Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection, 1861-1996 Ms.2003.014

Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection, 1861-1996 Ms.2003.014


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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

John M. Jackson, Archivist

Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Identification
Ms.2003.014
Title
Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection 1861-1996
Quantity
1 Cubic Feet, 2 boxes
Creator
Hart, Henry Waldo, 1832-1895 (Corporal, 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery Battery)
Creator
Garrett, Samuel Edwin, 1835(?)-1865
Creator
Turner, Mary H.
Creator
Walther, C. F. W., 1811-1887
Creator
Prillaman family
Creator
Shreve, David Prentiss (Lexington, Va.)
Creator
Hilton, John, 1828-1903
Creator
Holcombe family
Creator
Charlton family (Montgomery County, Va.)
Creator
Hayes, Carl N.
Creator
Duncan, William E.
Creator
Compton, John R.
Creator
Fitting, Minnie Adams
Creator
Evans, Washington C.
Creator
Baker family
Creator
Babcock, H. O.
Creator
Briggs, Marian
Creator
Bailey, Pattie Dobson Talley, b.1888
Creator
Jordan, Charles Francis, 1837-1922
Creator
Houck family
Creator
Armistead, Mary Frances
Creator
McKinnis, Henry, 1841-1893
Creator
Campbell, Donald (Co. K, 12th Regiment [New York State Militia?])
Language
The materials in the collection are in English.
Abstract
This contains a collection of small (1- to 2-folder) manuscripts related to various aspects of the American Civil War and obtained from various sources.

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection, Ms2003-014, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.


Scope and Content

A collection created from individual small (1- to 2-folder) manuscripts, containing such items as letters, diaries, reminiscences, and ephemera relating to the American Civil War.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by name of person, place, military unit, etc.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Civil War
  • Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
  • Montgomery County (Va.)
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Women -- History

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Armistead, Mary Frances
  • Babcock, H. O.
  • Bailey, Pattie Dobson Talley, b.1888
  • Briggs, Marian
  • Campbell, Donald (Co. K, 12th Regiment [New York State Militia?])
  • Compton, John R.
  • Duncan, William E.
  • Evans, Washington C.
  • Fitting, Minnie Adams
  • Garrett, Samuel Edwin, 1835(?)-1865
  • Hart, Henry Waldo, 1832-1895 (Corporal, 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery Battery)
  • Hayes, Carl N.
  • Hilton, John, 1828-1903
  • Jordan, Charles Francis, 1837-1922
  • McKinnis, Henry, 1841-1893
  • Shreve, David Prentiss (Lexington, Va.)
  • Turner, Mary H.
  • Walther, C. F. W., 1811-1887

Container List

ARMISTEAD, MARY FRANCES. MEMOIR
n.d.
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Surry County and Richmond, Virginia during Civil War. Three-page photocopied typescript of Armistead's reminiscences, focusing on the several jobs she held during the war.

BABCOCK, H. O. DIARY
1864
Scope and Contents note

Farmer and schoolteacher from North Stonington, Connecticut. Diary entries record work, social and church activities, weather, and financial affairs. Also included are comments on the day's political and military affairs, particularly battles and lost friends.

BAKER FAMILY. CIVIL WAR ARTIFACTS
n.d.
Scope and Contents note

A collection of buttons and pins relating to the Confederate States of America. Contains two Confederate naval uniform buttons, a Southern Cross of Honor [two pieces] belonging to William J. Baker (15th Virginia Infantry) and Frances M. Baker's pin from the Mississippi Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy.

BAILEY, PATTIE DOBSON TALLEY (b. 1888). UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY APPLICATION
1925
Scope and Contents note

Photocopy of application for membership in the Kentucky Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Describes Confederate service of Bailey's grandfather, Nathaniel Henry Talley, who worked as a gunboat mechanic and saddle maker at West Point, Virginia.

BRIGGS, MARIAN. LETTER
1866
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Gorham, New York. Letter to Catherine Weatherbee. Discusses their friendship, her parents' hardships, and the military service of her brothers Henry and Albert (both in the 126th New York Infantry)- -particularly Henry's wounding at Gettysburg and his subsequent death.

