31 October 1777

Huntington, Jedediah, 1743-1818

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Colonel Williams

Huntington as a General of Connecticut forces in the Continental Army to a Colonel Williams, whose larger identity could not be ascertained. Says that Williams might have money that was sent to help his father. Sends along information of General Gates's defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga. Mocks the "haughty boasting Chief with all his Titles - Pride goeth before a Fall - it has pleased God to confound the wise & mighty by the weak & foolish." Praises militia of General John Stark who defeated a detachment of Burgoyne's troops at the Battle of Bennington. Says he is sure Congress…

GLC04791

3 November 1779

Jenkinson, Charles, 1727-1808

Letter signed

Title: to William Phillips

Written by Jenkinson as Secretary of War in Lord North's ministry in London to Major General Phillips as the ranking officer of the Convention Army, which consisted of prisoners of war from the Saratoga campaign. The army was being barracked in Massachusetts. Marked duplicate. References Phillips's letters of 20 March 1779, 30 May 1779, and 3 June 1779. Tries to alleviate the worry that Convention Army officers have about being passed over in rank. Says Phillips must have gotten the idea from the newspapers. At issue was a resolution by the House of Commons that each regiment was to have two…

GLC04796

13 March 1865

T. D. W., fl. 1865

Manuscript

Title: When Sherman Marched to the Sea

Manuscript copy of a song written to commemorate Union General William T. Sherman's famous march to the sea, which began with General Sherman's troops leaving the captured city of Atlanta, Georgia on 15 November 1864, and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on 22 December. Written at the bottom of the last page is, "Words and music composed by Union officers while in rebel prison at Columbia S.C." Sherman received a copy of this song and printed it in his memoirs, chapter 23, where he indicates it was written by Adjutant Byers. A note at the end reads "Copy T.D.W. Mo. 22d W.V.I…

GLC04984

circa 1861-1865

Photograph

Title: House used as prison. [Washington?]

A three story white house with fenced in courtyard or garden. A telegraph pole is in the center of the image next to a tree. Train tracks run across the lower right. Inscription on verso: "Another House [struck: on Pey and [illegible] st n.o.] also used as a prison." Additional inscription on verso is illegible. Small seal reading "Wilson Copyrighted 1885" in the lower right corner. Numeric notation on verso: "486."

GLC05111.01.0570

circa 1861-1865

Photograph

Title: Wilderness # 31. Confederate & federal entrenchments (Spotsylvania)

Inscription on verso: "Confederate and Federal entrenchments in which the opposing forces lay in close proximity for 24 hours. Field between the two in which Confederate General Edward Johnson was captured." One of the trees has a sign on it which can be read in # 435. Three men pose in the field. Additional inscription on verso "F. H. Meserve Collection." Inscription on recto of mount "Not Used." Johnson was captured at the Bloody Angle in Spotsylvania. Same locale as # 435.

GLC05111.01.0434

1864-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Confederate Prisoners at Camp Douglas, Ill. [1864-1865 ca.]

Shows a large group of Confederate prisoners posing in front of the barracks at Camp Douglas, a prison camp located outside of Chicago. What appears to be a fire hydrant can be seen in the bottom center of the image. The image is faded and mounted on muslin cloth. It bears the stamp of the Century Co. on the back and the crop markings on the front match the image used in their Photographic History of the Civil War (reprinted by the Blue and Gray Press). Written at Camp Douglas.

GLC05111.01.0362

1861-1862 ca.

O'Sullivan, Timothy H., 1840-1882

Photograph

Title: Courthouse at Culpeper, Virginia acting as prison with Confederate P.O.W.s on balcony.

Inscription on verso: "Culpepper, Courthouse." Numeric notation on verso: "62."

GLC05111.01.0740

circa 1861-1865

Photograph

Title: "Castle Thunder," Richmond, Virginia

The image shows one of the "Castle Thunder" buildings in the south. A one-time tobacco factory, this building was the chief Provost Prison for the Confederacy. Standing in front of the prison are three Confederate soldiers. Inscription on verso: "'Castle Thunder' Richmond, Va." Numeric notations on verso: "200" "87" and "71."

GLC05111.01.0990

1864

United States. Congress (38th, 1st session : 1864)

Book

Title: [House report no. 65 regarding the Fort Pillow massacre and no. 67 regarding returned prisoners of war]

Contains a full report of the April 1864 battle at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, based on an investigation of the battle itself, as well as the operations of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest "and his command immediately preceding and subsequent to that horrible transaction." Includes testimony from soldiers present at the battle, who witnessed Forrest's violations of the conduct of war, including shooting unarmed Union troops following their surrender. Contains the testimony of Lieutenant Mack J. Leaming, who wrote a detailed account of the events of Fort Pillow in 1893 (refer to…

GLC05080.06

22 April 1864

Thompson, Meriwether Jeff, 1826-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary G. Rogers

Thompson, a Confederate general taken as prisoner at Fort Delaware, writes to thank Rogers for a basket of "'goodies' such as only sweet ladies can make. ... which remind us of our dear homes in the days of 'piping peace' when Plenty and Happiness overspread our land, and before red-handed War had scattered Ruin and Desolations round our hearthstones." Petition style document signed by 11 Confederate officers (colonels) including Basil W. Duke, Hart Gibson, C.H. Morgan, Jas. J. Andrews, R.C. Morgan, Jno. A. Tomlinson, Cicero Coleman, Lucius H. Smith, W.W. Ward, Jas. Shecker, and Robert Vance…

