January 13, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Sending photograph to wife "one of the crossest sourest looking fellows imagineable." Regarding the war effort: "If they make any offensive movement here I dont know what it will be unless 'On to Richmond' and the General that undertakes that will be shure to get redused [sic] because he didnt succede [sic]. If it were possible I really wish Governor Seymour would call us home, and if they want 300 000 more troops I hope he will get his back up about it, and tell them to go to h--l. I see by the papers that 'Our Glorious Victories' in the South West are kinder 'over the left' when you sum…

GLC04558.062

11 October 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Notes that it is his tenth wedding anniversary and writes that the thought of her distance and the time remaining cause "a choaking sensation" and tears. Says that he is the only man in Co. H with a family. Mentions slow siege of Charleston, health, selling his whiskey ration; recruiting officer sent away by commanding officer.

GLC04558.118

9 August 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Discusses farm business, friends, camp news, and politics. "I may vote for "Old Abe" if on keeps on behaveing [sic] himself, and calls for 300000, or 500000, more occasionally between this and election.

GLC04558.153

16 September 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

With discharge time drawing near, the letter centers on preparations for mustering out. New clothes issued. Col. Fairchilds wants the regiment to go to Elmira to do some recruiting. Relates news about Petersburg: rebel troops steal cattle; large numbers of troops heading toward Petersburg, GWT believes it is the 19th Army Corps.

GLC04558.161

22 October 1864

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Companies H, C and I are consolidated, GWT is in command. New recruits arriving to replace those mustered out - mostly foreigners.

GLC04558.168

27 November 1861

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Discusses provisions and recruiting. Written on patriotic stationery.

GLC04558.001

30 May 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Farm work (neighbors helped put-in crops), more rumors of Richmond's capture, drills, call for 100,000 men: "I think that the best way to end the concern [of enough men] would be to enlist and arm the contrabands for all the darkeys I have talked with about it say that they would like to fight for the north." [See #83]

GLC04558.025

19 August 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Second time on picket duty, contacts with rebel troops, relations with rebel farmer whose animals have been stolen, reading of a general order prohibiting theft, desertions listed, men re-enlisting, advice on farm, home and family to wife.

GLC04558.038

10 March 1864

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Writes jokingly that his family constantly suffers from illnesses while he is "growing fat and hearty." Mentions that General Hunt is to be relieved. Notes that his time is spent straightening out the account books and drilling the new recruits. The chaplain has asked the officers to sign a pledge to abstain from "liquor as a beverage." Says that they will probably remain in the same camp until mid-June.

GLC03603.257

12 March 1864

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Reports that they have orders to move to Deep Creek the next day and set up a new camp. They have not been called out to fight because so many of the recruits are unarmed. Writes more about how he finds Goddard "awkward." Arranges for his family to send his photograph to friends.

GLC03603.258

12 April 1864

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Describes a quiet camp and reading a novel called "Pique" until his candle went out at 4 a.m. Thanks her for sending a book called "Lady of the Lake." Describes singing hymns with the other officers and requests that he be sent his chess set from home. Notes that the regiment does not get very many recruits and that those they do get tend to desert. Writes that there is to be an execution of a deserter who Coit believes joined the Rebel side.

GLC03603.267

10 August 1864

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Requests more "light reading" and remarks on having read Uncle Tom's Cabin. Writes that he has received his new horse. Notes that 56 of the 100 recruits sent from New Haven have arrived and are about to begin training. Writes about the condition of the new recruits, saying that not one was American, but rather Irish, French and German. Comments that it seems his valise and papers have fallen victim to an explosion during delivery.

GLC03603.308

16 October 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Writes that Charlie Johnson left after visiting from Norwich for five days. Writes that he is more homesick than ever and hopes that the 8th Regiment will be sent to Connecticut to recruit new soldiers and supplement their depleted ranks.

GLC03603.155

26 December 1862

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Describes waking and reading aloud the "testimony of generals before the Conduct of the War Comm." and then preparing and eating a large Christmas dinner. Describes trying to make "lasses candy" and suspending "a Castor trimmed with evergreen and candles from the ridge pole as a chandelier." Says that General Sumner does not grant furloughs unless there is some sort of emergency. Of General Sumner he says "An old "Bull" he is indeed & I don't like him." Captain Sheffield returned after recovering with a wound and brought two recruits with him. Asks his family to keep the secret that "…

GLC03603.176

5 July 1898

Lewis, Calvin, fl. 1865-1898

Autograph letter signed

Title: To George Tillotson

The 114th Regiment has not been called up, however, Tillotson can enlist in Syracuse when a battalion is recruited.

