Collection Search

to Flag Officer

Discusses a "contraband negro" who brought news of confederate troop movements

GLC04188.05

to Mary Moore, and Richard Moore

He suggests she be sure to do her hair properly; "attention to the toilette is an essential part of a lady's duty." He was pleasantly surprised to learn of Robert's new position. He is delighted to have been asked to be a groomsman at a wedding...

GLC04191.16

to Mary Moore, and Richard Moore

He mourns the passing of the year. He describes Christmas festivities, including time off for enslaved people and their joy in the holiday and in gift giving. To Richard he chides him for going to singing parties with desperate women and the hazard...

GLC04191.18

to Mary Moore

He wishes Robert would come take his position in October. He plans on coming home after finishing this session. The slaves have been busy in preparation for an upcoming barbeque.

GLC04191.21

to Mary Moore

He describes the pleasant climate. Alabama ladies are more attractive than those from Indiana. He looks forward to Christmas. He comments on Uncle [Fletcher?]'s slave problems, mostly a lack of discipline. He worries about the local cotton market...

GLC04191.28

to Mary Moore Kelly

He describes working with 30,000 prisoners to process their paroles. He praises General Meade particularly for the defeat of Lee, stating "I consider Meade one of the best soldiers in the Army of the Potomac." Also observes that despite "That...

GLC04195.15

to John Moore

He expresses joy at reestablishing communication and sadness at the news of the deaths of their mother and their sister's children. He describes the local conditions with dissatisfied freed slaves, no money, and no men to farm. Local agents are...

GLC04195.58

The New York conspiracy... with an introduction by Thomas J. Davis [reprint]

Paperback reprint by Beacon Press of Horsmanden's "A Journal of the Proceedings in the Detection of the Conspiracy formed by some White People in conjunction with Negro and other Slaves, for burning the City of New-York...."

GLC04205.02

to Stockton Bates

Has spent the last three days on picket, near a widow with 21 contraband slaves who refuse to leave her. "They are a careless, happy set singing and dancing from sunrise to sunset; their enslaved condition affecting them but little." Men are...

GLC03523.23.30

to Stockton Bates

Was a prisoner of war a year ago here; has visited his old prison. Local attitudes towards the Union have changed due to Grant. "The conduct of the soldiers has been remarkable, when we consider the bitterness, the cruelty, the fiendishness with...

GLC03523.23.40

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from camp outside St. Louis. Describes in great detail his trip down the Mississippi River aboard a government steamer "City of Alton." Mentions being applauded by Union people as they went down the river. Comments...

GLC03523.31.07

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from Camp Tremont outside St. Louis. Mentions cooking for the soldiers when he has nothing else to do even though there are five cooks for each company. Says they just received their uniforms and bayonets. Explains in...

GLC03523.31.08

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from Jackson, Tennessee, "...one of the most delightful cities I ever saw." Says the aristocracy of the south resides there. Mentions many slaves escaped to their lines and rewards of two-hundred dollars were being...

GLC03523.31.15

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from Jackson, Tennessee. Thanks her for the flowers she enclosed in her letter. Comments, " the flowers which grow here are very beautiful, I think their breath is not poisoned with the sentiment of treason..."...

GLC03523.31.18

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from Carroll Station. Includes the words of a love song. Describes the "darkies" returning home from the cotton fields with baskets of cotton on their heads. Explains what a cotton gin does and says the cotton fields...

GLC03523.31.19

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from a camp in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee. Reports on the lovely weather. Expresses pleasure she is attending school. States Union General Ulysses S. Grant is amassing troops outside Vicksburg, Mississippi and...

GLC03523.31.20

to Mary (Wright) Kellogg

Blanchard writes to Mary Wright from camp on the Mississippi River. Mentions the levee was cut and submerged the whole country around it, sweeping away many homes and forcing people to flee to higher ground. Reports visits from Union Generals Lorenzo...

