The Mississippi Civil War Sesquicentennial continues and in the coming months we will be highlighting Museum Division collections related to 1862 and the Civil War. Special thanks to Nan Prince, Asst. Director of Collections, for writing this series.
This figure of a Bible was carved by Alexander A. Lomax who served as a private in Company I, 12th Mississippi Infantry. According to his service records, Lomax was taken as a prisoner of war in Frederick, Maryland, on September 12, 1862, and was admitted to the USA General Hospital No. 1 in Frederick. Family tradition states that this Bible was carved while Lomax was in an Army hospital so it was most likely carved in Frederick. Lomax was exchanged from Fort Delaware on November 10, 1862, and later became a chaplain in the 16th Mississippi Infantry. He was paroled at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, and served as a pastor in Clinton, Mississippi, after the war. Lomax’s diary and notebook from his service as chaplain in the 16th Mississippi can be found in the archives collection, click here to view the catalog record.
Artifacts from the Museum Division collection that are not on exhibit are available for viewing by appointment. Please contact Nan Prince, Assistant Director of Collections, by email to schedule an appointment.