Oliver Clarke was the first Grant Cottage caretaker. Cottage visitors would remember him as a knowledgeable tour guide and a kindly, humorous chatterbox of a man. Oliver was all of these things. But he was also a Union veteran (Sgt., 94th New York Volunteer Infantry) and a survivor of Andersonville, the Civil War’s most infamous prison camp. Although he rarely spoke about his war experiences, Oliver did write about them.
Grant Cottage tour guide Steve Trimm will portray this unsung hero and, using the sergeant’s fifty-page handwritten memoir as a script, tell Oliver’s story in his own words.
The suggested donation for Grant Cottage Porch Programs is $5 per person. Our events are supported with funding from the New York State Park and Trail Partnership Program (NYSPTPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSPTPP is administered by Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
