13 May 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Writes that he is showing his new servant, "Napoleon," how to make baked beans with molasses. Discusses the difficulties he is having with his new position, particularly the Battalion drills. Written from "Camp on the Neuse."

GLC03603.105

20 May 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: 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 his company. Regarding the servant, Coit uses graphic racist language to describe Black people performing spiritual songs and dance. Shares the process of how the songs are created as he understands it.

GLC03603.108

18 July 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: 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 13-year-old because of his lack of food source and shelter. Writes that more of the men from Norwich should take up arms and enlist in the army. Writes of the poor character of privates who have been under the watch of officers too long, and behave like "machines." Discusses their foolish behavior with money and with their rations, and describes…

GLC03603.125

25 July 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: 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

19 June 1864

Morey, Charles C., fl. 1830-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to parents

Writes from camp outside of the city of Petersburg. References General Ulysses S. Grant's suggestion to consolidate regiment into six companies. Describes, in detail, the troops' five-day march from Cold Harbor to present location. Expects hard fighting at Petersburg. Comments on fighting of African American soldiers: "The negro troops were engaged yesterday and did splendid service they are just as good soldiers as we have in the field they are well disciplined and make a good appearance and command the respect of the white soldiers…"

GLC03523.18.14

8 November 1862

Ayres, E.W. and Wade, W.H., fl. 1862-1864

Newspaper

Title: Southern illustrated news. [Vol. 1, no. 9 (November 8, 1862)]

Sketch of the City of Vicksburg, Mississippi - History & Siege of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 25. Also includes a cartoon of Lincoln as a masked Satan; the caption reads, "King Abraham before and after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation."

GLC05959.76.03

30 April 1864

Ayres, E.W. and Wade, W.H., fl. 1862-1864

Newspaper

Title: Southern illustrated news. [Vol. 3, no. 17 (April 30, 1864)]

General Forrest's Attack on Fort Pillow.

GLC05959.76.63

1876

Forbes, Edwin, 1839-1895

Print

Title: The rear of the column

Marked "Plate 18." Depicts stragglers and wagon guards bringing up the rear while the wagon train is seen coming down the distant hill, with flankers thrown out to protect it from the enemy's horseman. Depicts a black man, possibly a freed slave, among the lead figures. Actual size of the image without the margins is 28.3 x 40.7 cm. Outline from matting is faintly visible. Title and image information taken from the table of contents from GLC02199. Paper is brittle and edges are damaged.

GLC08653.10

1876

Forbes, Edwin, 1839-1895

Print

Title: The "Reliable Contraband"

Marked "Plate 23." A scene at the cavalry outpost. In the foreground a black runaway slave, a contraband of war, is leading an old horse and is seen hesitatingly imparting to anxious officers what little information he posses of the enemy's movements. Cavalrymen and their horses are grouped about the house in the middle ground, and in the distance a look-out is sitting on his horse watching the road through the woods, in anticipation of the approach of the enemy. Actual size of the image without the margins is 27.4 x 40.5 cm. Outline from matting is faintly visible. Title and image…

GLC08653.13

1876

Forbes, Edwin, 1839-1895

Print

Title: Gone off with the Yanks

Marked "Plate 32." Contains 4 images. Upper left image is titled "Gone off with the Yanks," and shows what appears to be an abandoned slave shack. Upper right image is titled "A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey," and shows soldiers appearing to plunder a Confederate farm. One soldier is taking a bee hive, while another was knocked down by a cow he was trying to lead away. The lower left image is titled "A Scouting Party," and shows a group of cavalrymen about to cross a wooden bridge. Lower right image is titled "An Old Campaigner," and shows a black cook with a mess mule. Actual size of the…

GLC08653.17

13 May 1861

Davis, William B., fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Writes, "The whites have allmost all left and the nigers have full swing at every thing they never dreamt of living in such stile before. The inhabitants left every thing but themselves when Burnside came and beat a hasty retreat."

GLC02160.01

22 December 1863

Keyes, John H., fl. 1863-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Ogden

Discusses black men in the army, asserting that they make very good soldiers, since they are more willing to learn the military drills and master them at a quicker rate than the white soldiers. Envelope includes a three cent stamp.

GLC06559.058

19 March 1864

Chase, James F., fl. 1834-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Ogden

Writes from "U.S.A. Hospital Harvey." Describes his recent journey from Philadelphia to Chicago, the state of his wound, and the weather in Chicago. Writes he rode "in one of the meanest Cars in the world there was Niggers and soldiers and all Kinds of the (this was this side of Pittsburg) Poorest description..." He concludes by thanking Ogden for her photograph and her kindness. Envelope includes a three cent stamp.

