September 19, 1862

Hughes, Alfred, fl. 1862-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Hughes

Account of their day of prayer and thanksgiving; escapes and attempted escapes from Camp Chase.

GLC02166.071

6 August 1863

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliza Cook

Rejoices that his wife's health has improved. Tells her to keep in mind her health for everyone's sake so she will be healthy when he returns. Reports that his brother Girard was shot through the thigh at the Battle of Gettysburg. He writes, "Were he to die I should feel as one lost forever. He is my only and darling brother and beside myself, our dear mother's only child living." Promises Eliza she will be repaid for all her suffering and sacrifice when the war is over. Writes that his horses and uniforms take up much of his wages. He states, "The expenses of my position will more…

GLC02570.48

December 31, 1863

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliza Cook

Has sent $300 and wishes he could have sent more. Tells Eliza that she shall reap her reward for all her sacrifices. Writes that Sam has been taken prisoner and reasons that "while a prisoner [Sam] is at least out of danger." Notes that his brother Girard is almost ready for duty again. Reports that he has been promoted to Colonel and writes "Who knows but what I might be a Brig Gen'l one year from today!" Includes general camp news of local friends.

GLC02570.52

29 October 1864

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliza Cook

Short note reporting that "Sammie is alive and well though a prisoner in the hands of the enemy." Writes that his application for furlough is being strongly recommended. Was written near Jacksonville, Alabama.

GLC02570.63

14 December 1864

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliza Cook

Discusses camp news. Feels that the war is more than half over. Interested in how the children are doing and what they are learning. Wants daughter Ida to continue her education away from home but doesn't think she would do well in the presence of complete strangers. He suggests she come stay with him where he can better support her. Says he hasn't sent money because he learned that Confederate money is of no value in Texas. Offers to send home the "hands" he brought with him to war. Suggests moving out to the country and growing the food she needs and being self-sufficient. Discusses…

GLC02570.64

14 August 1862

Churchill, Byron, 1846-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

Two men, Jonathan Snook and O.B. Boughton have been sent to Michigan to recruit soldiers for the company. Churchill is well and "as fat as a stuffed chicken." The Cavalry took 26 "cotton burners or guerillas," all of whom will presumably be released on parole of honor, "as General Ross, the Commander of this Post, has a peculiar way of returning fugitive slaves." Churchill speculates that some generals have sympathy for the "poor slave holder and nigger driver." David McCord and David Tyler are to be discharged and sent home.

GLC03859.04

08 September 1862

Churchill, Byron, 1846-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

Churchill reports that "one of the men in Co. F accidentally shot his mess mate yesterday through the body," and that accidents such as this are frequent. As he writes, two pickets are approaching with a pair of "secesh." He again expresses contempt for men at home who have not enlisted. As he ends the letter, a report has just arrived, placing "the guerillas…within five or six miles."

GLC03859.07

15 December 1862

Churchill, Byron, 1846-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

A train with 900 prisoners passed through Grand Junction, and another 1500 are waiting to be transported from Holey [Holly] Springs. The 900 passengers cheered Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy upon pulling out of the station. Churchill hears news that "the rebels is About Destitute of Close [clothes] And not much to Eat."

GLC03859.13

11 April 1865

Robins, Juliet G., fl. 1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

Churchill wishes his mother to know that he is alive and that he arrived at the hospital at David's Island from Wilmington, where he spent a month in the hospital there. Previously, he was a prisoner in Florence, S.C., where he suffered frostbite and lost all his toes.

GLC03859.26

28 April 1865

Robins, Juliet G., fl. 1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

Churchill is making strides in his recovery, and believes that if he could get a furlough he could make the journey home, despite the fact that he cannot walk due to the condition of his feet. Mrs. Robins has hope that Col. Geer, who accompanied the prisoners from Wilmington to David's Island, may be able to secure a furlough for Churchill. A postscript indicates something of the conditions under which she writes: "…I am writing this in a great hurry and on my knee without even a book to rest on. I can, under some circumstances write at least a decent hand."

GLC03859.28

01 June 1865

Robins, Juliet G., fl. 1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Drazilla Churchill.

Churchill chastises his mother for not writing, and reminds her to send the money he requested previously. It was announced in the newspaper that all who have suffered in Southern prisons should be discharged with three months extra pay, thus he and others in the hospital should be coming home soon.

GLC03859.31

26 May 1863

Flow, J.S., fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A.M. Flinn

Billie [J. W. Flinn] has been wounded, captured and taken to Fort Delaware. Lieut. Col. Luse just returned from Fort Delaware and said Flinn was doing well. (Flinn was captured at the battle of Marye's Heights or Second Fredricksburg, May 3, 1863).

GLC04573.03

9 August 1863

Flinn, John William, fl. 1863-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A.M. Flinn

Spent three weeks as a prisoner at Fort Delaware. Has not heard from his family since he returned to camp. While at Fort Delaware, his father had come to camp to visit and went home without knowing the fate of his son. He discusses the losses from Battle of Gettysburg, " the hardest battle that has ever been fought on this continent," and lists a page and a half of friends and comrades who lost their lives in Pennsylvania. Flinn was ill during the battle. Written along the Rapidan River

GLC04573.04

4 December 1864

Flinn, John William, fl. 1863-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. M. Flinn

He received the sad news of his little sister's death. He asks about the cause of her death and the length of her illness. He did not receive a check his father sent to him. Signed: "your son William."

GLC04573.06

31 December 1864

Flinn, John William, fl. 1863-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to A. M. Flinn

He has not received a letter since 26 November. He encloses a clothing permit, which will allow his father to send him items from home. The permit is to be fastened to the articles of clothing and "permit inside" is to be written on the box. He requests: "(1) hat (1) coat (1) pr pants 2 shirts 2 pr drawers 1 pr shoes 1 towel & handkerchief & smoking tobacco."

