12 October 1864

Lockhart, H.C., fl. 1864

Broadside

Title: [Instructions for enrolling and impressing slaves]

Circular issued by Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart, Commandant for Alabama. These orders are intended for County Enrolling Officers and Impressing Agents. Instructions are provided regarding the impressment of enslaved people. "Assistants... will listen with respect to the complaints of slave owners, touching the action of their duties, and investigate and decide upon the same before the slaves of such owners are sent to Selma or Montgomery. But, while exercising great care to distribute this burden with equity and justice, they will also exercise due firmness and vigilance that their…

GLC06158.11

1862-1864

Jones, John, fl. 1862-1864

Header Record

Title: [Collection of John Jones, Company F, 45th regiment, Illinois, infantry] [decimalized]

Contains vivid battle descriptions and political content. On 13 March 1863, he writes of his opposition to a $300 fee to avoid draft "based precisely on the same principle with the conscription of the 'Southern Confederacy' which exempts a man owning twenty negros.... " He also writes of "Union Jim our gallant contraband [cook who] shot one secesh and took two prisoners... so much for a nigger... some of them are as brave as any whites, give them a chance to fight and see whether or no they will disgrace our cause. Away with this prejudice of color...." John P. Jones served in the Illinois…

GLC05981

11 October 1864

Cooper, Samuel, 1798-1876

Document

Title: [General Order No. 78 concerning war correspondence and rations]

Cooper was Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General. The printed order has 6 parts. First part directs all military officers how to create correspondence with the War Department. Says any failure to follow orders will be subject to a court martial. Says endorsements should be carefully made so recipients can understand its contents at a glance and leave room for subsequent endorsements. Says writers must sign and date correspondence with full rank before they send it in to the War Department. Second part says commissioned officers drawing rations must have a certificate that they are for…

GLC05987.11

29 October 1864

Allen, Henry Watkins, 1820-1866

Broadside

Title: To the planters and slave-owners of Louisiana.

Allen, Governor of Louisiana, implores slave owners to loan their slaves to construct fortifications on the Red River. Promises, "Your negroes will be well treated and well fed. They will be required to labor but sixty days, at the expiration of which time they will be dismissed and returned to their homes... Unless the negroes are promptly sent forward, they will be impressed- the country must be defended."

GLC05987.14

27 December 1860

Dunovant, R. G. M., 1821-?

Broadside

Title: [Call for volunteers under General Order No. 4]

Printed broadside is part of the first call of troops for the Confederacy. Dated from "Headquarters" in Charleston. Order given by Adjutant and Inspector General Dunovant to various commanders to make a call of volunteers from "their commands." These commands seem to be militia units around South Carolina. Order given a week after South Carolina passed legislation to secede from the Union. Says to organize the volunteers into companies "according to the Section referred to above." Section 2 of an unknown act is printed above this order and it describes how units are to be created. Says…

GLC05987.16

1862 - 1864

Morse, N.S., fl. 1862-1864

Header Record

Title: Daily chronicle & sentinel.

Each issue contains telegraphic reports and Northern news, mostly covering battle reports and war news. Commercial reports indicate stock values in Augusta markets, including financial, cotton, dry goods, grain, groceries, country produce, and sale of enslaved people. Special notices in each issue list religious services, legislative and election news (including intentions of running for elected office), meeting notices, requests for blankets for soldiers, and conscription notices. Auction notices list a variety of things for sale in each issue. Most issues have four pages; one has two…

GLC05959.07

18 July 1863

Broadside

Title: To the Laboring Men of New York.

Issued by "A Democratic Workingman." Civil War anti-draft riot broadside reminding potential rioters that all damages incurred during the riots are paid for with city money; that is, money out of their own pockets. Encourages New Yorkers to trust that unlawful policy will be settled in the highest courts.

GLC05864

31 December 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edwin M. Stanton re: discharge of jailed Confederate conscript

The soldier was a nephew of Lincoln's aquaintance, John Tipton, who has "Lost one brother, and another crippled for life, in our service"

GLC07107

5 August 1862

Henry, Patrick, 1843-1930

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John J. Pettus

Writes to the Governor of Mississippi about Rankin county, Mississippi, which is in very bad condition due to a lack of able bodied men. They fear a slave uprising. "In our county the able bodied men have been so reduced by volunteering and drafting that the militia is not only greatly reduced, but the people are insecure from an outbreak of our blacks." Asks him to do what he can by using his position as Chief Magistrate of the state. Says there are hardly any guns or ammunition. Gives his advice to remedy the situation. This includes furnishing powder and ball to the board of police of…

GLC07082.03

16 October 1863

Broadside

Title: Deserters!

Lists names, ages, occupations, home counties of 9th Congressional District, Pennsylvania for draftees who failed to report for duty. Offering $300 reward for arrest of "all delinquent men".

GLC07015

January 24, 1864

Campbell, John Archibald, 1811-1889

Endorsement

Title: [Endorsement on a British citizen's request to leave the Confederacy]

Written on half-sheet of paper. Contains a request from Thomas Fitzpatrick to the Secretary of War. Fitzpatrick writes, "I am a native of Ireland and a subject of Great Britain. My trade is house-painting, and I am not only out of employment, and unable to obtain any, but am absolutely destitute of means and money, without a shelter to stay in. I earnestly and respectfully ask that I may be permitted to leave the Confederate lines by land." Campbell, Assistant Confederate Secretary of War, endorses on verso. Captain [R. L. Hardy?] also signs on verso, noting that Fitzpatrick is not…

GLC05516

3 July 1863

Wool, John E., 1784-1869

Letter signed

Title: to George Opdyke

Discusses his unwillingness to place New York City at the mercy of a privateer by sending troops to protect the city. Adds that if he had the troops to spare, he would gladly send them along. The subject of this letter is foreboding of the 1863 Draft Riots. Imprint of "Congress" written above the Captiol Building in upper left corner.

