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Union Drummer Boy

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Gettysburg, PA
Union Drummer Boy

Specializing in Authentic Civil War Artifacts. We sell original historic relics, & accoutrements. A museum where you can shop.

09/11/2026

🇺🇸 WE REMEMBER — SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Today, we pause our usual Civil War history to remember the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001, the families forever changed, and the first responders and ordinary Americans who showed extraordinary courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

As students and caretakers of American history, we are constantly reminded that history is ultimately about people—their lives, their sacrifices, their courage, and the stories we choose to preserve.

Twenty-five years later, we remember.
We honor.
We will never forget. 🇺🇸

— Union Drummer Boy

09/10/2026

FEATURED PRODUCT

5th New York Independent Battery Light Artillery Hat Insignia

An exceptional grouping of three Civil War hat insignia from the 5th New York Independent Battery, also known as Taft’s Battery.

The set includes an embroidered officer’s Hardee hat eagle, a New York “Excelsior” coat-of-arms insignia, and a crossed-cannon artillery insignia with the numeral “5.”

Together, they would have made a striking display on a regulation Hardee or dress hat.

🔎 See more at: www.uniondb.com

09/09/2026

🇺🇸 DID YOU KNOW? — THE WOMEN BEHIND THE CIVIL WAR

The Civil War wasn’t shaped only by the men on the battlefield. More than 15,000 women volunteered with the U.S. Sanitary Commission, many working in hospitals where they assisted surgeons, administered medicine, prepared food, cleaned bedding and clothing, and provided comfort to wounded, sick and dying soldiers.

Their contributions extended far beyond hospitals as well. Women organized relief efforts, collected supplies and held Sanitary Fairs that raised desperately needed funds for soldiers in the field.

📸 SHARED HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME

We are especially pleased to share this remarkable Civil War-era photograph, published here for the first time ever from the private collection of Brendan Synnamon.

Five women of the US Sanitary Commission stand together before an impressive display of American flags—a striking image and a wonderful reminder that women were very much a part of the story of the Civil War.

At Union Drummer Boy, some of our favorite pieces are those that allow us to put faces to the history and preserve stories that might otherwise remain unseen.

www.uniondb.com

09/08/2026

ON THIS DAY IN THE CIVIL WAR — SEPTEMBER 8, 1863

Sometimes a tiny force could stop an invasion.

On September 8, 1863, the Battle of Sabine Pass was fought on the Texas coast. A Union expedition carrying roughly 4,000 troops, supported by four gunboats, attempted to establish a foothold in Texas. Waiting at Fort Griffin was a remarkably small Confederate artillery force—the Davis Guards. Their accurate cannon fire disabled and captured two Union gunboats and forced the expedition to withdraw.
To accompany today’s Texas history, we’re featuring two Confederate holsters currently available on our website: a beautifully decorated “Rose of Texas” holster and a Confederate revolver holster formerly housed in the Texas Civil War Museum.

View both remarkable pieces at www.uniondb.com

09/07/2026

LABOR DAY: A SOLDIER’S WORK WAS NEVER DONE
Did you know? Civil War soldiers spent far more time working than fighting. Their days were filled with marching, drilling, standing guard, preparing meals, hauling supplies, building shelters, and digging miles of earthworks.

This Labor Day, we remember the tremendous labor performed by the ordinary soldiers whose everyday belongings now help tell their stories.

Explore authentic Civil War artifacts and discover the history behind the men who carried and used them at http://www.uniondb.com

09/05/2026

🧔🏻‍♂️ WORLD BEARD DAY — CIVIL WAR EDITION! 🇺🇸

Forget the battles for a minute…we need to discuss the REAL competition of the Civil War: the facial hair. 😂

From Ambrose Burnside’s legendary side-whiskers to Ulysses S. Grant’s full beard and Abraham Lincoln’s unmistakable chin curtain, the 1860s gave us some truly impressive facial-hair history.