CAMPBELL, DONALD. LETTER
1861
Scope and Contents note

Soldier in Co. K, 12th Regiment [New York State Militia?]. Letter to his mother from Camp Anderson, Washington D. C. Writes of the regiment being mustered into U. S. service, conditions around Washington D. C., and relations with the local civilian population.

CHARLTON FAMILY. LETTER
1861
Scope and Contents note

Waddy C. Charlton (1839), Montgomery County, Virginia native and soldier in the 4th Virginia Infantry. Photocopy of letter to Charlton from unidentified brother in Christiansburg, Virginia. Mentions family matters, local crop conditions, the local movement of troops aboard trains, prospects for a Confederate invasion of Washington D.C. and Maryland, and military activities in northwestern Virginia.

CIVIL WAR POETRY
c.1861-1865
Scope and Contents note

Collection of six handwritten poems said to have been composed during the Civil War and including works entitled "The Contraband" and "The Southern Girls Song," the latter signed by M. M. Williams; together with a writing case bearing the embossed title "Soldiers Home Companion." Digital images availabe on the VT Imagebase.

COMPTON, JOHN R. LETTERS
1863
Scope and Contents note

Colonel commanding the 198th Virginia Militia. Three notes, possibly from a copybook, signed by Compton. Two notes certify that Drs. Mitchel Kegley and William E. Hoge had served the regiment as surgeons, while the third directs Hoge to obtain payrolls while in Richmond.

CONFEDERATE CURRENCY
c.1864
Scope and Contents note

Two notes issued by the Confederate government during the Civil War: a 20-dollar bill bearing the likeness of Vice President Alexander Stephens and a 100-dollar bill featuring portraits of Lucy Pickens (wife of South Carolina's governor) and George Randolph (CSA cabinet member).

DUNCAN, WILLIAM E. COPYBOOK
1862
Scope and Contents note

Confederate assistant quartermaster at Giles Court House, Virginia. Copybook containing requisitions issued and letters written by Duncan. Many of the letters--written on behalf of Brigadier General Henry Heth- -concern such matters as supplies for local regiments, while others relate to postal service and transportation. A few of the mention local military combat.

EVANS, WASHINGTON C. LETTERS
1864
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Essex County, Virginia and private in Co. F, 9th Virginia Cavalry, killed near Malvern Hill. Photocopies and transcripts of two letters to Evans' sister, written from camps in the Richmond- Petersburg area, concerning local and camp conditions, military operations and personal matters. Accompanied by photocopies of a letter from Isaac J. Mercer regarding Evans' death, a newspaper death notice and a carte-de-visite of Evans.

FITTING, MINNIE ADAMS. "THE PAST IS NEVER LOST"
n.d.
Scope and Contents note

Mimeographed typescript biography of Richard Henry Adams, Jr. (1841-1896), who served in the 5th Alabama Infantry and 51st Alabama Infantry, then later as an engineer under General Wheeler before being captured at Mt. Pleasant Tennessee in 1863. Adams became one of the "Immortal 600" prisoners-of-war held on Morris Island, South Carolina in 1864. He was released from prison in June, 1865. Biography includes lengthy excerpts from Adams' journals.

GARRETT, SAMUEL EDWIN (c.1835-1865). LETTERS
1864
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Cumberland County, Virginia; served in Co. G, 3rd Virginia Cavalry and killed in action at Five Forks, Virginia. Photocopies of letters to wife, Emma, from various camps in Virginia and West Virginia. Discusses family matters, the Southern cause, camp conditions, and military operations, particularly the Gettysburg campaign and the final battles around Richmond and Petersburg.

HART, HENRY WALDO (1832-1895). LETTERS
1862-1865
Scope and Contents note

Corporal in 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery Battery and husband of Margaret Elizabeth Black. Typescript copies of letters written by Hart to his wife from camps in the northern Virginia and gulf coast areas. Discusses at great length camp life; conditions in northern Virginia, Louisiana, and other areas; military actions; the war's progress; and personal matters.

