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Solomon Conn’s Musical War Diary

Solomon Conn was the son of a hotel keeper. When he was 24 years old, in July of 1862, he enlisted as a private in the 87^th Indiana Infantry. Less than a year later, while still serving, he bought a violin, which would go on to follow him while he fought. But instead of learning how to play the instrument, he wrote on its back, documenting the places his infantry was on duty or fighting the enemy. Some of those places included the Battle of Chickamunga in 1863 and Kennesaw Mountain in 1864. When the war was over, he had lost nearly 300 men, most to diseases. This violin was passed down after Solomon died in 1926 and remains an important part of US history.