Materials gathered in memoriam related to General Andrew Barclay Spurling Civil War career

2004.93.741

Materials gathered in memoriam related to General Andrew Barclay Spurling Civil War career

Manuscript. A xerox copy of a collection of materials gathered in memoriam related to the military career of Lieutenant Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Andrew Barclay Spurling who served during the Civil War and died August 22, 1906. [Spurling is the son of Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling who was widowed and married William P. Preble. Spurling's boyhood home was the Preble House on Great Cranberry Island, Maine. He was born in the house across the street from the Preble house now known as the Freeman house.] Spurling was in the 2nd Maine Cavalry Union Army and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor March 3, 1863. This packet of materials was given to GCIHS by Hugh Dwelley in 2004 and contains copies of documents outlined in a letter to "Cara and Ted" (probably Ted Spurling, Sr. of Islesford, Little Cranberry Island, ME) from "Marianne and Rene" dtd June 1st (no year). Marianne and Rene had requested the Spurling records and received them for the cost of $32.00. Documents explain Andrew Spurling's heroism and exploits, contain copies of military records, and include statements by other Mainers who served with him. There are also three typewritten pages of text written by Ted Spurling Sr., Islesford, Maine, summing up Andrew Spurling's life, including Ted Spurling's handwritten note: "Gen. Andrew Spurling's father was Samuel Spurling. Andrew's mother was Abigail Hadlock (of Little Cranberry Island.) Gen. Andrew was a first cousin to my great grandfather, George N. Spurling and also a first cousin to my Great Grand Father, Gilbert T. Hadlock - Ted Spurling Sr. 7/8/2002. *Benjamin Spurling was a Rev. War veteran as well. Ted" The last few pages include copies of newspaper articles: one describes the the discovery of 1864 graffiti etched into the wall of a home in Bagdad, Florida, where Spurling and his troops apparently stopped. Graffitti has been preserved in-situ by the homeowner. Another article tells about the end of his life in Chicago investing in real estate and a rawhide manufacturing company, and mentions his unfortunate investment in the Spurling Block in Elgin just at the Panic of 1893. The last page is a letter from "Bud" to Ted [Spurling] thanking him for his copy and inserting his thoughts, dated September 9, 1994. [Perhaps the original copies of these documents are in the Sawtelle collection at Acadia NPS or in the Islesford Historical Society? TBD]

Paper