under the barrel.



(Above) Detail of the Model 1861 rifle musket, the weapon issued to most Union troops. The rifle fired a .58 caliber Minie ball and was deadly accurate at over 300 yards. Metal parts were left armory bright.

(Above) Sixty paper cartridges, extra percussion caps, and supplies for cleaning the rifle musket were carried in a leather cartridge box like the one above. This cartridge box still retains its original U.S. brass plate. The lead-backed plate helped keep the cover from flapping.