GLC05458

7 July 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Printed draft call for troops from New York]

Calling for 1767 troops to fulfill the first part of the draft quota for the 29th District of New York. Partially printed document filled-out by Lincoln. Signed seven days before the New York draft riots. With dough seal.

GLC05617

1863

Manville, C.M., fl. 1863

Broadside

Title: Deserters.

Broadside listing delinquent drafted men who failed to report at the proper time in the 13th District of Pennsylvania. Lists their ages, occupation, and residence. Seems to contain about 200 names, in 3 columns. Eight of the names are highlighted in red ink drawn through them, but the text is still readable. Splotch of ink is toward the upper left corner of broadside. Below the delinquents is a shorter list of deserters from the draft, with the same listing of ages, occupations, and residence. Offers a $30 reward for their arrest and delivery to the Provost Marshall, Captain C.M. Manville, "…

GLC05646

circa 3 March 1863

Lane, D.M., fl. 1863

Broadside

Title: Deserters!

Broadside created by Provost Marshal Captain Lane. Lists men who failed to report at headquarters for duty from the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. They are therefore "subject to Arrest as Deserters from the United States Army." Lists men from the 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st and 24th wards, as well as substitutes who deserted. Men are listed by name, with age, country or state of origin (many are immigrants from Ireland or Germany, but not overwhelmingly), occupation, and street address. Other men are listed under each table giving physical description. Some names are marked in…

GLC05647

September 25, 1780

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Madison

The letter mentions companies engaged in promoting the development of the West, the attack on St. Augustine, Florida, the military draft, and Virginia's claims in Ohio. On the letter there is a penciled quotation in later hand on bottom annotating "Hotspur" in Pendleton's letter (quotation from Shakespeare).

GLC00099.047

August 21, 1862

Pearce, Frederic, fl. 1861-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Father

Frederic Pearce writes that he was exempted from the draft due to poor eyesight. He discusses church finances and describes ruins at Harper's Ferry. The letter is written on blue paper. Page 4 is cross-written.

GLC00066.143

August 3, 1862

Pearce, Thirza, fl. 1861-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Papa

Thirza Pearce discusses the beginning of the state draft. She reports that with the draft beginning, they are still finding volunteers. She also expects not to attend college in the next year.

GLC00066.148

14 July 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Printed draft call for troops from Maine]

Draft calling for 2,360 troops from the 3rd district of Maine. Printed with state and number of troops added in writing.

GLC00425

23 August 1778

Wheelock, Eleazor, 1711-1779

Autograph document signed

Title: [Fine for refusing to enter the Continental Service]

Signed "By order of the Select Men." Receipt for ten pounds received of Asa Hamant as a fine for refusing the enter Continental service after being notified.

GLC01450.029

October 9, 1862

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Letter signed

Title: to Governor John Milton

Davis writes as President of the Confederate States to the Governor of Florida about enforcing the Conscript Act in the state and encloses a copy of the instructions (not present). Addresses the issue of physically unfit men reporting for duty and directs that it is the duty of the mustering and inspecting officers to refuse them. Letter written to Milton in Tallahassee, Florida.

GLC01430.01

March 1, 1863

Gibson, Randall Lee, 1832-1892

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Seddon

Confederate Colonel Gibson writes to the Confederate Secretary of War to protest being relieved of command and demoted to an inferior office. He had succeeded Brigadier General Daniel Adams after Adams was wounded at Murfreesboro and had just been reassigned to "conscript and recruiting service." He considers the action "arbitrary and unjust - as depriving me of my dearest rights as a soldier and degrading me in the eyes of my comrades in arms." Letter written from the Headquarters of Adams' Brigade.

GLC01810

20 October 1863

Fullerton, J. Quincy, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliakim P. Scammon

Spy report regarding reconnaissance against Confederate forces led by Confederate General Alfred Eugene Jackson (1807-1889), whom he refers to as "Mudwall." Describes his journey with 30 men of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Volunteers across Virginia and West Virginia. Reports a skirmish with the enemy which interrupted their much needed rest and states, "...seeing our efforts to drive the enemy with our revolvers were useless we continued on towards the railroad." They continued on into Tennessee, along Iron Mountain, and into North Carolina where "Here we were most welcome...citizens came…

GLC01904

January 31, 1863

Seddon, James A. (James Alexander), 1815-1880

Letter signed

Title: to Thomas Hill Watts

Seddon, Confederate Secretary of War, writes to Watts, Confederate Attorney General. Seddon states, "You are respectfully informed in reply to the applications of D H Parker submitted by you, that the Exemption Act has not embraced overseers of negro hounds among the exemptions and the Department cannot supply the omission."

GLC01925

1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Pamphlet

Title: The letters of President Lincoln on questions of national policy.

Reprint of six letters by Lincoln: June 13, 1863, to an Albany, New York Committee, discussing his interpretation of the writ of habeas corpus in the Vallandigham case; February 3, 1862 and October 13, 1862, to General George McClellan on the management of the war; August 22, 1862, to Horace Greeley concerning amnesty for southerners; August 7, 1863, to New York mayor Horatio Seymour regarding the New York City draft riots and the constitutionality of the Conscription Act; August 26, 1863, to the Springfield, Illinois and Syracuse Conventions, defending the Emancipation Proclamation.…

GLC01969