HAYES, CARL N. "NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR, BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER: GREENE COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR"
[1966?]
Scope and Contents note

Photocopied typescript collection of information regarding the Civil War in Greene County, Tennessee.

HILTON, JOHN (1828-1903). PAPERS
1856-1903
Scope and Contents note

English immigrant, corporal in Co. F, 111th Pennsylvania Infantry. Photocopies of Hilton's Civil War letters (written from the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore, Maryland area, Cedar Creek. Loudon Heights and ) to his wife, Mary Jane. Also includes photocopies of various military and legal documents, newsclippings and a photograph of Hilton. Digital images availabe on the VT Imagebase.

HOLCOMBE FAMILY. LETTERS
1862-1863
Scope and Contents note

Transcripts of letters written to Amanda M. Fowler Holcombe of Texas by her husband, John M. Holcombe (Co. B, 17th Texas Infantry); her brother, Dr. William S. Fowler; and her brother-in-law, Lt. Charles Keton. The letters are written from camps in Arkansas and Texas and concern family matters, personal acquaintances, military activities, camp life, and Holcombe's illness and subsequent military discharge. Accompanied by photocopied biographical information on Holcombe.

HOUCK FAMILY. PAPERS
1861-1863
Scope and Contents note

Thomas G. Houck (1841-1863) of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, served with the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War and died from wounds received at Salem Church, Virginia. Collection consists of photocopied Civil War letters between Thomas Houck and his brother Joseph (1839-1908). Houck's letters are written from camps in Washington, D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia. Transcripts of the letters and of Thomas Houck's Civil War diary are included as well.

JORDAN, CHARLES FRANCIS (1837-1922). MEMOIR
ca. 1922
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Rockbridge County, Virginia; farmer; banker; businessman; legislator; captain in Company C, 1st Virginia Cavalry. Photocopied typescript of Jordan's reminiscences of the battle at Kelley's Ford, Virginia, on March 17, 1863.

McKINNIS, HENRY (1841-1893). LETTERS
1863-1864
Scope and Contents note

Private in Company B, 3rd Iowa Infantry from 1861-1864. Letters written to mother from camps near Moscow, Tennessee (January 20, 1863) and Hebron, Mississippi (March 5, 1864). McKinnis writes of Union and Confederate raids, a lack of rations, and general family matters. Accompanied by photocopies of typed transcripts, biographical material and a photo of McKinnis and his wife, Elizabeth Gilchrist McKinnis.

PRILLAMAN FAMILY. LETTERS
1862-1864
Scope and Contents note

Photocopies of Civil War letters of brothers Fleming M., Christian S. and Isaac C. Prillaman, of Franklin County, Virginia, serving in Co. B, 57th Virginia Infantry.

SHREVE, DAVID PRENTISS. WRITINGS
1995-1996, n.d.
Scope and Contents note

Minister of Music at Manly Memorial Baptist Church (Lexington, Virginia). Collection of writings on the Shreve family and the Civil War in northern Virginia. Includes "Barbara Ann Shreve, Spy and Nurse for Her Countrymen," "A Young Confederate Sketch Artist Who Became a Scout, C[o]urrier, and Blockade Runner for John S. Mosby, 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry" (regarding Benjamin Rutherford Shreve), "The Mystery of the Star Tavern's Puzzling Green Glass Star of Falls Church, Virginia," "Civil War Action in the No-Man's Land of Idylwood, Virginia and Vicinity," and "Along the Four Mile Run: Rural Life in 19th Century Arlington and Easter[n] Fairfax County - the Story of William Henry Shreve."

TURNER, MARY H. LETTER
1861
Scope and Contents note

Resident of Petersburg, Virginia. Writes of friendship and the "unnatural and unholy war." Letter captured by J. S. France, of Co. B, 13th New York State Militia, during the Seven Days Campaign in 1862.

WALTHER, C. F. W. (1811-1887). WRITINGS
[2002]
Scope and Contents note

President of Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Internet printout of Walther's "Slavery, Humanism & The Bible: Selections from Lehre und Wehre," containing writings on slavery and the Civil War, extracted from various issues of a synodical publication published in 1863.