28 December 1863

Benjamin, Judah Philip, 1811-1884

Letter signed

Title: to Jefferson Davis

Confederate Secretary of State Benjamin sends draft instructions (not included) for a proposed diplomatic minister to be sent to Mexico, on which Davis then sought the Confederate Senate's advice (see GLC06619.01). Recommends secrecy to avoid the United States trying to thwart their efforts. A list of dates and related administrative actions chart the progress of the resolutions until they were agreed to on 5 January 1864.

GLC06619.02

16 June 1865

Keckley, Elizabeth, fl. 1818-1907

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James B. Bradwell re: mementos of Jefferson Davis

These mementos belonged to Keckley, a freed slave and onetime seamstress to Mrs. Davis and later to Mrs. Lincoln. They include a "Bedstead taken from the House of Jefferson Davis, four (4) days after the evacuation of the city" and "some other curiosities... a piece of cloth taken from the desk of Jeff. Davis in the rebel capital -- the other a piece of the covering of the door of the rebel capital." She asks for the return of the bedstead. Judge Bradwell apparently knew Keckley through the Lincolns.

GLC06890

16 June 1863

Swords, J. M., fl. 1863

Newspaper

Title: The Daily citizen. [June 16, 1863]

News at Vicksburg, (false) reports of victory at Port Hudson. Support for General Pemberton. Geometric red and gray pattern.

GLC06812

11 April 1865

Newspaper

Title: Richmond Whig. [Vol. 1, no. 7 (April 11, 1865)]

Union-occupation issue, covering the fall of Richmond shortly before and the surrender of Robert E. Lee two days before. The front page contains biographical sketches of Confederate generals killed at Richmond or Petersburg, or who played an important role, including A.P. Hill, William H. Fitzhugh Lee, Gen. Pegram. On page 8 appears the correspondence between Lee and Grant, giving the terms of surrender at Appomatox. An article "The Duty of the North" by Henry Ward Beecher pleads pardon for the rebels. INK BLURRING from poor registry of the printer's forms. UNOPENED.

GLC06843

14 June 1864

F.T. Cooper & A.N. Kimball

Newspaper

Title: Daily Mississippian. [Vol. 3, no. 39 (June 14, 1864)]

re: Genl Sheridan's defeat by Hampton's cavalry near Richmond, Death of Genl Ambrose Burnside; printed in exile in Selma, AL. Lamination repairs at edges and center

GLC06870

March 3, 1863

Hundt, William R., fl. 1862

Manuscript signed

Title: An account of South Carolina's financial support of the Confederate government

As Secretary of State, William Hundt gives his account of South Carolina's passage of an act that allocated $200 million in state bonds to the Confederate government. Labeled "Copy"

GLC06897.02

1908

Mosby, John S., 1833-1916

Book signed

Title: Stuart's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign [inscribed to grandson]

First edition. Signed as "The Author" to his grandson. The book also has corrections (which appear to be in Mosby's hand): pp. 1, 14, 29, 75 (Gettysburg), 91, 107, 132 and 187. Four corrections emend grammar, three correct officer's names or ranks, two concern dates, and one involves a unit's designation. Mosby defends Stuart's actions at Gettysburg, argues he was following Lee's orders explicitly, and places the blame on Lee's advance units which engaged in a battle rather than withdrawing. CWB I. Dornbusch II. Loose bookplate laid-in.

GLC06985

30 September 1860

Weeks, John F., fl. 1860-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents

Writes that seven confederate spies have been caught and are being held in the guardhouse. Reports that General Fremont has left to cut off reinforcements from Price and McCulloch at Lexington. Writes that he is at the location where Col. Franz Sigel retreated to during the Springfield battle in August. Also writes that his company passed up an offer to receive new rifles so they were given old ones instead. Describes other conditions of camp and the surrounding land. Written at Camp Rolla

GLC06728.002

17 October 1861

Weeks, John F., fl. 1860-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents

Reports that some of the soldiers of the company are ill but not dangerously. Describes his uniform equipment, and food at camp. Writes that a prisoner, a lieutenant of Brig. General James McBride was brought in. Prisoners are often brought in and discharged under oath. Asks that his parents send him a newspaper occasionally. Written at Camp Rolla

GLC06728.003

19 December 1861

Weeks, John F., fl. 1860-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his family

Writes that he is feeling better, though he still can't speak aloud. Reports that three companies of infantry went to Salem to clear a band of rebels. There is rumor that General Price has been replaced but the rumor has not been confirmed. Writes about the different foods he's been eating and has purchased. Written at Camp Rolla.

GLC06728.007

January 25, 1862

Weeks, John F., fl. 1860-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents

Writes that he will be marching to Springfield, about 70 miles from his present location, to "bag old Price". Also includes a newspaper clipping reporting that the 36th Illinois has left for the West.