GLC03523.31.22

to Isora Sayles

Writes to his sister. Describes the beauty of Natchez, Mississippi. Notes that it is situated on a high bluff and that it is the main part of the town. Comments, "I thought that lake Providence louisanna [sic] was the gratest place for white...

GLC03523.32.18

to Isora Sayles

Informs his sister that there is no reason why he should not share his letters from her with the other boys. Comments that the information given is sure to leak out somehow anyway and that it is only fair that he shares his letters because the men...

GLC03523.32.20

to brother and sister

The author writes that he expects to leave Winchester on the following Friday to go to 70 or 80 miles South to Gordonsville. He reports that there are currently only nine companies of his regiment still in Winchester, as six of the companies left...

GLC03523.40.09

to sister [Lydia A. Bishoff]

Swisher traveled towards Winchester to follow the Rebel army. They wiped them out of Charlestown and came back to camp again. He is tired by hard marching in the rain. Swisher tells Bishoff he would come home if he could, but he can't. He then...

GLC03523.40.17

to [Lydia A. Bishoff]

Shafer reports that times are fine at present, for the men can go anywhere that they please inside of the pickets which are placed 2-3 miles from camp. But there are not as many apples and cakes and pies as they had previously at Camp Willey. Also...

GLC03523.40.18

to her brother

Written from Granby, with no state listed. She apologizes for not writing him more often knowing that he was looking forward to her letters. Writes that she is very troubled by the "dark" state of the country. She is very sorry that her brother must...

GLC03523.42.14

to their friend W.

Letter is signed by Herm and Cal [?]. Written at Lysander. They write that long ago they had written him a long letter and have since sent him papers but have received no reply from him. States that they have written him several times and have not...

GLC03523.42.38

to brother

Letter is signed by "Nat." Is sorry for not having written to him as letter writing isn't the writer's "business;" and the writer has had many "domestic duties" to attend to. Writes that despite this the writer and their family think, discuss, and...

GLC03523.42.64

Slave Pen, Alexandria, Virginia

Text leaf from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook. This text leafs describes "Slave Pen, Alexandria, Virginia" (plate 2). There is no photo to go with this text page.

GLC03588.16

to his family

Writes about his servant, formerly an enslaved man, selling his old horse, The Governor, for $100, of another officer having "the piles" which is apparently common among the men and that he is the one who is to seize the liquor sent to soldiers in...

GLC03603.108

to his brother

Writes about the ability to get day-old New York newspapers in Newport News and comments on the contents. Also mentions that he has in his company "two contrabands:" Napoleon and a 13-year-old who hid on the boat when they left Morehead. Pities the...

GLC03603.125

to his family

Declares that he wishes General Halleck had a stronger anti-slavery stance. Reacts to news of new recruits from Norwich and tells of the officers being switched around because of promotions and resignations.

GLC03603.127

to his mother and brother

Describes the smoothness of the New Jersey Railroad ride as a byproduct of the flat and uninteresting country. He is on his way to visit his brother, Charles, and suggests that his mother and sister follow suit. He describes attending a Union...

GLC03603.203

to R. West

Says he is still waiting for his ship to arrive. Describes the people he has met at the fort. References General John Wool -- "Old Wool" -- who works the troops in reviews and drills. Says "I never saw a more beautiful sight than a review of the 4th...

GLC03836.21

to R. West

Sent this letter by a prize they took that morning. The prize was being sent back to Hampton Roads. Several hours after reporting for duty on the USS "Alabama," he was sent to Charleston to relieve the USS "Susquehanna," which was having engine...

GLC03836.26

to R. West

References his mother's letter of 26 November. Says the Confederates are trying to avoid the blockade by stopping in Nassau and transferring their cargo to smaller ships to slip past the Union Navy. Says the Union controls the sea islands off South...

GLC03836.28

to R. West

References his mother and sister's letters of 19 and 20 December and another from 6 January. Mentions remembering his father riding on a pig's back down Seventh Street along the Schuylkill River. Says the fog has been bad lately, which helps ships...

