A descendant of one of Ridgewood's original town fathers was at the Ridgewood Schoolhouse Museum to speak about his great-grandfather Garrett Ackerman, a local farmer and soldier in the Civil War.

Sunday marked the final day of the exhibit "The Civil War Years: At Home and on the Battlefield," which showcased artifacts from Ridgewood and elsewhere during the tumultuous, bloody years.

At the award-winning museum were Civil War dresses, restored 34-star and 35-star flags, farming tools, uniforms, an embellished military drum, weapons, and other items.

David Ackerman, the great-grandson of Garrett Ackerman, spoke with visitors on the Sunday tour.

At the time 30 years old, Garrett Ackerman left behind his wife Rachael and his children to tend attend to the farm on East Saddle River Road, Hamburger said.

"Ackerman was torn about leaving his farm," museum curator Joy Hamburger previously told Patch.

In his letters, the farmer wrote of the hardships he'd faced, of his longing for his family. He requested his family send him meats and other items he could not find while at war.

"Over the last ten months close to 800 people visited our small museum and were impressed with the number and quality of our Civil War artifacts," said Sheila Brogan, President of the Ridgewood Historical Society.

Anyone still craving a bit of knowledge on The Civil War Years in Ridgewood should check out the exhibit video or this article and this article.

Stay tuned for more on what the next exhibit will be!