March 14, 1861

Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant, 1818-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edward Manigault

The letter discusses sending ammunition & weapons to Morris & Sullivan Islands.

GLC04461.02

7 November 1864

Sheridan, Philip Henry, 1831-1888

Letter signed

Title: to Oliver Edwards

Sheridan, commander of the Army of the Shenandoah, discusses troop movement with Colonel Edwards, in charge of troops at Winchester, Virginia. Relates that forces were ordered from New Creek to Moorefield, and from Cumberland to Wardensville (all in Virginia or West Virginia). Reports on other troop movement, including the gathering of a large cavalry force on the East side of Blue Ridge. Writes "Should you be attacked by Cavalry, you must whip it, if you can...as you turn line to Harpers Ferry..."

GLC04378

24 September 1863

Pickett, George Edward, 1825-1875

Document signed

Title: General orders no. 1

General Pickett assumes command of the Department of North Carolina and announces his staff appointments. Sent to Major General William H. C. Whiting, commanding at Wilmington, North Carolina.

GLC04399

February 11, 1862

Rowan, Stephen Clegg, 1805-1890

Letter signed

Title: [Congratulatory address to his men after capturing Elizabeth City, North Carolina]

Congratulating his men on the Union's naval victory and capture of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. During this battle the Union also destroyed what little was left of the Confederate navy, for the time being. Applauds his men's "coolness, gallantry and skill." Commends their "strict observance of the plan of attack, and the steady but onward course of the ships without returning a shot until within 3/4 of a mile of the Fort." Congratulates them for "refraining from trespassing in the slightest degree upon the private property of defenseless people in a defenseless town." Believes "the…

GLC04405

9 April 1865

Broadside

Title: Union Sentinel - Extra

Announces the surrender of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox and publishes the correspondence between General Ulysses S. Grant and Lee leading up to the surrender, including the terms and Lee's acceptance.

GLC04407

circa April 1861

Perine, George Edward, 1837-1885

Sketch

Title: [Charcoal illustration of the bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina]

Depicts the 12-13 April Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. Illustrates cannonballs soaring toward the Fort, which was situated in Charleston Harbor. Reveals firing cannons emerging from windows of the Fort as smoke billows above the building. An American flag remains flying on the roof of the Fort. The outline of a city (possibly Charleston, South Carolina) is evident in the background. Possibly created by an eyewitness, and reveals similarity to other depictions of the battle that were published in Harper's Weekly.

GLC04408

14 October 1880

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Letter

Title: to Marcus Wright

Written and signed by Varina Davis, for her husband. Responds at length to General Wright's questions concerning the conduct of General Joseph E. Johnston's defense of Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. With references to numerous letters, Davis explains his own decisions, comments on problems with supplies, and discusses the role of records in building, maintaining, and defending personal reputations. Many of Davis's official letters had scattered since the war, and so-called supporters of Davis had stolen quite a few, including much of the correspondence between Davis and…

GLC04269

1862

Stevenson, C. L. (Carter Littlepage), 1817-1888

Manuscript document signed

Title: Regulation under the act of Congress providing for the granting of bounty & furlough to privates and non commisioned in the provisional army.

Clerical copy of Judah Benjamin's orders regarding reenlistments, signed by Carter L. Stevenson. Those who reenlist to receive fifty dollar bounty and thirty day furlough. Also discusses reorganization of regiments. Date inferred, based on Stevenson's rank as major general.

GLC04270

12 June 1863

Dick, Franklin Archibald, 1823-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles Drake

Written as provost marshal of St. Louis. Replies to Drake's request for information concerning the Missouri congressional laws about emancipating slaves in compliance with the Emancipation Proclamation. Details General Orders no. 35, which instructed the provost marshals "to take testimony as to the acts of disloyal slave owners," and ascertain the facts. Explains that there is great opposition to the enforcement of the law. "...for the spirit of resistance to it amongst the Enrolled Militia, has left those officers nearly powerless in the absence of U.S. troops, and they being the first…

GLC04274

6 May 1861

Confederate States of America. Congress

Broadside

Title: An Act recognizing the existence of War between the United States and the Confederate States; and concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods.

Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, approved this act 6 May 1861. States "Whereas the earnest efforts made by this Government to establish friendly relations between the Government of the United States and the Confederate States, and to settle all questions of disagreement between the two Governments upon principles of right, justice, equity and good faith, have proved unavailing by reason of the refusal of the Government of the United States to hold any intercourse with the Commissioners appointed by this Government for the purposes aforesaid... and whereas, by the acts and means…

GLC04284

1865

Various

Photograph

Title: [Carte de visite vignette of General Robert E. Lee & a card with hand printed flags]

Signed on mount. The gilt bordered has been retouched at upper right. Depicts General Robert E. Lee in a suit and tie posing for the camera. Includes a cancelled postage stamp on the verso. The card depicts two CSA National hand printed flags (apparently from a frame).

GLC04518

25 March 1863

Beall, Lloyd James, 1808-1887

Letter signed

Title: to Francis T. Stribling

Written in a clerical hand and signed by Colonel Beall as commander of the Confederate Marine Corps to Dr. Stribling as superintendent of the insane asylum at Staunton, Virginia. Has been directed by the Secretary of the Navy to inquire if a marine inflicted with insanity can be accommodated at Staunton.

GLC04519

1857-1880

Ivy, Edward, 1857-1880

Header Record

Title: Reconstruction archive: CSA parole & oath, Bailey Family contracts with freedmen [Decimalized .01-.16]

The collection includes a Georgia parole for the soldier (sometimes "Edwin") of New Orleans (#1), an agreement dated 5/22/1865 to register his plantation while abiding by the laws now protecting freedmen (#7); oaths of allegiance and amnesty (#2-4, 8), and three contracts between the Bailey Family (in Arkansas) with freeman Alie Bailey and other freed slaves (#8-10), as well as personal papers. The contracts offer different compensation (one freeman was single).

GLC04522

February 13, 1864

Morgan, John Hunt, 1825-1864

Letter signed

Title: to John Cabell Breckinridge

Confederate General Morgan expresses approval that Breckinridge will take charge of a Department in South Western Virginia. Writes "am satisfied that you will get recruits from our Old State," (possibly referring to Kentucky, though Morgan was not born there). Reports that his soldiers "are all, as you are aware, fine soldiers, and very anxious to go into Kentucky where they can certainly serve The Confederacy best, as they will, by the invasion of that State, withdraw ten times their number from the Federal Army at Chattanooga..." Relates that the railroad from Danville, Kentucky to…

GLC04534

25 March 1862

Halleck, H.W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edwin M. Stanton

Written by General Halleck as commander of the Department of the Mississippi to Stanton as Secretary of War. Has heard that the rebels are building one or more riverboats "clad in rail road iron like the Merrimac." Says if it is true they can wreak havoc on Union forces on the river. Wants any heavy guns at Pittsburgh sent down the Ohio River to Cairo or Columbus. Reports he has written to ask if Commander Foote can convert his ships to ironclads. Says authority to construct a river "Monitor" should be given. Expresses that delay could be fatal. Marked "in cipher."

GLC04536

February 5, 1862

Halleck, H.W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas A. Scott

Asks that all possible reinforcements be sent to Cairo to assist "as I wish to cut the enemy's line before Beauregard arrives. Noted "in cypher."

GLC04537

18 October 1863

Longstreet, James, 1821-1904

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Daniel Harvey Hill

General Longstreet writes, "Your note of today is received. I am surprised and grieved to learn that you have been relieved from duty with this Army. We have stood side by side in so many severely contested battlefields that I have learned to lean upon you with great confidence... I am yet full of faith that a kind and infinitely merciful Providence will not abandon us. And that we shall, after all, be successful."

