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Pennsylvania At Chancellorsville, But Headed Back Home, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

With the anniversary of the battles around Fredericksburg this week, the Civil War world's eyes seem to be turned toward Chancellorsville and the battles there. Almost as a reflex, my mind has gone there too. I've been thinking about Simon Stein Wolf, the Gettysburgian who faced death at Chancellorsville only to find it terribly displayed in the days after. So today another excerpt from my manuscript, to start re-conceptualizing Chancellorsville through the eyes of a Pennsylvania College dropout. [excerpt]

Ms-073: Alexander C. Barr, Battery F, 3rd Independent Pa Light Artillery, Christopher M. Gwinn

All Finding Aids

The Alexander Barr collection consists of 17 letters written in between March 14, 1864 and June 3, 1865. The majority of the letters are addressed to his brother Charles in Taylorstown, PA, with the exception of at least one letter composed for his brother Jeff in April, 1864. Most of the letters in the collection date from the time Barr served on Maryland Heights and Harper’s Ferry. Included in the letters are Barr’s experiences as a new recruit in the artillery with topics ranging from the “very poor grub” at the artillery cookhouse, the oppressiveness of the summer weather and …

Ms-068: Henry P. Clare Letters, Co. D., 9th New York State Militia, Sarah E. Handley

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This collection consists of 47 letters written by Henry P. Clare to his brother, William Keating Clare, with the exception of one letter addressed to Lieutenant Colonel M.T. McMahon, Assistant Adjutant General, and one written from a George E. Hyatt to William. The letters in this collection range from January 4, 1863 (although they are mislabeled by Henry to be January 1862) to December 6, 1863. Henry talks mostly of his life in the camp, gives his opinion of the war, and of the Army’s and the nation’s leadership. Many of the letters are sharply critical of leaders, including Lincoln, …

Ms-061: Charles A. Rubright Collection, Stephen H. Light

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The Charles A. Rubright Collection consists primarily of three journals he kept throughout the war and a letter he sent from Andersonville Prison camp to his sister. Also included are postwar news clippings about Rubright, the hymn book he kept while in the army, and a letter addressed to him from a Confederate veteran thanking him for a donation made towards the establishment of a soldiers home for infirm veterans.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in …

Ms-060: Henry N. Bemis Diaries, Stephen H. Light

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The Henry N. Bemis collection consists primarily of two diaries kept by Bemis during the Civil War. The first diary runs from July 17th, 1862 to March 14th, 1864 while the second diary runs from March 17th 1864 to July 4th 1864. Both diaries contain frequent entries detailing the events of each day. Also included in the collection are two tintypes, a photograph, and Bemis’ discharge from service. The two tintypes are most likely images of Bemis and his wife, Georgia A. Bemis.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to …

In Defense Of Colonel Richard P. Roberts, Commanding Officer Of The Pennsylvania 140th Regiment, Gregory Jason Bell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Richard P. Roberts was the colonel of the Pennsylvania 140th regiment from its organization in September 1862 until his death at Gettysburg in July 1863. During this time period, Captain David Acheson of Company C fostered a “growing dislike” for the colonel that led him to portray the colonel negatively in his writings. Unfortunately for the colonel’s reputation, Acheson’s letters have been widely published, leading at least one historian to accept Acheson’s poor opinion of the colonel as fact. However, other primary sources exist which collectively demonstrate a positive regimental opinion of the colonel and further suggest that Acheson’s criticisms …

Ms-009: Ambrose Henry Hayward Papers, Melodie A. Foster

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The Ambrose Henry Hayward Collection consists primarily of correspondence from the period April 14, 1861 through August 17, 1864. The bulk of the letters were written by A.H. Hayward to his father, sister and brothers, but the collection includes 3 letters written by Melville Hayward of the 7th New York (6/22/1862, 7/10/1862, 7/23/1862), letters from Henry's commanding officers regarding his service and four letters regarding Henry's death.

Also included in the collection are several newspaper clippings about the 28th Pennsylvania, Hayward's 1862 promotion to Sergeant, and 19 envelopes addressed to Mr. Ambrose, Mr. Albert, Mr. John and Miss Hannah C. …