So in honor of World Beard Day, we have to ask…

🏆 WHO WINS BEST CIVIL WAR BEARD?

Drop your pick in the comments! 👇

09/03/2026

☕ DID YOU KNOW? — Civil War Soldiers Loved Their Coffee
For many Civil War soldiers, coffee may have been the most anticipated part of the ration. Union troops were commonly issued green coffee beans, which they roasted themselves over campfires and then ground—sometimes using the butt of a rifle. Coffee became such a fixture of camp life that surviving coffee sacks, tins, cups and other personal mess equipment offer a fascinating look at the everyday soldier beyond the battlefield.

Confederate soldiers often weren’t so fortunate. With coffee increasingly scarce because of the Union blockade, they resorted to substitutes that included roasted corn, chicory and even peanuts.
Sometimes the simplest surviving artifact tells one of the best stories—because the Civil War wasn’t only fought on battlefields. It was lived one cup of coffee at a time.

https://uniondb.com/product-category/campsite-items-accoutrements/

09/02/2026

The Finest Firsthand Description of the Use of a Civil War Knapsack We Have Ever Seen
If you could open a Civil War soldier’s knapsack, what would you find?
In the case of Sgt. Austin C. Stearns of Company K, 13th Massachusetts Infantry, we actually know. A remarkable handwritten provenance tag accompanying his surviving knapsack records how Stearns packed it in the field. His blankets were rolled and strapped across the top, while inside he carried his quilt, overcoat, underclothing, ditty bag, extra ammunition, hardtack, bottles, toothbrush, medicine, pins and other personal necessities.
Even more fascinating, Stearns noted that this was his “3rd or 4th” knapsack during his three years of service—a wonderful reminder of just how hard campaigning was on a soldier’s equipment.
Stearns later recorded his wartime experiences in Three Years with Company K, giving us an unusually personal glimpse into the everyday life of a soldier in the Army of the Potomac.
This identified knapsack and Stearns’ forage cap are currently available at Union Drummer Boy—a rare opportunity to own artifacts connected directly to a soldier whose own words help tell their story.

09/01/2026

THE UNION DRUMMER BOY — FACT OF THE DAY

September 1, 1864 — Confederate Forces Abandon Atlanta
On September 1, 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood ordered his forces to evacuate Atlanta as Major General William T. Sherman’s Union armies severed the city’s vital railroad supply lines.
After a campaign lasting nearly four months, Atlanta—one of the Confederacy’s most important railroad, manufacturing, and supply centers—fell to Union forces the following day.
The capture of Atlanta was one of the most significant Union victories of the Civil War and provided a major boost to Northern morale. Sherman would depart Atlanta on November 15, beginning his famous March to the Sea.
For a fascinating firsthand account of the Atlanta Campaign, take a closer look at this original wartime diary of John Strawser, 38″ Ohio Infantry, currently available from The Union Drummer Boy. History like this allows us to experience the Civil War through the words of those who actually lived it.
Explore this piece and more original Civil War history at The Union Drummer Boy https://uniondb.com/product/atlanta-campaign-diary-of-john-strawser-38-ohio-infantry/

08/31/2026

Did You Know? — Civil War Medicine 🩺
Civil War surgeons are often associated with amputations, but anesthesia was actually used in the vast majority of major operations. Chloroform and ether were routinely administered to soldiers before surgery, despite the persistent myth that men simply “bit the bullet” while being operated on.
In fact, the expression “bite the bullet” has little evidence tying it to Civil War surgery. Battlefield medicine could be primitive by modern standards, but the widespread use of anesthesia was one area in which Civil War medical care was more advanced than many people realize.
This surgical kit, along with other original medical Civil War artifacts are available through Union Drummer Boy.

Explore our collection: https://uniondb.com/shop/

Address

34 York Street
Gettysburg, PA
17325

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 7pm
Saturday	10am - 7pm
Sunday	10am - 7pm

Telephone

+17173342350

Website

http://www.uniondb.com/

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