GLC04545.02

24 December 1886

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Letter

Title: to Daniel Harvey Hill

Written from Beauvoir, the estate of former Confederate President Davis. Written and signed in the hand of Davis's wife, Varina. Davis relates, "I truly regret that you should have misconstrued my action in relieving you from duty with the army of Tennessee as a condemnation of your conduct in the battle of Chickamauga. That was not the question upon which I had to act... I assigned you to duty with the Army of Tennessee without an application from the commander of that Army... The relations which I found existing between yourself and the Commander of the Army of Tennessee, made it…

GLC04545.03

circa 25 May 1863

Hill, Daniel H., 1821-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Isabella Morrison Hill

At the time he wrote this letter, Hill was in command of the Department of North Carolina. He expresses his disappointment over an embarrassing incident during the actions around Kinston, in the southeastern part of the state. Date inferred from content. Hill relates that his troops at Kinston recently suffered a surprise attack, during which 150 of his men were captured before Confederates fired a shot. Hill signs as "Husband." Says "...A Regt. was most disgracefully surprised on the 22d," he writes, "& without firing a shot had 150 men captured. The day was intensely hot, but I got…

GLC04545.04

1 January 1865- 11 August 1865

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Diary

Title: [Diary of a soldier 2nd Brigade Band, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, during Petersburg Campaign]

States that his band played out the old year and in the new 1 January. 2 January, mentions "Rebs threw a shell at us while playing the Star-spangled Banner at Div Hd. Qrs shelling continued for some time afterwards. Notes that his band performs and practices nearly every day. 12 January, notes that a flag of truce has been sent by Confederates, with a sealed communication for General Ulysses S. Grant. 17 January, notes that Fort Fisher, North Carolina, was taken with 1400 prisoners. After celebrating, his band was practicing when they were "astonished By music out-side of the tent, which…

GLC04562

circa 1870

unknown, fl. 1870

Photograph

Title: Battles and battleflags of the 89th Regiment, N. Y. S. Vols.

One undated albumen print entitled, "Battles and Battleflags of the 89th Regiment, N.Y.S. Vols." Image is a collage composed of two separate images of printed lists of Civil War battles where the New York's 89th Regiment was present, the United States flag and the regiment's own flag. In the images of the flags, the United States flag is tattered at its ends and the regiment's flag has a large hole completely torn into the center, where the United States arms and motto formerly appeared.Battles include: Drury's Bluff, Suffolk, Swift Creek, Camden, Chapin's Farm, Kingsland Creek, Petersburgh…

GLC04558.208

1862-1865

Hackett, William C., fl. 1862-1865

Header Record

Title: [Collection of William C. Hackett, B company, 111th regiment, Ohio, infantry][Decimalized .01-.53]

Collection of letters belonging to William C. Hackett. Consists of 53 items dated approximately 1862-1865. Primarily corresponding with his wife Rebecca E. Hackett and their daughter Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen's death becomes a focus towards the end of the collection. Mentions fighting with William Tecumseh Sherman. Also includes description of fighting at Cedar Bluff, Alabama; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Kingston, North Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee.

GLC04559

June-November 1863

Gifford, Haviland, fl. 1863

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Haviland Gifford, field and staff, 93rd regiment, New York, infantry] [Decimalized .01- .12]

Haviland Gifford served as a Lieutenant in charge of guarding Union General George Gordon Meade and his staff. Provides information he learned about strategy from being in close proximity to high command. Highlights include letter #1, written on 20 June 1863, about opposing strategies of different generals; #3, of 28 July 1863, an eight-page letter concerning the draft and movements of the Army, with mentions of Generals Lee, Grant and Banks; and #4, written 10 September 1863 and containing a long analysis of how to take Richmond. In that letter he also discusses Fort Wagner's hold-out, as…

GLC04560

1 January 1865-13 Mayt 1865

Whipple, Milton, fl. 1865

Diary

Title: Diary of Milton Whipple

Early entries are brief and mostly record staff changes, troop movements, drills, and the weather but the entries lengthen as Whipple details the Appomattox campaign and the last few weeks leading up to General Robert E. Lee's surrender. On 24 January he writes that his regiment prepared for attack because the Confederate troops were near. States that he heard Fort Brady on the James River in Virginia was destroyed or captured by the Confederates. He reports word of the fall of Charleston, Columbia, Branchville, and Wilmington on 20 and 24 February. On 26 March he notes marching to meet…

GLC04561

1861-1864

Gottshall, Samuel G., 1841-1902

Header Record

Title: Diaries of Samuel G. Gottshall [decimalized]

Mentions battles of Gettysburg, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. First diary is loose.

GLC04564