1864/03/18-1864/11/15

Archer, Edward R., fl. 1830-1917

Letterbook

Title: [Copy Book of E. R. Archer]

"Wedgewood's Improved Copy Book." Letterpress copy book from Europe to Archer's family and fellow officers in the C.S.V.N. [Confederate States Volunteer Navy] with index of letters copied. Written while visiting London and Bermuda. On the cover it indicates the number of the book as '1'. Blue and white printed paper covers, product label pasted to front cover, tissue paper leaves. (18 Mar) "Some of my letters have been destroyed whist running the Blockade … You are now ready to supply Genl Beauregard with a 15" gun."; (29 Mar) "[Allow] us to make our sortie amongst the enemies fleet which…

GLC01896.159

1900/10/16

Baird, G. W., fl. 1900

Typed letter signed

Title: to Edward R. Archer Esq.

Thanks Archer for the history he sent of the 42 pounder "Columbiad" cannon which sits in front of the State, War, & Navy Department Building as an ornament, asks if Archer is related to "Edward K. Archer" who resigned from the navy in 1860, compares the soldier of the Civil War to those fighting against America in the Philippines. "Whenever I look at that old 42 pdr gun, I wonder how they ever used it, for its preponderance is great. But the men who fired that gun were in terrible earnest, and not lacking in gameness nor ingenuity. There is a great difference between fighting such men as…

GLC01896.139

February 9, 1864

Fairchild, Lewis D., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sephronia Fairchild

Fairchild writes to his wife from Elmira, New York on 9 February 1864 and completes the letter on 10 February 1864 from Norwich, New York. Once at Norwich, he states he was made assistant sergeant of the barracks. His health has never been better. His pay is slow in coming, but he hopes to send her one hundred dollars soon. The letter is written in pencil and slightly faded in areas.

GLC03523.06.02

February 9, 1783

Patten, Thomas, fl. 1777-1785

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Artillery Artificers rations]

Lists men by regiment and company with rations issued. Countersigned by Samuel Shaw with an endorsement signed by Dudley Mercer on verso.

GLC02437.01907

February 9, 1783

Fleming, George, 1748-1822

Autograph note signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox that he has "[e]xamined the Ordnance, which I found in the usual order. Mounted the 6 pounders in the Block House according to order."

GLC02437.01908

1862/01/23

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter

Title: to Andrew H. Foote, Telegram re: naval support for Grant's Tennessee campaign

Basler 5: 108 (Footnote reprints GLC 4702.02, cover letter by Wise accompanying Lincoln's telegram). Lincoln writes in the third-person: "The President wishes the rafts with their 13 inch mortars and all appointments to be ready for use at the earliest possible moment. What can be done to advance this? What is lacking? What is being done, so far as you know? Telegraph us every day, showing the progress, or lack of progress in this matter." Annotated and dated by Wise 3.15 P.M. Basler, Roy P. The Collected Works Of Abraham Lincoln. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), Vol…

GLC04702.01

1862/01/23

Wise, Henry A., 1806-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Andrew H. Foote re: sending Lincoln's telegram; stirring up army ordnance

Cover letter accompanying Lincoln's telegram (GLC 4702.01). Quotes Lincoln saying to Wise: "Now I am going to devote a part of every day to these mortars and I won't leave off until it fairly rains Bombs."

GLC04702.02

[1863]

Photograph

Title: 1st Wisconsin posing with artillery on 4th street, Chattanooga, TN

Unmounted photograph, accompanied by a latter laid sheet of paper with note "Union Forces - Chattanooga"

GLC06389

1862 ca.

Brady, Mathew B., 1823-1896

Photograph

Title: [Benson's battery of horse artillery near Fair Oaks]

No. 433 in series.

GLC06441

February 17, 1863

Moore, Peter, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles Mettler

Moore, a Union soldier, informs his friend that he has been on the Steamer Sam Young Packet since 11 February, and that it is two miles from Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the Louisiana shore. Relates that he and others sent a decoy boat toward Vicksburg, and that "all the boys think it cost the rebs at least 500 dollars as the most of these shots was one hundred and sixty pounders." Discusses deaths caused by a smallpox epidemic among soldiers, citing that one boat has seven hundred cases. Mentions Philip, a mutual acquaintance still in LaGrange, Tennessee, where Moore has recently been…

GLC06269

February 9, 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Later copy. Written from the "War Office," likely in New York City. Writes that the bearer, Major [William] North, "will inform you of an intended disposition of some of the federal troops for the protection of the stores of the United States at Springfield." Writes that the work of these troops must be restricted to "securing the property of the United States." Asks him for his opinion on "what force (if any) will be an adequate protection to the Arsenal and Magazine."

GLC02437.03446

February 18, 1795

Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

States that Paul Rever has his howitzers ready to bore and asks if they should be proved. Pickering feels this might be a waste of ammunition and asks for Knox's opinion. Noted as written at the War Office.

