The Cumberland County Archives manages thousands of documents dating from 1750 to the present day. Many of these documents are still kept in their original offices of origin. My particular internship involves working with the “Board of Relief” papers, a committee set up by the county commissioners during the Civil War to provide monthly monetary allowances to the dependant families of enlisted soldiers, much like the modern day welfare system. A soldier’s wife (and in some cases parent or sibling) was to receive $6 per month, while each child under the age of 12 was to receive $2. So far these papers have provided crucial insight into what things were like for the families at home, and the letters that accompany them are equally as interesting. The many skills I have learned, like conservation techniques, and knowledge of archival terminology and the structure of government records will serve me well in my future in the public history field.