GLC04573.07

November 1893

Flinn, John William, fl. 1863-1893

Typed document

Title: A Southern Soldier's Experiences in a Northern Prison

Originally written for the students of a "lady cousin" who was concerned her pupils were being misinformed about the "kind treatment of Southern Soldiers in Northern prisons." Flinn later presented the address at "S. C. College Nov. 1893." He begins by providing a brief history of his military service and then launches into an in-depth description of his sufferings as a prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland from July 1864 to March 1865. The manuscript contains a two-page description of the camp's physical layout. Flinn emphasizes the inadequate clothing, foul water, bitter cold, and ravenous…

GLC04573.13

23 circa November 1862

Dederer, N. A., fl. 1862-1863

Letter

Title: to Peter B. Rathbone

Continued on 24 November and 25 November. Written on board Transport Thames near Fortress Monroe. The ship carried General Emory's Brigade. Provides instructions for dispensing money he sent home. Describes attending "Divine Worship" on the ship (which was more solemn than any service he ever attended), and discusses food available. Notes that he went to Fortress Monroe to "liberate" some of his men who were arrested for shooting a duck outside the fort. Sailing near "Severe Point" a rebel battery that had been destroyed by the guns of Fortress Monroe from a distance of five miles, and…

GLC04703.02

5 January 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Lucy Knox

Laments not being able to return to Lucy when he had hoped to. Praises Lucy at length and reaffirms his love for her. Notes that this is only the fourth letter he has been able to write to her in the two months they have been apart, and explains why his letter of 5 December 1775 was so short (see GLC02437.00215). Comments on the weather and the lack of snow, which impeded his plans to transport artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mentions that his brother William Knox is now at Lake George preparing the sleds for the transport. Describes his travels. Comments…

GLC02437.00237

27 December 1862

Saunders, J. C. Jr., fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Wortham

Written from "Gill's Signal Station." Saunders writes as the Sergeant in command of the Station: "I send…a man who came to my station today. He says he is from Philadelphia and just out of "Castle Thunder" Richmond. I do not think he is altogether right, as contradicted himself several times in his statements." Castle Thunder in Richmond was a tobacco warehouse converted into a prison during the Civil War. Prisoners, many of whom were under sentence of death, were primarily civilians, they included violent criminals, Union sympathizers, and spies, among them Dr. Mary E. Walker.

GLC02233.16

January 11,1863

Lee, Samuel Phillips, 1812-1897

Autograph note signed

Title: to Richard T. Renshaw

Lee annotates a clerical transcription of various dispatches and newspaper clippings concerning activities of the United States Navy in Texas during the Battle of Galveston. On recto, is a transcription of an article from the "Richmond Va Examiner" titled "Brilliant Naval Exploit: The "Harriet Lane" Captured, Another Steamer blown up with all on board." The article details the capture of the U.S.S. Harriet Lane at "two o'clock on New Year's morning" in Galveston Bay. The article also includes a short paragraph about the fate of another vessel: "The Westervelt [sic] under Commander Renshaw…

GLC02254.08

17 December 1775

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Longs to see his wife and plans to in three weeks. Discusses activities relating to the transport of artillery captured from the British at Fort Ticonderoga earlier that year to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reports that both his and William Knox's health has been good. Quips about his rotund figure. Discusses the "Bravery of America" and a growing awareness of it among the British prisoners he has seen: "Enemies who would not before this allow the Americans a Spark of Military virtue." Blesses America and Lucy. Links God watching over Americans to God watching over Lucy in particular.…

GLC02437.00223

13 September 1782

Morris, Gouverneur, 1752-1816

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Morris as Assistant Superintendent of Finance to Major General Knox. A sarcastic letter expressing annoyance about Congress and their activities after receiving information on the conduct at Elizabethtown -- probably a reference to the negotiations for prisoner exchanges or for the evacuation of New York City taking place there. Says "Our Sovereign Lords the Congress have at length assented to (not approved of) our Conduct at Elizabeth town." It seems that Congress was not willing to respond harshly to General Sir Henry Clinton's letter, which expressed things the American…

GLC02437.01608

8 October 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Gouverneur Morris

Relates a variety of information regarding (a prison cartel) meeting with the British Commissioners, General Campbell and Mr. [Andrew] Elliot [lt. gov. of British-occupied New York]. Contrasts Campbell with former British commissioner General [William] Dalrymple. Believes that Morris was "perfectly right" in his opinion that "the British Commissioners wouldn't be able to treat us with equal power." Mentions General William Heath. Knox notes the recent death of his child and illness of his wife Lucy and family

GLC02437.01651

12 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Writes in response to Lincoln's letter of 20 August. Declares, "I am sorry Mr. [Robert] Morris cannot pay for any shells for the french [8?] inch howitzers, as they without shells much be useless after all the time and money which has been expended making new cartridges for them." Has asked General George Washington his opinion on employing German prisoners as armorers at Newburgh in exchange for their freedom (see GLC02437.01589), and Washington feels this is a good idea, so Knox asks Lincoln to make the appropriate arrangements. Also comments that he has received recent Congressional…

GLC02437.01604

11 September 1787

Lovell, James, 1737-1814

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses the friendship he established with the Chevalier de Longchamps when they were both prisoners of war in 1775. Also refers to his intent to defend Longchamps character in relation to the Chevalier's involvement in the Longchamps-Marbois affair: "You will receive this from the hand of the Chevalier Longchaps [sic]. He was my Prison Mate here 12 years ago, and was treated, for a Time, worse by the British than I have been; afterwards he was for Months in the same Chamber. He was suspected if not known to have been serviceable to the Army at Prospect Hill. I was exceedingly surprised at…

GLC02437.03660