A Guide to the Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook, 1862-1863 Porter, A. P. Copybook Ms2001-001

A Guide to the Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook, 1862-1863

A Collection in
Special Collections
Collection Number Ms2001-001

Special Collections, Virginia Tech

Processed by: Cort Rushton, Student Assistant and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist, Special Collections

Repository

Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Collection Number

Ms2001-001

Title

Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook, 1862-1863

Physical Characteristics

0.2 cu. ft. 1 box

Creator

Porter, A. P.

Language

English

Abstract

The collection includes a copybook and letters written by Union Lieutenant Colonel A. P. Porter in 1862 and 1863 that document the transportation, inventory, and distribution of supply rations during the Civil War. The letters are written in chronological order within the copybook with about 22 outstanding letters that have been torn from the book, also arranged in chronological order.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook, Ms2001-001, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook was acquired by Special Collections in 2001.

Processing Information

Some initial description was completed in 2011. Additional processing, arrangement, and description of the Lt. Col. A. P. Porter Copybook was completed in November 2013.

Biographical Note

Lieutenant Colonel A. P. Porter was the chief commissary of subsistence of the Fifth Army Corps, a member of the Army of the Potomac. He was promoted from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel sometime between the 18th and 21st of August, 1862. Acting with Captain George Bell and other prominent figures in the Union Army, Porter aided in the rationing of goods, establishment of depot sites, discharge of vessels, and construction of temporary wharves. He communicated via letters with other commissaries and army divisions in the region to send rations to such areas as Yorktown, Rockville, and other stations across the states of Virginia and Maryland.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a copybook containing about 280 letters written by Lieutenant Colonel A. P. Porter of the Union Army's Commissary of Subsistence. The letters include documentation about the shipping, maintenance, and distribution of large quantities of food and supply rations among the Union Army. Along with the transport and distribution of supplies, Porter also documented inventories of many resources including cattle, livestock, and other food supplies. Many of these letters are written to other Union officers including Col. A. Beckwith and Col. H. Clarke while Lieutenant Colonel Porter was stationed at General McClellan's Headquarters.