GLC04558.189

7 January 1861

Pickens, Francis Wilkinson, 1805-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to the South Carolina House of Representatives

Writes about raising the 1st South Carolina Infantry. "I have called a regt. into active service... some of the companies of this regt. are now in positions on Sullivan's Island in the rear of Fort Moultrie, and other companies are rapidly arriving for the same positions. I have also commissioned one Captain in the 1. regt. of 'enlisted men'... I desire to go on with the recruiting service."

GLC09194

8 December 1863

Sayles, Sumner, fl. 1862-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William P. Sayles

Writes to his father from camp. Informs him that he sent ten dollars home. Complains about how long it has been since he has received any letters from the Silases family. Writes that a man named Knapp is a fool for trying to recruit all the "little boys" into the army. Notes that he cannot wait for the war to be over and hopes that Wash never has to see it. Letter has an image and the words, "E Pluribus Unum."

GLC03523.32.28

February 12, 1861

Sears, Thomas, fl. 1861

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Governor Francis W. Pickens

Two Virginians offer to fight in the army of South Carolina, which had already seceded, "to show to the Rest that we are sincere in what we say and in the cause of... the Southern confederacy." With an autograph endorsement by Pickens.

GLC09196

30 June 1861

Pickens, Francis Wilkinson, 1805-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Captain Stephen Dill Lee

Writes about sending troops to Virginia. "Capt. Walker has a company of about seventy-five men who are prepared as he says to be mustered into service...to fill up the vacancies in the 7th Regt...you are authorized to furnish them with the ordinary transportation to Manassas Junction."

GLC09202

9 January 1863

Boham, Milledge L., 1813-1890

Manuscript letter

Title: to Thomas Bragg

Replies to Bragg's "interrogatories." "With the view to counteract the unfounded assumption that this State has hitherto failed to furnish to the common service her full quota of troops, I beg to add that it appears...this State had contributed to the Confederate service between forty five and fifty thousand soldiers within a fraction of one sixth of her entire white population..."

GLC09212

3 April 1863

Arthur, B.F., fl. 1860-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: To General Johnson Hagood

Bonham's secretary asks General Hagood to investigate "a lad of 14 years of age...having run away from his mother, and joined Co. 'G' Nelson's Battalion" and to refuse the boy's enlistment if he is that young.

GLC09218

November 1863

Sickles, Daniel Edgar, 1819-1914

Manuscript document

Title: [Address at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art]

Address at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, mapping the path to Union victory. Powerful congressman in the New York Democratic Party, with ties to senior Union political and military leadership, assesses the war: "We cannot fail to see that our iron-clads and our victories have made friends for us in Europe. Let us remind my Lord Palmerston on New Year's Day that the concession of belligerant rights to the Southern insurgents was one of the instances in which the clever manager of European affairs made a blunder. Now is their time to undo this wrong.…Who believes that…

GLC09245

26 August 1861

Clark, Edward, fl. 1877

Broadside

Title: Proclamation to the People of Texas

Recruitment Broadside by Governor of Texas: "You require no appeal to animate your patriotism.... Then should every man be up and doing. If you want a speedy peace, you must be prepared to conquer it."

GLC09280

26 April 1864

Morgan, George, fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his friends

Writes to his friends from Camp Blue Springs. Reports a couple of cases of smallpox in camp. Comments on the copperheads and how he would have liked to confront them while on furlough back home. Discusses new recruits in camp. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner.

GLC03523.52.52

5 October 1864

Wirt, Matilda, fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Cyrus Wirt

Writes to her brother and sister. Informs them that Elles, their brother, has volunteered for the service. Requests they come down and visit before he leaves. Asks them to send two gallons of molasses down with whoever comes. Discusses the cold weather and making a fence. Jefferson is listed as the city but state is not listed. The letter is signed by Matilda, "your loving sister and brother Elles & Matilda." Surname is not given. Assuming she is not married, Matilda's surname should be Wirt since the letter is addressed to her brother, Mr. Cyrus Wirt.

GLC03523.52.69