GLC06559.006

11 August 1861

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Miller writes to his wife: "Capt. McPherson has treated his men worse than a niger would have done we have seen him but once since we left camp Wayne... there is a [power] of soldiers going through here to Washington the last few days... i think there will be some awful fighting in a few days again from all appearances..." Complains of the lack of food.

GLC02155.003

4 January 1863

Bartlett, George O., fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ira Andrews

He explains his negative reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation saying that he did not "want to se enney more fighting dun for the nigger." Commenting on his views on the motives of Northerners he writes that the notion that the war is for Union is "false as hell" and that the real cause is "the Bull nigger." He accuses the "Northern fenaticks" of not caring about the cause of Union or the country but rather being concerned, "if they can but carrey the day and a Shee Nigger thoun in."

GLC02158.05

November 5, 1862

Dane, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Carrie

Letter written to a friend (or family member) away at school. Comments on news of friends, family, and recent events in Chester. Writes, "Since you left here our village population has been honorably in[creased] by a colony of Negroes- bucks, wenches... how would you like to live in a house with a negro family? Benj Bright has got home again and brought a negro with him dont you think we will have enough negroes soon?"

GLC00919.25.24

20 March 1972

Graham, Billy, 1918-2018

Typed letter signed

Title: to Earl G. Hunt

Graham discusses the pressure of preparing new sermons every night for television audiences. He also discusses racial issues including school, housing, and bussing. He thanks Bishop Hunt for his "leadership in and support of the forthcoming Crusade."

GLC05508.113.02

10 October 1854

Broadside

Title: Tennessee Slave Sale

Estate sale including "Elisha a negro woman...& her child Lucinda...Terms Cash..."Manuscript attached below printed "Clerk's Sale" banner.

GLC08293

01 July 1857

Burritt, Elihu, 1810-1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to TJ Seward

Seeking support for petition favoring "compensated emancipation" and a call for a national convention: "If you would send also one influential name from each of the other two political parties, you would do a valuable service to the movement..."

GLC08294

January 4, 1891

Brown, John Jr., 1821-1895

Autograph letter signed

Title: to F.B. Sanborn

W.P. Garrison has defamed Brown family in "The Prelude of Harper's Ferry 11: John Brown, Guerrilla" by contradicting their claims: "Father early cherished a purpose to make war upon slavery by Force and arms...war as understood by us meant war."

GLC08295

19 July 1853

Thompson Brown, Ruth, fl. 1853

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary A. Brown

Re: activities at family home in NY, missing her parents, and the possilility of John Brown joining the Congregational church: "father is just such a man as we want in our church."

GLC08296

circa 1861

Broadside

Title: Epitaph on the United States Of America.

Confederate Broadside published by Evans & Cogswell commenting on the Union, Freedom , Equality, etc., and listing nearly every argument for Secession. "Here lie the mutilated and disjointed remains of the noblest form of Government." A main target is "a 'government of black men' being the chief ill of the social ties between two races' never designed by Providence to live together."

GLC08297

01 May 1863 - 30 June 1863

Jewett, William Henry, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: Observations composed in journal form by soilder, 47th Ohio volunteer Infantry.

"Notes from my Napsack," observations composed in journal form by soilder, 47th Ohio volunteer Infantry, Co. B. Reports on Vicksburg Campaign, prisoners for Camp Douglas, skirmishing along heights of Walnut Hills. Observes that "About two hundred of the "piculiar institution" dragged their somber forms up the levee to the landing this afternoon on their way to Millikins Bend, the contraband rendeavous..." [escaped slaves]"

GLC08306

04 May 1863

Hunter, David, 1802-1886

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Governor Andrew Curtain

Requests that several regiments of "colored troops" being raised in PA be sent to the Dept. of the South: "These regiments are very generous, temperate, patient, strictly obedient, possessing great natural aptitude for arms and deeply imbued with that religious sentiment - call it fanaticisim such as like, which made the soldiers of Cromvell invincible. They believe that now is the time appointed by God for their deliverance and under the heroic incitement of this faith I believe them capable of showing a courage and persistency of purpose which must in the end extort both victory &…

GLC08307

1864 - 1865

Wells, Edmund C., fl. 1864-1865

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Edmund C. Wells, 3rd regiment, Pennsylvania, heavy artillery] [Decimalized .01- .55]

Union soldier, PA Heavy Artillery, Archive of 48 letters, Jan, 1864 - June, 1865. Reports on prisoner taking, the battle of Cedar Creek, the action of "Moseby's men," fighting alongside "Zoaves", black troops,etc.

GLC08311