14 March 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Is well and enjoying good health. Hopes this letter finds him in a similar condition. Has not received a letter from home in four weeks. "What the reason is I do not know." Expects to receive one the next time the mail arrives. Has not been paid since January 1, and could use 50 cents worth of postage stamps. Stamps are "darn scarce." If he were closer to New Orleans, he could get stamps. Wants to know if Eliza received his letter. Does not know how long he will be staying here. There is fighting nearby at Port Hudson. Wishes his regiment were part of the action: "I for one should like to…

GLC08914.017

29 March 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Stationery is stamped with a colored series of stars with a shield bearing the stars and stripes in the middle. Glad to hear he is enjoying good health. Is also well. "Had a battle" on the Yazoo River; "captured 26 rebel vessels" and burnt six more. Does not think he can "get away," but is not worried; does not think the war will last long. "We will be back before next winter." This is the first letter he has received from home in "about three months." Apologizes for not writing more. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.018

17 April 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother and sister

Glad to have received their letter. Is healthy; hopes this letter finds them in a similar condition. Has orders to head up the Mississippi River with 140 rounds worth of cartridges each. Thinks he is heading to battle. Is taking blankets and his knapsack with him. Cooks have received orders to cool extra rations for them to bring on the march. Is not afraid of death, and "if I get shot then I die in a good cause, but I don't think that gun even was made to shoot me." One of the guards shot a Rebel earlier in the week. He approached the camp, was ordered to stop, did not, and was shot. The…

GLC08914.020

19 May 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to sister

Received her letter today. Just returned from an expedition started on May 12th up the Mississippi River. Went 32 miles by foot and by boat through Lake Pontchartrain. After a few days' march, formed a line of battle. Marched about half a mile in battle formation, and then engaged the rebels. "They fired one volley and then they skedaddled like hell." Took about 100 prisoners. Also encountered some Indians. Took 19 prisoners personally back to New Orleans and had the "privilege" of killing them. Now has marching orders back to the Mississippi River. Will send $20 home once he gets paid. Hopes…

GLC08914.025

May 19, 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Describes how the Confederates look: "like Hell. They don't wear no uniform they wear Citizen [civilian] clothes and rags." Many look "half starved." Has written a lot today. Has heard talk that the regiment is going up to Port Hudson along with their entire brigade. "We will have some fun" there. "Would rather fight than eat." Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.026

10 June 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sister

Marched to Port Hudson on May 20th. Boarded the steamer Bard and sailed until sundown, when they arrived at Baton Rouge. Sailed 10 more miles the next day, and landed on shore. Got 100 rounds worth of cartridges, and then marched the rest of the way to Port Hudson. Rained "like the devil" that night; were "wet as cats." Marched the next afternoon until they were within two miles of their current position. Made their way to their current position the next day. The next day "our regiment made a charge on the Rebels in the wood and drove them all out and burned five houses." Has fallen back…

GLC08914.027

10 June 1863

Rifenburgh, Peter E., 1843-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nelson Rifenburgh

"We have had a pop at the rebels." Colonel was killed and eighty-five of his comrades were wounded. Did not take part in the fight, was left at the hospital to care for the sick. Eph[raim] Lasher and Patsey were wounded. Has "quite a lot of the wounded to see to." "Very hot" weather. Some of the men who were only signed up for nine months are leaving. Apologizes for the short letter. Written at Camp Parapet.

GLC08914.028

5 August 1863

Autograph document

Title: [partial receipt for William H. Ryphenburgh]

Fragment, partial receipt for William H. Ryphenburgh [sic].

GLC08914.037

31 August 1865

Perry, Alexander James, 1828-1913

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ethan A. Jenks

Colonel Perry acknowledges receipt of 1863-1865 clothing, camp and garrison equipage returns from Captain Jenks.

GLC02750.036

1865

Sketch

Title: to unknown

Sketch of a battle plan, including position of regiments, guns, and wagons. Indicates distance in miles.