GLC03836.30

to Weir

References his friend's letter of 3 April. References Farragut and Porter's running of the forts below New Orleans. Tells the story of a ship that snuck past him. Tells of other run-ins while on blockading duty. Relates a conversation he had with a...

GLC03836.35

to Mary West

Written by Lewis to his sister Mary. Continues the letter on 30 August and 5 September. Disparages where he is stationed, saying it is desolate and lacks civilized life. Says he has been made an executive officer again, due to personnel changes on...

GLC03836.37

to Weir

Mentions that Weir had gout. Weir had sent West a letter relaying a gloomy political scene in the North, and West responds saying "having passed the largest part of my life afloat, I am not much of a judge of the political feelings of people at home...

GLC03836.54

to unknown

Possibly an incomplete letter. Describes a fight that three gunboats had in Stono Inlet. Says the boats saw "a large party of contrabands whom a troop of cavalry were endeavoring to drive off. As the gunboats approached the slaves waded out as deep...

GLC03836.64

to Harriet Moore

References her letter of 11 May 1864. Says he has heard of the hard fighting by Grant in Virginia. Laments his status as an "Acting Master," saying the government uses the rank to fill a variety of roles at lesser pay. Says they are very isolated and...

GLC03836.67

to R. West

Has been busy surveying St. Catherine's bar, which has been little explored. Describes what he discovered while surveying. Says he discovered a channel into the harbor, so he can quickly secure his ship now. Praises Farragut's actions at Mobile...

GLC03836.72

to Harriet Moore

References her previous letter. Says he has been busy surveying St. Catherine's bar. Says he has found a channel. Praises Farragut's recent victories around Mobile. In reference to the 1864 presidential election says "I should certainly go for 'Old...

GLC03836.73

to Harriet Moore [incomplete]

References receiving her letter of 22 September. Talks about the latest accounts of the elections. Says he is sorry to hear Pennsylvania has probably gone copperhead and that "If she goes for McClellan all I have to say is that I hope the rebels may...

GLC03836.76

to R. West

Says he received coffee, but no letter from her. Says the admiral is not accommodating to the mails, as they sit for weeks at Port Royal. Tells the story of three refugees who said they were from the North. Gave an account of Macon, where they came...

GLC03836.77

to Mary West

References her letter of 17 October. Says he is taking an interest in the election and says "In fact it is the only election that I ever did take any interest in ... since I have turned my attention to politics I am amazed that I was ever anything...

GLC03836.78

to Harriet Moore

References receiving her letter of 5 January. Says his Christmas was subdued, but that he did manage to get a turkey for dinner. Says "By the way, was not Sherman's dispatch to the president presenting Savannah as a Christmas gift, a neat thing?"...

GLC03836.85

to Harriet Moore

References her letter of 28 January. Reports that he heard of the news of the fall of Charleston. Says that all the ports into the Confederacy are now closed and that Mexico is the only way to bring goods into the South now. Reports that "The rebel...

GLC03836.86

to Maggie Parrot

His General, P. Sidney Post, led them in Battalion Drill today. A Lieutenant Colonel from his regiment was taken prisoner while doing reconnaissance. "Secesh Cavalry are seen every day and occasional[l]y some are brought into camp." He mistook a...

GLC03858.02.06

to citizens of Grattan Michigan

Slayton thanks the committee for their recognition, but accepts the sword on the behalf of all the men who have enlisted. Slayton recognizes that enslaved people are being used to aide the Confederates and that the continued allowance of slavery is...

GLC03955.15

to H. P. McIntosh

Former President Fillmore transmits a speech (refer to GLC04884.02) to McIntosh of Cleveland, Ohio. Writes that the address was delivered in Buffalo, New York 22 February 1864 to the Ladies Christian Commission (Great Central) Fair. States "Though...

GLC04884.01

to William Cabell Rives

Colonel Peyton discusses Virginia's recent secession from the Union, stating "I think Virginia would have acted more wisely ... if, with her prestige as the great head of the slave states, she had planted her foot upon the opening lid of this Pandora...

GLC05021.01