GLC02437.06357

1898 ca.

Photograph

Title: "Bomb proofs thrown up by the Rough Riders to protect them from the dread enfilade fire of sheel [shell?] and shrapnel from the Spanish lines."

Shows a single soldier standing on a battlefield littered with clothes, buckets, rifles, and other paraphernalia. The soldier's face is obscured. A crude shelter is visible behind him.

GLC07002.50

1898 ca.

Scribner's magazine

Photograph

Title: "Artillery advancing."

Procession of horse-drawn carts carrying men and cannons, with view of ships and harbor visible in the background.

GLC07002.16

1898 ca.

Photograph

Title: Image showing the preparation of cannons

Image showing the preparation of cannons. Related to image GLC07002.16. "Spanish War" written on verso.

GLC07002.18

February 9, 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Unsigned, and marked "copy." Body of the letter in the hand of Robert Pemberton, Knox's aide. Knox refers to a previous letter he sent to Lincoln (see GLC02437.03446). Thanks him for his last letter, and believes his recent services to the government (by leading troops to suppress Shays' Rebellion) will prove beneficial. Writes, "A Congress of seven States has been lately formed. Our old friend General [Arthur] St. Clair president. Nearly three months elapsed between the time Congress ought to have been and the time it was actually formed." Adds, "I have written you an official letter…

GLC02437.03447

February 8, 1865

Wells, General, fl. 1863

Autograph document signed

Title: Property Return Acknowledgement for the month of January, 1865.

For Leander Williston. When examined, it will be sent to the Third Auditor of the Treasury.

GLC02198.10

February 28, 1865 - April 30, 1865

Autograph document signed

Title: Muster Roll

Capt. Perkins' company. Extremely fragile.

GLC02198.28

March 31, 1865

Williston, Leander A., 1830-?

Pamphlet

Title: Quarterly Return of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores

Part One: Artillery, Small Arms, Ammunition and other Ordnance Stores. Arranged to cover all the stores at Fort Picketts.

GLC02198.31

1757, 1779

Revere, Paul, 1735-1818

Header Record

Title: Two artillery manuals by John Muller, one signed 4 times [decimalized]

See item-level records

GLC05306

February 18, 1782

Crane, John, 1744-1805

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Apologizes for not responding more quickly to Knox, but was waiting for the commissaries to obtain paper so he might prepare the military returns. Refers to the returns from October, November, and December, which he sent out in the beginning of January; says they were prepared together because of the paper shortage. Includes a "a return of all the ordnance and stores of every kind in the department," and describes the amount and type of supplies in their stores, including ammunition, carriages, mortars, and charcoal.

GLC02437.01356

January 8, 1784

Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Lafayette references receiving a letter from Knox. He writes of their warm friendship, and says "from the beginning of our Great Revolution which Has been the Beginning of our Acquaintance, We Have Been Activated By the Same principles, supported with the same ideas, Attached to the same friends, and We Have warmly loved and Confidentially Entrusted each other." Reports that Knox's brother William is in London and expresses his fondness for him. Says "By our last Account from America, We Hear that New York is Evacuated, and our peace Establishment finally settled. I Hope also to Hear it is…

GLC02437.02928

1862/03/07

Moms, Joseph W., fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: George M. Morris.

Joseph's division is close to the Confederate forts which have fired at the camp but have not hit anyone yet. The soldiers "holler[e]d over to them if they co[ul]d not dew any better than that they had better quit." They are two miles of Yorktown where "Cornwallis gave oup [up] his sword to Washington." General McClellan, who "was dressed verry common," is with the division and "has sent a flag of truse to General McGruder." Joseph assumes "the ball will be opened this afternoon if they dew not surrender." He was on picket 300 yards from the forts while the Confederates, "belching and…

GLC06451.027

1862/05/01

Morris, Wilmor W., fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: "Much Esteemed Friend."

Wilmor reports that "Niggerdom is a question that is talked over in camp verry much." The men think Congress had better find a way to pay the soldiers at the appointed times. He describes their line of defense, which is within a mile of the Confederates, on "the same ground that Washington had his armey on before the sur[r]ender of Cornwallis." He thinks the Confederates will be surprised when the Union cannons "open the[i]r mouthes an[d] begin to bark at them think of 2000 ball[s] an[d] shells per minut[e]" flying through the air. Written at Camp Winfield Scott.

GLC06451.047

1862/06/27

Morris, Joseph W., fl. 1862-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to: Tilley Wilson.

There was a "sharp" fight two days ago during which his regiment and Hooker's distracted the enemy so that Porter could cross the Chickahominy and position his men on a hill above the Confederate capital from which he "can shell the city from where he is when ever he pleases." Joseph believes the Confederates would surrender if the Union were to capture Fort Darling on the James River. He claims that if McClellan had simply attacked Richmond he would have been defeated but "by getting out by degree," the Confederates leave their earthworks to the Union. He believes that once they have the…

GLC06451.031