ca. 1860-1870

Alberger, William C., 1837-1925

Scrapbook

Title: [Loose Page from Scrapbook of William C. Alberger]

Page contains: Unknown. Map: s. l., Topographical map of Virginia between Washington and Manassas Junction. No date. 1 p. Includes an image of Washington, D. C., with the capital building in the foreground. Depicts Virginia and the western corner of Maryland, including United States encampments, roads, rail lines, rivers, and other topographical features. A smaller image consists of a military map of Virginia and parts of Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, and Delaware. The military map includes some topographical features and notes where battles took place. (27.5 x 20 cm.) Kenyon, D.…

GLC06628.03

January 17, 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to parents

Received a letter from them last night. Generally, when they mail a letter on a Monday, it arrives on a Thursday. Is happy to read their letters no matter how long they are. Is no longer working for the General Court Martial. The division headquarters has moved to Sandusky, Ohio along with two more brigades. Now will return to doing work with the company. When the court martial comes back, he can have the job again. Asks them to send the boots down to camp as soon as they are ready. Has not moved in a while, and therefore thinks his division has some "skedaddling" to do. General Terry, well…

GLC09355.041

20 March 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Just returned home from chapel. Two men were baptized today. One was Sergeant John W. Stockwell. "If a man can be a Christian in this army he can be one anywhere." Went down to Brandy Station this morning, and needed a pass signed by a company leader, regiment leader, brigade leader, division leader, and corps leader in order to do so. Now has "a real live specimen of red tape." Got wet while jumping over a brook today; no boots of any kind could have helped him stay dry there. Does not think the raids they have been conducting against the Rebels "amount to much." "I do not believe the man…

GLC09355.054

1950

Luhrs, Henry, fl. 1950

Pamphlet

Title: Increasing Importance of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Address given before Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania

GLC08880.010

15 November 1863

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to parents

Marched from Kelly's Ford back towards Rappahannock Station, where there was a battle a week before. Crossed the Rappahannock River and marched six miles to their current location, "but I presume we shall not be here a great while." Cavalry had engaged the Rebels about 8 miles away, and therefore assumed they would be on the move soon. Buford successfully pushed the Rebels across the Rapidan River. "We have so often held up our heads and looked forward to a decided victory and then be repulsed that I hardly dare to hope" anymore. Will likely move to an old Confederate camp for the winter.…

GLC09355.027

5 December 1863

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to parents

Received their letter yesterday. Marched 15 miles earlier in the week. Was going to start on Monday morning, but it was too rainy then. The march was delayed until Thanksgiving morning. Crossed the Rapidan River at Jacob's Ford and stayed there that night. Was eager to join the fight about 2 miles ahead of them. "As good luck would have it our part of the line was not attacked." Was on the extreme right flank of the army. Advanced to the Rebel lines through very thick forest. His division served as reserves during the battle. Early the next morning, "we were moved out to the front and a part…

GLC09355.029

February 11, 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Turns out that they will be staying put. The 2nd and 3rd corps "had a sweet little fight" with the Confederates, but the 6th corps was not needed. Feels very lucky that he did not have to fight, for it was raining very hard and the mud was knee deep at some points. Sent another letter to father asking for the boots. Would be shocked if he could not find enough leather to make a pair of boots in the three months it has been since he first asked for them. Should not have asked for custom boots and should have instead asked for ready made ones. "I don't think we shall have a chance to enlist…

GLC09355.046

9 March 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Stationery has a blue cross stamp marking the 6th corps, 3rd division of the U.S. Army. Received his letter two weeks ago and does not want him to think he forgot to write. Has spent the last week recovering from their recent march. Has been "mending up all my clothes" and "sewing on buttons." Has always thought that the coming campaigns of the spring and summer would be repetitions of past battles, and "if it should happen to be so, it will be productive of some hard and forced marches if not some fighting." Half of his term of service has passed. "How many of our own relatives, friends, and…

GLC09355.050

18 March 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charlie

Is about as far from General Meade's headquarters as the distance from their home to the local school house. Never saw it until two days ago. Was given some leisure time while on guard duty and used it to go to Meade's headquarters. It covers "about 4 or 5 acres of ground." Meade's quarters are not as grand as one would think. It consists of "two large tents about 20 feet long and 15 feet wide. He could very easily pass for some attendant instead of the commander of the Army of the Potomac. "His dress is very plain and he does not put on any airs." The provost marshal also resides at the army…

GLC09355.052

17 April 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Time is flying by. Will be home in just over 16 months. Expects the next 4 months of battles will "till loudly on our regiment." They have often been part of the reserves in a battle, and therefore expects to be put in the front line more often this year. Used to feel lucky when put in reserve, but no longer feels that way. More troops arrive at the camp every day. "We shall have an army here over 160,000 strong." Butler is moving up the Peninsula. Burnside is moving to Goldsboro to cut the railroad lines. Grant will move to take Richmond by the most direct route, while the other two armies…

GLC09355.060

13 May 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Is on duty at the division hospital. Today is the ninth day of fighting. "We are getting the best of the Rebs but it is slow work for they are desperate." Major Moody and Captain Wetherell were both wounded. "The loss is very heavy on both sides." Took 6,000 prisoners yesterday including 4 Confederate generals and 30 artillery pieces. Will likely be at the division hospital on duty until the end of this battle. Is well but very tired. "I have been a witness to many amputations and feel as though I could almost do it myself. The last two days we have used [to] move artillery and there is a…

GLC09355.064

16 May 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

"Sid is reported taken prisoner. He has been missing since Friday night. The 10th were surrounded and a number taken prisoners." He definitely is not killed or injured because his body was not found when the army retook that area soon after. Had he been wounded, he would have been left behind. Since his time is almost up, he will likely be exchanged soon. "It seems to me that our division has done most all the fighting. We have no lost in killed and wounded more than half the number our division came over the Rapidan with." There were 8,000 in the division, and there have been 4,580…

GLC09355.065

19 May 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

About two miles from the house he wrote the last letter in. Has marched from one side of the battle line to the other and back. Saw Sid's commanding officer carried away wounded. Captain Bigelow was wounded in the head. Hopes to be able to write "a good long letter" accounting his movements later. Fighting started on Thursday the 5th and there has been fighting ever since. Some days the fighting is heavy, others light. "Our division has been in front all the time since the fight began. Has not heard any news from Sid.