GLC02750.029

February 12, 1865

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sanondess Jenks

Describing a battle to his wife, Sanondess, Captain Jenks states that "the rebels have directly in our front an eight inch Columbiad gun … they fired every fifteen minutes from this gun all day …" Written at Fort Sedgwick

GLC02750.030

8 May 1865

Autograph letter

Title: to Friend Bemis

Relates events that took place during April 1865 in Fort Hell, Virginia (also known as Fort Sedgwick). Refers to the Seventh Regiment (possibly of the Rhode Island Volunteers). States that his Company was traveling to Farmville, Virginia when they "received official information of the surrender of General Lee."

GLC02750.034

31 May 1865

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel B. Ward

Captain Jenks writes to Ward, Assistant Surgeon at a general hospital, regarding the Descriptive List of Private P. Thornton.

GLC02750.035

16 July 1863

Smith, James, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Abraham Lincoln

Smith, Governor of Rhode Island, informs President Lincoln that "the first notice which Captain Ethan A. Jenks received of the commission on the charge made against him was the order dismissing him from Service, while on duty at the Siege of Vicksburg, and also that the charge is untrue."

GLC02750.054

18 December 1862

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sanondess Jenks

Writing to his wife, Jenks describes a previously battle, stating "O my God I never want to witness another day like that yet I come out unharmed … for from seven to eight hours our regiment was exposed to a perfect storm of iron hale."

GLC02750.006

February 1, 1864

Briggs, James A., fl. 1863-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ethan A. Jenks

Private Briggs requests his back pay from Captain Jenks and offers Jenks half of the pay.

GLC02750.014

15 June 1865

Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869

Printed letter signed

Title: to Ethan A. Jenks

Stanton, Secretary of War, reports that President Abraham Lincoln appoints Jenks "for gallant and meritorious conduct before Petersburg, Virginia, a Major of Volunteers, by brevet."

GLC02750.202

10 September 1862

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Military journal documenting travel and battles between 10 September 1862 and 24 June 1863]

GLC02750.192

8 May 1864

Dewey, Orville S., fl. 1861-1902

Autograph letter signed

Title: to father

They shipped from Gloucester Point and are now in Bermuda Hundreds. There were heavy skirmishes but they are all in good sprits and feel they will have Richmond soon.

GLC02161.125

14 May 1864

Dewey, Orville S., fl. 1861-1902

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Norman R. Dewey

A dispatch from Grant came saying he had taken Johnson's whole division. One of the batteries from Camp Barry was lost but then retaken by the 13th division. He is afraid Charley will have a hand in the fighting.

GLC02161.126

3 June 1864

Dewey, Orville S., fl. 1861-1902

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary "Mollie" McLean

The infantry has been behaving badly. At a seven infantry engagement with the "Johns", the men got inside the mark as soon as possible. In other words, they ran at the first fire.

GLC02161.130

19 June 1864

Dewey, Orville S., fl. 1861-1902

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Harriet W. Dewey

He is very healthy and there is no sickness in the army. They are all full of fight for the campaign that will decide whether this "nation is one or two."

GLC02161.132

1861-1877

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Jenks relates the chronological details of his military dismissal and reinstatement from memory]

Relates 2 July 1863 Notice of Dismissal charging him for missing a 4 May 1863 appearance before a military commission which he had not been notified of. States that he admitted Private James Briggs into service without knowing that he was physically unfit. Recounts his appearance before a Military Commission in Washington, D.C., which listened to his case and subsequently reinstated him to order.

GLC02750.068

1861-1877

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to the United States Senate and House of Representatives

Jenks' statement claiming he was unaware of the order dismissing him from military service until he received the order in the field during the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi

GLC02750.069

1861-1877

Jenks, Ethan A., fl. 1825-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Abraham Lincoln

Captain Jenks requests that President Lincoln reconsider the 12 June 1863 order dismissing him from military service.

GLC02750.071