6 September 1879

Alelay, Harriet C., fl. 1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary M. Epperly

Sends her condolences over her Aunt's death. Writes that she hopes one day to see her mother and four children in heaven. Says that she is homesick for the county she grew up in.

GLC02715.130

7 May 1890

Dorian, fl. 1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Asks if all the cases of Roanoke Fever in Floyd have proven fatal. Says that he hopes she will come to visit.

GLC02715.136

29 June 1778

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Lucy Knox

Describes the Battle of Monmouth (28 June 1778) in detail. As the British marched away from Philadelphia toward Shrewsbury, New Jersey, Continental troops under General [Charles] Lee attacked the British rear. In the ensuing battle, "My brave Lads behaved with their usual intrepidity & the Army give the Corps of Artillery their full proportion of the Glory of the day. Indeed upon the whole it is very splendid- the Capital Army of Britain defeated, and oblig'd to retreat before the Americans who they despise so much." Estimates the number of British casualties to be three times the…

GLC02437.00713

3 July 1778

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Knox

Relates that the British are moving toward Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Reports the details of the Battle of Monmouth, mentioning Generals Charles Lee and George Washington. Writes, "The Corps of Artillery have their full proportion of the Glory of the day. His Excellency the General has done them & me the honor to notice us in General orders in very pointed & flattering terms.- Indeed I was highly delighted with their coolness, bravery, and good Conduct." Estimates the British have lost a thousand men between the Battle of Monmouth and other skirmishes.

GLC02437.00714

25 June 1778

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Knox

Reports that the British left Philadelphia. He and Lucy went into the city, but had to leave because it "stunk so abominably." Notes that the American and British armies are twenty miles apart, at Princeton and Allentown respectively. Comments on the great number of deserters in the British army. Writes, "if General Actions had no other consequences than merely the kill'd and wounded, we should attack them in 24 hours, but the fate of posterity and not the illusive [sic] [brilliancy] of military Glory govern's our [Fabian] Commander, the Man under God to whom America owes her present…

GLC02437.00712

17 October 1862

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

His regiment has not fought yet but Bill Elliot's has. There were 4,000-5,000 Confederates, outnumbering the Union four to one, but the Union won. He does not how many Union casualties there were but it was nothing "like so many as the rebbels."

GLC02739.019

6-7 December 1862

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

George Cooper died of the measles. The Confederates tried to capture their grain train but were unsuccessful. He lists the hierarchy of officers above him: Sill, Rosecrans, Kirk, and Reid.

GLC02739.028

7 January 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

Joseph Walker and John Millis were killed in the Battle of Stones River.

GLC02739.031

February 11, 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He grieves for George Cooper, John Millis, and Joseph Walker. He describes Joseph's and John's deaths and how he helped bury them. He isn't sorry that he enlisted but if he would never "go in another such a wore as this for it is an unholy war on both sides."

GLC02739.034

February 14, 1863

Jones, Joseph, fl. 1862-1865

Autograph letter

Title: to Nancy E. Jones

He sends Phebe Jane Walker his sympathies about Joseph's death. They are working on a fort and he hopes they will get to stay in it. He finds the Confederates "al friendly and kind I tel you it is awful to think that we half to kill them on the account of some wicked leading men."

GLC02739.036

26 April 1863

Allen, George D., fl. 1859-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Mayberry

Writing to tell her he is alright, even though it is not his turn. Says he is about 10 miles from Washington, North Carolina under batteries which have caused them a great deal of trouble for the past 3-4 weeks. It was the cause of them not going to Philadelphia. Says the rebels sneaked in and built the batteries during the night and "They built them a little back from the river so that they could not be seen when they got them finished they cut the trees down in front of them." They were also built under the ground so they could not be shelled out. Says Commodore Hull ran the gauntlet of…

GLC02829.08

31 May 1863

Allen, George D., fl. 1859-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Mayberry

References her letter of the 25th. Is sorry to hear she is in such bad health, but sends her encouraging words. Says "If you have seen me fourteen months ago you would not have given much for me as I dont believe I weighed 80 lbs. but I never mentioned it before." Claims he lived on port wine and arrow root for 3 weeks, but thanks God he is now in good health again. Says he is now 133 lbs. Says he went to shore in Washington, North Carolina where his friend Cromwell has a cousin, a major in the 178th Pennsylvania regiment. Says it is a pretty place (in contrast to his negative opinion in…

GLC02829.09

20 June 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Trying to comfort his wife, who was depressed by the death of a relation (Lucy who had died a year earlier). Expects marching orders soon.