GLC09355.066

29 May 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

It has been impossible for him to write since he sent his last letter. Does not even know if his last letters reached them. "It has been march, dig, and fight all the time." Has crossed the Pamunkey River and engaged the Rebels on the other side. Is about 18 miles from Richmond. Hopes Sid is unhurt. Captured a few Rebels who had been near Sid's regiment when it was captured. Managed to talk to a Confederate who saw a few of the officers, was able to describe a person who seemed like Sid, and confirmed that that man was unhurt. Elisha hurt his finger and has gone to the hospital to get it…

GLC09355.067

31 May 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Finally got a letter from them last night. Does not know if they have gotten his other letters; they had not received any when they wrote their most recent letter. Manson [Munyan] died a week ago at Fredericksburg. "I think we will have a big fight here this afternoon or tomorrow." Nearly got sunstroke yesterday it was so hot. Did not have very hard work to do, but had not had anything to eat because rations are running low. "I should have had enough to last me but the boys in my company were entirely out and hungry as wolves, so I let what I had go to them." Will write a few lines to Hattie…

GLC09355.068

4 June 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Has a few moments to spare while there is a lull in the fighting. "I have weathered the storm unharmed" so far. Fighting starts at dawn and does not stop "for anything" until well after sundown. The Confederates have "quite a strong position here." Looks like the construction of heavy siege works has begun. Has gotten nearer to Richmond. "Burnside's niggers fight well, and I wish they could be made to do all the fighting." Last night there was a massive Confederate artillery barrage. He and everyone else lay "flat on their faces and lay so till after dark." Wishes Father would send him some…

GLC09355.069

5 June 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

This letter was sent in the same envelope as the letter #69. Did not get to write as much as he had wanted to yesterday, and decided to write more today. The Rebels charged their lines last night between 9:00 and 10:00, but were unable to break through. "We lost about 50 in our Regt. By shells day before yesterday. I think the loss in our Regt. Must now be over 300 in killed and wounded." There has been fighting for 33 days straight now. The 2nd Rhode Island was shipped home today, but with hardly 100 men left in it. Bought a rubber overcoat for $4.00 before leaving Brandy Station.

GLC09355.070

9 June 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

As he is neither on duty nor cooking, has some time to write. There is not much firing going on alone the lines at the moment. "Now both armies lay facing each other." Both sides fire 20 or 30 cannons over the course of 24 hours and have made heavy fortifications. "They rake our camp [with] every shot." When the shells come, "we all make a grand rush for the breastworks just like a pack of frightened rabbits going for their holes." Did not have anything to eat the other night. Found a group of "dead beats" - soldiers who take jobs such as cooking for an officer in order to stay away from the…

GLC09355.071

23 June 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

The letter is dated 1864/06/24, but Clapp's next letter, dated 1864/06/24, was written the next day, and he acknowledges his error in the prior letter. Would be sleeping instead of writing, "but the flies eat me up." Feels better than he did the last time he wrote. Moved to the extreme left flank of the army at dusk. There has not been much heaving fighting here, just "a little lively skirmishing." Is about 5 miles west of Petersburg. The mail coming from home has not had trouble, but it seems that the mail going home has been stopped. "I guess [Sid] will not grumble at a few months sojourn…

GLC09355.073

5 July 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Parents

Finally received a letter from them. Will respond immediately, as he had held off writing another letter home for the arrival of one. The corps left on a raid to destroy part of the Weldon Railroad. "They met with no trouble at all" and returned 4 days later. Headquarters for the corps has moved a mile and a half into the woods. That raid was the first march that he did not go on with the rest of the corps. "When we move the dust is so thick we can hardly see a rod from us either way." Their division's job seems to be to guard the far left and rear of the besieging Union army. "They are…

GLC09355.076

8 July 1864

Clapp, George, fl. 1839-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to brother

Received a letter from him and a letter from Mother yesterday. July 4th was a pretty quiet day, "hardly a gun fired all day." No July 4th could surpass that of last year when Vicksburg fell. Is back with the company he first came out with. General Wright is his new commander, but "we don't have half the confidence in him we did in the one we lost." Weather is very warm and it has not rained in a long time. Went to see Eddy Wright right before his corps crossed the James River. Was on guard all night last night near regiment headquarters. Must try and answer his mother's letter too. Wishes he…

GLC09355.078

1861-1877

Print

Title: The Battle of Gettysburg

GLC08880.089

1861-1877

Bushnell, Samuel C., fl. 1940

Pamphlet

Title: The Story of the Monitor and the Merrimac

GLC08880.118

1861-1877

Pamphlet

Title: The Medieval Art of Illumination as Applied to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

GLC08880.120

1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Printed document

Title: The Gettysburg Address on one side and a picture of Lincoln on the other

GLC08880.140