History Commons^™

Ms-287: Whitney Family Civil War Letters, Danielle S. Russell

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The Whitney Family Civil War Letters collection contains 46 letters from the Civil War Era, 2 Freemason dues notices for Mariner T. Whitney, and four empty letter covers. 37 of the letters, written by Hiram R. Whitney, pertain to his military service and daily life with the 132nd New York Infantry Regiment. Two other letters, written by Henry J. Manning and John Marsh Young relate to their military service with the 11th New York Volunteer Cavalry and the 124th New York Infantry, respectively. John Marsh Young was the nephew of Ruhamah Irwin Whitney, the wife of Mariner T. Whitney. The …

Ms-289: John D. Rentz Civil War Diary, Danielle S. Russell

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John D. Rentz’s Civil War diary chronicles the time he spent with the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry between December 26, 1863, and September 6, 1864. The diary details a wide array of information pertaining to his life with the regiment and the progress of the Civil War.

Rentz’s pension letter is very simple, merely asking for B. Penrose’s assistance with securing a renewal of his pension. The “Rebel letter” written by Margaret Jones to Joseph King is also simple, providing a few details about the rainy weather, the progress of the crops, and expressing Jones’s desire to see her brother.

The …

Ms-227: Theodore Schlack, Class Of 1950 Civil War Artifact Collection, Laurel J. Wilson

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This collection is made up of artifacts relating to the American Civil War. It includes both items from the Civil War era and postwar items. The wartime artifacts were collected by Rev. Dr. Schlack in order to reflect the items a Union soldier would have interacted with in their daily life. The collection of wartime artifacts includes items such as a Springfield rifled musket, a knapsack, and a dice cup with dice. The collection of postwar artifacts relates more broadly to war memory and commemoration, and includes items such as paper souvenir fans from the 75th anniversary of the Battle …

Ms-225: Joshua Blake Civil War Naval Journal, Laurel J. Wilson

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In this journal, Blake details his experiences aboard the USS Preble, which was one of the ships that were deployed to the Gulf Coast as part of the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron. His time on the USS Preble is detailed in the first 41 pages of the journal. On page 46, Blake switches to detailing his time aboard the USS Augusta from 1866-67, and also details his 1869 passage to Genoa aboard a ship called the Magdalene. On page 132, Blake switches back to 1862, detailing his two months aboard the USS Connecticut. A possible explanation for …

Ms-199: Mary Metcalf Barrett Letters, Lauren H. Roedner

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This collection is comprised of seventeen Civil War era letters from Mary Metcalf Barrett to her sister, Elvira Metcalf Aplin between 1859 and 1872. She discusses her feelings about the Civil War, her worry over her son and nephews away fighting, her experiences of life on the home front in Manchester, New Hampshire during the war when foodstuffs are expensive and sometimes hard to find. She repeatedly mentions the mills and industries in town limiting hours or closing altogether, affecting all the employees and making the town destitute. She talks about her income from making and mending clothing but also …

Ms-161: Ellen Wild Letters, Savannah G. Rose

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The Ellen Wild Letters Collection contains 21 letters, primarily featuring letters written in 1862 to 1865. The majority of the letters come from 1862, but several also come from her time following the Civil War. The letters recount Mrs. Wild’s time during the Civil War, waiting for news from her husband as well as surviving on the home front. She recounts Edward Wild’s adventures during the war, his life in camp, and his numerous woundings and ailments. Mrs. Wild discusses her husband’s involvement in North Carolina as well as with the free African Americans. She briefly mentions the Battle of …

Ms-181: Papers Of Aaron Andrews (Andreas), 16th Pa Cav., Co. E, Steven J. Semmel

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The collection contains 31 letters from Aaron Andrews (Andreas) to his wife over a 3 year span during the war (1862 to 1865). Andrews was a Pennsylvania merchant from Luzerne County who enlisted in the army in August 1862. He followed his unit through the Eastern Theater, and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant before mustering out in August, 1865. The collection also contains biographical information done by a family member, census records, and marriage records. Each letter is accompanied by a typewriter transcription by the same family member.

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

Ms-176: Hoadley George Hosford, 44th New York Papers, Steven J. Semmel

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This collection consists of diary entries spanning three years of Hoadley G. Hosford’s enlistment in the 44th New York and a brief time in the 146th New York and the 1st Division Sharpshooters during the Civil War. The entries give details about what camp life was like, the experience of battle, and the distance a Union soldier would march in the Eastern Theater during the war.

