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

All Finding Aids

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 …

Obetz, Jeremiah H., 1843-1923 (Sc 3444), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of transcriptions (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3444. Letters of Jeremiah H. Obetz, Manheim, Pennsylvania, to his former employer Henry C. Gingrich, written during his service with the 9th Pennsylvania (Lochiel) Cavalry at Camp Dunham near Bowling Green, Kentucky, and at Camp Andy Johnson near Jeffersonville, Indiana. Obetz describes the pursuit of Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan, the death of a comrade, camp life, and his confidence that England could not interfere successfully against the Union. He also reports on the strength of fortifications at recently recaptured Bowling Green. Suffering from …

Gibble, Harrison H., 1822-1898 (Sc 3443), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Letter, 5 January 1862, of Harrison Gibble, 79th Pennsylvania Infantry, to his friend Henry Gingrich in Manheim, Pennsylvania. From Camp Wood, Munfordville, Kentucky, Gibble writes of the cold weather, the repair of a bridge across the Green River that had been destroyed by Confederates, the construction of floating bridges, and his company’s anticipated move to Cave City, Kentucky. He also relays reports of Confederate withdrawal toward Nashville and of 5,000 sick in hospital at Bowling Green. He mentions the names of other Manheim soldiers in his regiment, asks Gingrich to draw funds for his wife out of his next pay, …

Weir Family Collection (Mss 651), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 651. Letters and papers of the Weir family of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and related members of the Rumsey and Miller families. Well-to-do merchants and farmers, the Weirs were leading supporters of the Union during the Civil War, providing advocacy, financial support, and military service. Includes full-text scans of a letter from the brother of steamboat pioneer James Rumsey defending his legacy as an innovator; James Weir's journal; James Weir's will; the annotated recollections of Edward Weir, Sr.; and two letters from former Weir slaves recolonized in Liberia (Click on "Additional files" below).

Gettysburg Historical Journal 2016

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

No abstract provided.

Tolle Collection (Mss 524), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 524. Correspondence and papers of the Tolle family of Barren County, Kentucky. Includes data on the Tolle, Snoddy and Bransford families, William Daniel Tolle’s history of Barren County, and materials relating to his work as a veteran’s pension claims agent.

Vanbuskirk, Michael Henry, 1840-1905 (Sc 1383), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Small Collection 1383. Diary, 1862-1864, kept by Michael H. VanBuskirk, while serving with Co. F, 27th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteers. He was taken prisoner in Virginia on 25 May 1862, and released on 13 September 1862. He gives a good description of military life. Also includes an 1862 letter written in rhyme to his parents (Click on "Additional Files" below for scan).

Diamond, George Oliver, 1925-1998 (Sc 1097), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1097. George Oliver Diamond writes a brief autobiography for his children and grandchildren, focusing on his experiences as a member of the 559th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion in Europe during World War II. He received a portion of his military training in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returning to the city after the war to work and raise his family. He saw combat duty during the final months of the war.

Wood, Jonathan, 1795-1873 (Sc 824), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid, scan and typescript (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 824. Letter, 8 January 1865, from Jonathan Wood, Smithfield, Pennsylvania, to his son, Union soldier Pliny Wood. He writes with sympathy for the soldiers’ hardships, instructs him on saving postage, criticizes the privileges of congressmen, expresses contempt for the treason of Jefferson Davis and the Confederates, and remarks on the suffering of prisoners of war at Andersonville, Georgia; nevertheless, he hopes for reconciliation with ordinary Southerners after their defeat and repentance.

Davis, Samuel Thomas, 1838-1908 (Sc 626), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid, scan and typescript (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 626. Photocopy of Civil War journal of Samuel Thomas Davis of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was in the 77th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The journal relates his experiences in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama with the dates of his stay in Kentucky being 21 October 1861-28 February 1862 and 13 September 1862-23 October 1862 and described on pages 1-5 and 16-21.

Ginther Collection (Sc 464), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 464. Photocopies of typescripted letters written by brothers William A. and Joseph Ginther to their father, George Ginther, brother David, and sister of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while serving in the Union Army with the Department of the Potomac.

Taylor, R. W. (Sc 237), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescript (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 237. Letter written by R. W. Taylor, a medical student in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Caleb Bryant, a friend back home in Kentucky. Taylor reveals his political views concerning the Civil War and the enlistment of African American soldiers. Also includes undated note from donor.

"We Are No Grumblers": Negotiating State And Federal Military Service In The Pennsylvania Reserve Division, Timothy J. Orr

History Faculty Publications

The article discusses the status of state and federal military officers from Pennsylvania during the U.S. Civil War. It examines the alleged confusion as to the expiration of contracts for soldiers and sailors in the Pennsylvania Reserve Division who had enlisted in 1861. According to the article, the problems arose from organizational difficulties as the mobilization of the Union army fluctuated following the 1861 call to volunteer service from state governors. The article states that following that call, soldiers were transferred from state service into federal service. According to the article, the organizational dilemma caused discord among the Pennsylvania Reserve …

Spencer Wallace Cone Family Papers, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of materials related to the Spencer Wallace Cone family spanning 1810-1976 with the majority of materials dated between 1810 and 1892.. Materials include nineteenth and early twentieth century correspondence between members of the Cone family, including Spencer Houghton Cone and Spencer Wallace Cone. Also included are military documents related to the 61st New York Infantry regiment, legal documents, biographical information, sermons and notes by Spencer Houghton Cone, records of the Oliver Street Church (1825-1840), a household account book, photographs, and records relating to the settlement of Spencer Houghton Cone II’s estate. Spencer Wallace Cone’s literary works, including …

1943-12-21, Memorial Service Pamphlet, Meek Funeral Home

Ann Volk Second World War correspondence

No abstract provided.

Percival Drayton Letter To Ely Mccauley, July 28, 1865, Washington, D.C., Percival Drayton

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

Drayton writes he is glad to hear that McCauley's health is improving and invites him to Washington, D.C. if he has time to visit. At the time of writing, McCauley was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and Drayton was head of the Bureau of Navigation and Office of Detail within the Navy; this letter is written on the bureau's stationary.