GLC06728.011

30 December 1865

Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary F. Jarvis

Lee, then president of Washington College, responds to an enquiry about whether or not a young man of Pennsylvania would be welcomed at the Virginia school. Although it was less than a year from the end of the Civil War and tensions were still runing high, Lee assures Jarvis that there would be no objection to the admission of a Northern student, as long as he met the requirements. He remarks that "from the young & thoughtless, he may occassionally hear some unpleasnat remark...The majority of the students are too high minded & generous to knowingly wound his feelings."

GLC07005

18 August 1854

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Letter signed

Title: to John E. Wool

Written by Davis as Secretary of War to General Wool as Commander of the Department of the Pacific. References Wool's letter of 30 May 1854 and his own letters to Wool on 12 January 1854 and 14 April 1854. Expresses surprise and indignation at Wool's complaining tone toward the Department of War in regard to his authority to suppress illegal expeditions against the Mexican territory. He reminds Wool "that while you choose to hold the high commission of General in the Army, you assume an obligation to render due respect and cheerful obedience to the authority and orders of this Department…

GLC05518

1 May 1865

Forrest, French, 1796-1866

Document signed

Title: [Parole for C. Lucian Jones]

Forrest signed as Flag Officer, Confederate Navy. He was commander of the James River Squadron. Co-signed by William Hartsuff, Brigadier General, United States Army. Parole for Jones, Assistant Paymaster, Confederate Army after the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston to Union General William T. Sherman at Greensboro, North Carolina.

GLC05517

circa February 22, 1862

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Broadside

Title: President Jefferson Davis's Inaugural Address

Extra printing of Davis's speech from the Richmond Enquirer. The address was delivered on 22 February 1862. The paper was then published by Tyler, Wise & Allegre. Bottom of document mentions the evacuation of Nashville on February 22.

GLC05557.02

February 25, 1909

Mosby, John S., 1833-1916

Typed letter signed

Title: to Alexander Spottswood Campbell

Spottswood was possibly Mosby's grandson (son of daughter May Virginia Campbell and Robert Campbell). Typed on Department of Justice stationery with the printed heading, "Carbon copy for the file". Transmits a clipping from the Times-Dispatch on an essay on Robert E. Lee by "a Northern girl." Declares that it is a fair assessment of Lee, and discusses the article at length: "...if there had been free schools in the south there would have been no war simply because an enlightened public opinion in that section would not have submitted to the rule of a slave holding oligarchy. A large…

GLC05738

12 June 1862

Pickens, Francis Wilkinson, 1805-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jefferson Davis

Discusses the defense of Charleston. Apparently a retained draft, written on three sheets of white legal paper and another sheet of smaller blue ruled paper. Says of the Union "with their resources...they can supply every thing...the sickliness of the [season] is nothing to them as they have the scum of society in their army."

GLC05739

3 December 1870

Lee, Mary Custis, 1808-1873

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Colonel Marshall

Possibly to Colonel Charles Marshall, Lee's aide during the Civil War. Mary writes "to collect some incidents in the early life of my husband." States she is "too feeble and unwell to do the subject justice" and asks him to correct errors in dates. Asks that her name not be used. States he had included a sheet with extracts of letters Lee wrote to her (included). Says that when she is well again she can supply more letters and information. The handwritten sheet of dated extracts she includes deal with subjects such as Lee's good treatment of slaves, the death of Stonewall Jackson, the…

GLC05728

2 December 1864

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George H. Thomas

Grant, commander-in-chief of the United States Army, instructs General Thomas to move out of Nashville, Tennessee, "and force the enemy to retire or fight upon ground of your own choosing." Informs Thomas, commanding the Department of the Cumberland, that he (Grant) thinks the Union army should have taken the offensive against Confederates based on the successful Union repulsion of Confederate General John Bell Hood at Franklin, Tennessee (30 November 1864). Declares "You will now suffer incalculable injury upon your railroads if Hood is not speedily disposed of; [inserted in pencil: Cut…

GLC05730

26 August 1862

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Autograph endorsement signed

Title: on George W. Randolph

Davis's endorsement, written on blank leaf of Secretary of War Randolph's letter, discusses doing justice to General John B. Magruder and the recommendation that he be given a command in the Trans-Mississippi Department. Randolph's letter (the first two pages), dated 26 August 1862, defends Magruder against charges of drunkenness and incompetence during the Peninsula Campaign: "He must be acquitted on 'incompetence' altho on more than one occasion he may have erred." On Confederate States of America, War Department stationery.

GLC05740

5 August 1861

Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Joseph Hardee

Confederate Brigadier General Pillow informs General Hardee that a courier he formerly sent had been captured and taken as a prisoner, thus previous messages intended for Hardee and General McCulloch (possibly Ben McCulloch) had not been transmitted. Writes "It is essential that our forces be united before we advance far into the Interior- At Ironton there is a force, as I am informed of about 3000 men & they are fortifying their position in that neighborhood probably on Cedar Creek - There is also a force of 4 or 5 thousand men at Cape Giradeau in my rout and which I must dislodge…

GLC05744

June 28, 1863

Cooper, Samuel, 1798-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert E. Lee

Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General, writes to Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. Referring to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, he writes "Whilst with the…