Ms-167: Hiram Parker Jr. Letters, Rachel B. Hammer

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There are 52 letters total in the collection spanning from 1862-1874. The bulk of the letters are written by Hiram most of which are to his father, mother Mary Sparks. However, there are a couple to another member of the Sparks family and a few other friends. Six are letters written to Hiram from his friends and the collection also includes 12 handwritten and printed reports on the construction of the gunboat Tacony. Hiram’s letters are very detailed (some of his letters are over a dozen pages), and he wrote to people very often even adding on to some letters …

Ms-150: Battle Of Gettysburg 150th Commemoration Collection, Chelsea M. Bucklin, Bryan G. Caswell, Amy E. Lucadamo

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This collection contains physical items and documents as well as digital resources. It seeks to preserve the course and experience of the commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and other related historical events. The documents and publications contained within the collection not only record the many commemorative events that were held over a two-year period but also how those events progressed. Detailed coverage in the form of DVDs has been collected of many events, while the outline of many more has been captured through the compilation of their programs and other event information. Much of the …

Ms-162: Col. William Brisbane Papers, Bryan G. Caswell

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The Col. William Brisbane Papers consist of 133 documents covering a span of thirty-three years, from 1858 to 1891, with the bulk of these springing from Brisbane’s service in the American Civil War from 1861 to 1863. The early documents of the collection illustrate Brisbane’s personal service, containing such items as his own commission and discharge papers for the Pennsylvania Volunteers as well as an invitation to dinner at the house of his brigade commander, Winfield Scott Hancock.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include …

Ms-129: Burlew Letters, Rachel B. Hammer

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This collection consists of letter written between Aaron E. Burlew, John W. Burlew, and Carrie Burlew, all siblings from Atkinsons Mills, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War.

Ms-125: Samuel E. And Clara Turner Papers, 1861-1865, Devin Mckinney

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This collection consists of 10 dated letters and one undated letter fragment, all written by either Samuel Epes Turner or Clarinda (“Clara”) Turner of Baltimore, Maryland, to their cousins Mary Holyoke (Ward) Nichols and Mehitable Ward of Salem, Massachusetts, between April 29, 1861, and January 13, 1865.

The letters include the Turners’ firsthand impressions of Baltimore’s historic anti-Union riot of April 19, 1861; reflections on other events of the Civil War, local, regional, and national; statements of their own pro-Union and abolitionist views; responses to the secessionist sentiment prevalent within the city; and discussions of family matters, finances, church business, …

Ms-100: Reuel Williams Waters, 1st Battalion, Maine Light Artillery, 6th Maine Battery, Chelsea M. Bucklin

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This collection consists of three letters and a twenty-two page diary penned by Reuel Williams Waters. The letters are written by Waters to his sisters. Additionally, a photograph of Reuel Waters, several newspaper clippings concerning members of Waters’ family and reunions of the 6th Maine Battery, letters penned by Waters’ mother and sister-in-law after the war, and notes concerning Waters and Bentley (Waters’ wife Emily Bentley) family genealogy are included in this collection.

Ms-122: Civil War Institute Collection, Thomas P. Lester

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This collection contains two different types of materials. Series I contains materials relating to the Civil War in general, and are organized by subject. Series II and III contain materials or records pertaining directly to the Civil War Conferences and the Civil War Institute from 1957 – 1963.

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 addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.

Ms-116: 1864 Diary Of Corporal Robert Ridge, Thomas P. Lester

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The diary contains information on the activities of Robert Ridge during 1864, and the first two months of 1865. It contains daily entries, list of proverbs, important events and dates, mail sent, mail received, members of Company B 95th Illinois Volunteers, money sent home, clothing acquired, addresses, rations, and Army Corps commanders.

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 addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/ …

Ms-096: John W. Miner Letters, Matthew R. Gross

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This collections includes the letters of John W. Miner to his wife Anna throughout his service in the Civil War with the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry at Petersburg, Virginia and his service in the 4th US Cavalry at Fort Griffin, Texas. Miner’s letters are most valuable when used as a tool to study the perceptions of the Civil War soldier regarding battles and national events.

Ms-107: Michael Jacobs Collection, Katherine Downton

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The collection consists primarily of letters about the publishing, distribution, and sale of Michael Jacobs’ book Notes on the Rebel Invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania and the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863 (J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1864) from sales agents, his publisher, family members, and other individuals interested in the book. The letters date from September 22, 1863 – March 4, 1864. They were later transcribed with a typewriter and the transcriptions are included. Other items in the collection include lecture notes and other notes about the battle (partially transcribed), a photograph of Michael Jacobs, biographical information, …

Ms-105: John L. Barry Civil War Letters, Kate Boeree

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This collection contains 47 letters, 37 of which are written by John L. Barry during his time in the Civil War between 20 June 1861 and 7 June 1862. The letters are written to his family in Dunkirk, New York, addressing his mother, father, sister Ellen, and brother Robert.

