Mystery of the Blood Vials Solved

I tell you, I was so frustrated to not find the elusive identity of the actual person who sent the blood vials to Normal (most recent Courier story) but deadlines are deadlines so I had to grudgingly write it as an unsolved mystery.

But, reader, now I've found it. Dangit! After the Courier deadline! I think I'll amend the story and shoot it over to Gleanings, the YHS newsletter.

The soldier in question, according to this April 6, 1894 Ypsilanti Commercial article, is one David A. Wise, "the first man to enlist in this county," says this article. "He was a Lieutenant in Capt. Spencer's company, and while there the Captain edited a paper, and they printed a bill of fare for the Marshall House where Lieut. Wise was installed landlord in command..."

"He says he scraped up the blood from the floor, after the bodies had been removed, enclosed it in the vials, and sent them to Prof. Welch, the Principal of the Normal."

Likely I'm the only person who is relieved to know the answer, but here it is just for the record. Phew.