GLC05016

4 May 1861

Ingraham, Duncan N., 1802-1891

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Captain Ingraham writes to a general who remains unnamed in this letter. States "I drop you a line to say we are all quiet here... Lincoln seems determined to carry it on..." Predicts that the Union will not attempt to invade the location of the recipient. Reports that he will soon travel to Charleston, South Carolina, to visit his family. Writes "I wish you could trick up a few more deserters, they will demoralize the command of our genialBrown..." Relates that a mutual acquaintance, Warden, is still held as a prisoner of war. Docket states "About Pensacola." Accompanied by paper…

GLC05017

17 September 1862

Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893

Letter signed

Title: to M. Jefferson Thompson

Proposes an exchange of prisoners in response to Confederate General Richard Taylor's threat to execute ten Union prisoners from the 8th Vermont regiment. Refers to the deprivation of some property on Taylor's plantation and remarks that he believes it very unjust of Taylor to allow personal feelings to get involved. Makes no threat of retaliation and informs that he will not harm the prisoners he has captured. Written on stationary from the headquarters of the Department of the Gulf. 1 black and white bust engraving of Benjamin F. Butler.

GLC05025

1860-1893

Header Record

Title: Items related Mack J. Leaming [Decimalized .01-.06]

Includes Leaming's typed manuscript signed describing the Battle of Fort Pillow, family photographs, and the House of Representatives report on Fort Pillow.

GLC05080

15 April 1893

Leaming, Mack J., 1842-1893

Typed document signed

Title: [Unpublished manuscript relating events of the Battle of Fort Pillow, Tennessee]

Colonel Leaming, former Adjutant of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry, reports the graphic details of the 12 April 1864 Battle of Fort Pillow. Describes Fort Pillow as "the stormy days, when, added to the ordinary intensity of civil strife, the masters for the first time, met their former slaves." States that the African American battalion of the 6th United States Heavy Artillery commanded by Major Lionel F. Booth was present, as well as a white battalion of the 13th Regiment commanded by Major William F. Bradford. Reports "Fort Pillow was a natural outgrowth of the slave system ... It told in…

GLC05080.01

1865-1866 ca.

Pywell, William R., fl. 1862-1866

Photograph

Title: Old Capitol Prison, [1st and A Streets NE,] Washington, D.C. 1865-1866 ca.

Title taken from text on recto. Negative by William R. Pywell. A view of the prison from the street. Several soldiers stand guard around the prison with bayonets fixed and arms at the right-shoulder shift. Plate "No. 90."

GLC05111.01.0284

April 1865

Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882

Photograph

Title: [Gen. William Hoffman & staff at the Office of Commissary General of Prisoners, Washington D.C.]

A print of a photograph of General William Hoffman and three others. Hoffman is the man leaning against the banister on the right hand side of the image. He and two other men are standing on the steps of the building beneath a sign reading: "Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners." The office itself was located in Washington, D.C. at F St. and 20th St. NW. The address on the building reads "148." A fourth man peers out the window of the building. Hoffman was in charge throughout the entire war of finding accomodations for Confederate prisoners that would fit the small budget he himself…

GLC05111.01.0122

1 July 1943

United Press

Newspaper clipping

Title: Herkimer/Schenectady

One newspaper clipping containg two short articles on local news in New York state. The first article entitled, "Herkimer," pertains to news from the Gould Paper Company expecting snow. The second article entitled, "Schenectady," pertains to a German short wave radio picking up a signal and reporting that Eric Ritter had been taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans.

GLC09953.008

circa 1944

United Press

Newspaper clipping

Title: [News related to prisoner of war and missing soldier]

One newspaper clipping containing announcements related to two soldiers. The first reports that Peter Orsini had been taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese government. The second reports that a soldier named Walter Miller had been found and his whereabouts.

GLC09953.011

1863

Wells, Hiram C., fl. 1825-1900

Diary

Title: Pocket Diary for 1863

One diary for the year 1863 by Hiram C. Wells. The diary gives a good view of life in the cavalry with skirmishes, scouts, etc. Well's regiment took part in the siege of Knoxville. Wells was later captured, imprisoned at Andersonville, and on the Sultana when it exploded.

GLC03131.15.001

1863

Wells, Hiram C., fl. 1825-1900

Autograph manuscript

Title: Civil war recollections

GLC03131.15.002

22 November 1856

Wells, Hiram C., fl. 1825-1900

Autograph document signed

Title: Regarding the estate of his late brother Sidney

GLC03131.15.003

18 January 1862

Wells, Hiram C., fl. 1825-1900

Autograph letter signed

Title: Correspondence regarding arrival at camp

GLC03131.15.004

15 July 1891

Autograph letter signed

Title: To Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.005

25 July 1891

Western, John, fl. 1891-1892

Typed document signed

Title: Regarding stocks for the Home Building and Loan Association of Detroit, Michigan

One document sent to Hiram C. Well by John Western dated July 25, 1891. Certifying stocks int he Home Building and Loan Association of Detroit.

GLC03131.15.006

10 November 1862

Abbey, Andrew, fl. 1862

Autograph document signed

Title: To Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.007