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 addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.

Ms-093: John Henry Wilbrand Stuckenberg Papers, Tara R. Wink

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The John Henry Wilbrand Stuckenberg collection consists of materials relating to the life and works of J.H.W. and Mary Gingrich Stuckenberg. This material includes correspondence, publications, articles, newspaper clippings, and personal papers—such as diaries, biographical material, and photographs of both J.H.W. and Mary Gingrich Stuckenberg.

Ms-078: John B. Young, Company H, Pennsylvania 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment, Amy Sanderson

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This collection contains the diary of John B. Young from October 30, 1864 to May 20, 1865, mainly commenting on the day to day happenings in his regiment during the winter picket post and guard duty. Entries include daily comments on the weather and the pace of work. Some entries include mention of men captured by rebels, rebel deserters/prisoners, and the progress and frustrations of building the stockades with some comments regarding the African Americans who worked with the timber train.

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

Ms-079: Captain Benjamin F. Lee Collection Regarding 28th Pennsylvania Infantry And John W. Geary, Amy Sanderson

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The Benjamin F. Lee Collection consists of three series which contain documents relating to requisitions by the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry and correspondence of Lee and John W. Geary between themselves and various other individuals.

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 addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.

Ms-074: Thomas B. Mcgaffick, Co. F, 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Christopher M. Gwinn

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The letters of Thomas B. McGaffick, a corporal in Company F of the 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry range in date from January 19th, 1861 to February 11, 1863. The collection contains twenty two pieces of correspondence, including two fragments of letters along with a number of official documents relating to McGaffick’s discharge from the army. The letters are all addressed to members of Thomas’s family, including his sisters Belle and Mary, his brother Benjamin and his parents. The letters address a variety of subjects ranging from the rigors of army life to McGaffick’s constant battle with his own health. Thomas …

Ms-075: Henry W. Siebert, Company E, 16th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, Christopher M. Gwinn

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The Henry W. Siebert journals, of which there are two, cover the years 1863 and 1865 respectively. The journals themselves are leather bound notebooks closed with straps, the whole measuring 3 inches by 6 inches. The 1863 volume numbers 90 pages, with entries for every day. The 1865 diary numbers 150 pages and has entries for January 1, 1865 through May 24, 1865. The entries are generally short in nature, not exceeding a paragraph in length. The text is normally limited to a discussion of the morning weather, general activity of the day and the geographic location reached by nightfall. …

Ms-076: George C. Wynkoop, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. Of Pennsylvania, Christopher M. Gwinn

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This collection consists of records from George Wynkoop’s service as a Brigadier General in the three month Pennsylvania Volunteers. Over three hundred pieces of correspondence, orders, forms, and daily reports make up the collection. The correspondence and reports come from a variety of locals at which the Department of Pennsylvania set up camp. Locations include Camp Scott and Camp Chambers, Pennsylvania, Hagerstown, Maryland and Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (Today West Virginia).

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-072: Adin B. Thayer, Co. B, 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry, Christopher M. Gwinn

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This collection contains twenty-one Civil War era letters, ranging from 1862-1865, written by Adin Thayer of the 16th Maine. Most of his letters are written to family members prior to his capture and imprisonment in the Confederate prison camp in Salisbury, North Carolina. The final letter in the collection is dated April 26th, 1865 and is addressed to Thayer’s father from Sgt. William Fennelly, of the 16th Maine informing him of his son’s death.

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 …

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

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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-070: Papers Of Philip M. Biklé And Family, Nicole M. Lenart

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The papers of Philip Biklé consist of mostly personal correspondence between Biklé and Emma, and the correspondence of Emma and their children. Also included are class notes from Biklé’s years as a student, and account books from the Lutheran Quarterly and Pennsylvania College Monthly. This collection does not include any information on Biklé’s publications, the classes he taught, or his work as a professor and dean.

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 addition to inventories of …

Ms-063: Melancthon E. Washburn Family Collection, Stephen H. Light

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The Melancthon E. Washburn Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Washburn and his family members during the Civil War period. While the letters date anywhere from 1857 to 1883, most of them fall into the 1861 to 1865 time frame. The collection also consists of a wide range of miscellaneous items, including newspaper clippings collected into scrapbooks, the diary of Melancthon’s son William Washburn, wedding invitations, Confederate bonds and currency, and a public broadside advertising a slave auction.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include …

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 …