GLC04558.100

29 May 1863

McIntire, Frank T., fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary and Bill Mayberry

References Mary's letter of 29 April. Also writes to Mary's husband Bill. Returned to Key West after a cruise of 43 days, in which they captured 8 sailing vessels and destroyed one steamer, the "Cuba." Says the loss of the "Cuba" was bad as they were set to receive good prize money for her. Says it is a severe blow to hear of Mather's death "but I have become reconciled to it and believe it all for the best." Tells Bill he likes Philadelphia as well as him, but that it will not be his home again. Is anxious to get home to settle his affairs and be off again. Says he is rushed with 50 letters…

GLC02829.10

31 October 1861

Smith, Maria, fl. 1861

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Asa Smith

There are four separate notes from various family members to Asa Smith updating him on family and home life. One is from his sister "Maria," one from his sister "Carrie," another from his sister "Mary," and the last is from his mother. Maria's note: references receiving Asa's letter. She says they received a letter from Wallace ( Asa's brother William Wallace Smith) too. Wallace said he was under marching orders and expects to be in a battle soon. Wallace said he has not slept much, but eats well on corn beef, ham, rice, and beans. Says "Mother is fixing some trimming for an apron for me,…

GLC03742.02

14 October 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Soldiers talking about enlisting in regular service for $50 bounty and 40 day furlough but Tillitson says he will stick to his three-year enlistment. "Dont know but I could afford to loose a leg for the sake of going home but it would be rather a dangerous experiment to try here at least, for almost every one of our regiment who have had a leg amputated have since died. But then what could we reasonably expect of wounds that is left without dressing until maggots crawl out of them." News of other soldiers, mentions farms stripped of food and wood by foragers, command of brigade transferred…

GLC04558.048

9 January 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Drilling, describes detail work for loading supplies, size of regiment: 13 discharged, 10 deserted, 2 died,2 killed in battle and 26 absent. Punishments for deserters described, jokes about needing a drum to organize his life when he returns home, questions on family doctor bills, other home news.

GLC04558.061

14 April 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Reports extensive skirmishing, his regiment has a "bully position" that is easily held from Rebs who are trying to cross the Nansemond River; describes fight in which Gen Corcoran shot and killed Lt. Krimble of the Hawkins Zouaves. Information from captured rebel sergeant.

GLC04558.082

8 May 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued May 9. Responding to family news, concerned that Edwin fought at Fredericksburg, comments on sister Louisa's plan to keep a school, escort for deceased officer, has bad cold, news of Hooker. With postscript apologizing for damaging the ambrotype (#207): "...while I was cleaning the glass to your pictures with Tripoli[,] I was careless enough to let the clothe haveing the tripoli on get drawn across the face of the glass that the likenesses were taken on, and Leon's is spoiled and Georgiana's is damaged...."

GLC04558.091

5 June 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Continued on June 6. Camping in the shade and making "artificial shade" with pine and cedar branches; according to letter from relative Matilda, "Nelson was a prisoner in the hands of the rebels;" other news. "As for Marys letter I dont think 'pretty much' of her abolition doctring [sic], she thinks it would be a glorious thing to fight and die for abolition but I dont. It is a sure thing though that I have got to fight for it, and may die for it, but I shall consider the fight a compulsory one, and the death inglorious. Pshaw!" Doubts that there will be much draft resistance; health;…

GLC04558.096

14 June 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Asks her to write and apologizes for brevity; discusses preparations for a dance and picnic, including ladies from Norfolk whom he hopes will be respectable. Claims that "over five hundred" women in Norfolk are "registered as professionally bad" (i.e., prostitutes). Concerning a soldier who drowned trying to swim the river "Sixty rounds of ammunition and the accoutrements of a soldier makes [sic] a bad life preserver." Sends five dollars and wishes she could attend the dance next Wednesday.

GLC04558.098

December 2, 1865

Heyward, William H., 1817-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William A. Williams

One letter from William Henry Heyward, enslaver and proprietor of Clay Hall plantation in Reconstruction-era South Carolina, to William A. Williams dated December 2, 1865. Discusses going to Charleston to receive a pardon and to attain ownership of Clay Hall by the Bureau of Freedmen, Refugees and Abandoned Lands. He would be contracting freedmen he had formerly enslaved into a labor contract for cash rather than offering them crops. He remarks: "It only remains for me to enter into contract with the Freedmen (formerly my own Negroes) for the ensuing year-- and although it is difficult to…

GLC00496.254.06

26 May 1846

Gibson, W.W., fl. 1846

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his brother Tobias Gibson

He was unable to make the arrangements Tobias asked for because Mrs. F. Gibson was on her death bed. He discusses payment of money, crops and plans to settle near Lake Providence.

GLC04501.054

13 July 1852

Gibson, Tobias, fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Preston Gibson

He urges Preston to do something with his life. Writes that uncle William is ill, his daughter Loula has worms, and Hart and Claude are on their way home. He concludes by commenting on the pageantry of Mr. Clay's funeral.

GLC04501.067

November 1853

Humphreys, Sarah Gibson, fl. 1853

Autograph letter signed

Title: to her father Tobias Gibson

The date of the letter is taken from the docket. Writes that Loula is doing much better. Sarah discusses the visitors she entertained last week. Reports Mat Ward was arrested for murder. At first he was placed in a debtor's cell but a mob demanded that he be moved to a criminal cell and placed in chains. She does not think he will hang because his family is rich and influential.

GLC04501.072