December 11, 1881

Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edgar A. Hamilton

Sherman writes to Reverend Hamilton to eulogize General Hugh Judson Kirkpatrick shortly after his death, praising Kirkpatrick's merits as a soldier and a officer during both peace time and the Civil War. He writes, in part, "I never knew a more enthusiastic...cavalry officer, and I was personally indebted to him for the quickness he displayed in comprehending my purpose and the earnestness with which he executed his part..." Written on stationary of the Headquarters Army of the United States.

GLC00223

September 1878 - June 1887

Porter, Fitz-John, 1822-1901

Header Record

Title: Collection of Porter letters [Decimalized .01-.14]

Most of the letters in this collection are to Captain (sometimes Colonel) Julius Walker Adams, a noted engineer and cousin of President John Quincy Adams. Porter discusses the reevaluation of his conduct at Second Manassas by a special commission in 1878 and 1879. The commission, headed by General John M. Schofield, submitted a report 19 March 1879, exonerating Porter from previous charges. In the 1880s, Porter's sentence was officially reversed, and under a special act of Congress, his commission was restored (with no back pay due). Fitz John Porter (1822-1901) fought in the Mexican War…

GLC00214.02

July 3, 1863

McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Moses Grinnell

Asks Grinnell if he can assist the bearer of the letter, supposedly the wife of one of McClellan's soldiers. The woman who is delivering the letter to Grinnell "represents herself as being Mrs. McCormick," the wife of a soldier who served under McClellan. She claims she is destitute, and McClellan asks Grinnell to help her, since he has "control of a fund destined to the relief of such cases."

GLC00221

1862

Header Record

Title: [Letter and copy of General Orders No. 144] [Decimalized .01- .02]

GLC00228

19 June 1861

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

Autograph document signed

Title: General Orders No. 8

Order requiring soldiers to have a pass approved by Grant himself if away from camp at night, but no pass at all is required to leave camp during the day. Hopes that his leniency on the latter issue will lead to obedience on the former. Two days earlier Grant had been made a Colonel and put in charge of the Twenty-first Illinois infantry regiment. Grant soon whipped the notoriously rowdy regiment into much better fighting shape. Written at Camp Yates.

GLC00229

September 1862 ca.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Photograph

Title: President Lincoln and Gen. McClellan in McClellan's tent [Antietam] [stereocard]

From Photographic History series no. 602. M-104.

GLC00242.16

circa 1863

Currier & Ives

Print

Title: Battle of Gettysburg, Pa July 3rd 1863.

Handcolored lithograph, possibly contemporary with the battle. Depicts the men engaged in battle. Includes a brief paragraph describing the battle and the commanders on each side, Union and Confederate.

GLC00248

1891

Kurz & Allison

Print

Title: Battle of Stones River

Published by Kurz & Allison at 76 & 78 Wabash Avenue in Chicago. Full title is: "Battle of Stone River. Near Murfreesborough, Tenn." Seems to have been partially hand colored. Depicts Major General William S. Rosencrans on a black horse directing the battle on the left side of the image. Shows the Confederates attacking Union soldiers, who are on slightly higher ground. This is before the Union troops were pushed back across the Stone River. Fighting is taking place in the background beyond the river, mostly by calvary and artillery. Railroad tracks run parallel to the river.…

GLC00249.02

1862-1863

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

Header Record

Title: ALS with endorsements [decimalized]

GLC00255

February 24, 1862

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

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry S. Hewit

Ulysses S. Grant orders Hewit to visit hospitals and gather information to "complete your report of the battle of Fort Henry & Donelson." He commends Hewit for his "prompt and efficient manner." Docketed in pencil. Written at Fort Donelson

GLC00255.01

circa March 1862

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

Autograph endorsement signed

Title: [Grant's endorsement on docket of an autograph letter signed from Henry S. Hewit to John A. Rawlins]

In his letter to Rawlins, Hewit requests the use of a steam boat as a hospital, and requests that no transfers of sick men be made at this time. The letter is dated 20 March 1862. Grant's undated docket reads "Surgeon Hewit, Medical Director, will make such arrangements for the sick as in his judgment be necessary." Some text loss.

GLC00255.02

25 April 1863

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

Autograph endorsement signed

Title: to John Aaron Rawlins

Written at Smith's Plantation, Headquarters of the Department of the Tennessee, to Colonel Rawlins, General Grant's aide-de-camp and assistant adjutant. J. H. [Hewit?], possibly a Secretary of the United States Volunteers, states "it is a matter of the greatest importance that means of transportation for the sick and wounded and hospital supplies should be provided..." Requests that he may contact Confederate medical personnel at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in order to obtain permission for the floating Union hospitals and supply boat to keep their batteries. Writes "I respectfully submit that…

GLC00255.03

July 3, 1862

Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Wallace J. Ford

Then Brigadier General Garfield writes to a friend at home about "the congressional affair" shortly after he aided in the Battle of Corinth. He comments about his poor health and his weight loss. Back in Ohio, Garfield's friends were urging him to run for the 19th congressional district's seat, but he tells Ford he does not want his name "to go before a Convention at all unless there is more than an even chance that I would be successful." He describes military preparations for a Fourth of July celebration and the nearby Disciples of Christ, one of which he describes as a secessionist "…

GLC00261

October 28, 1861

Meane, John, fl. 1861

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Julia S. Moulton

Discusses the aftermath of the Battle of Ball's Bluff, which occurred on October 21, 1861. Written on Connecticut multi-color magnus letterhead with matching patriotic envelope. Mentions seeing McClellan, who was using their movements as a possible ruse to lure the enemy from Manassas. Discusses ambulances and wounded men. Also mentions the death of Colonel and United States Senator Edward D. Baker, "You have heard of the death of Col. Baker of the California Reg."

GLC00233

1865, 1890s

Header Record

Title: Stereographs & cartes, including Lincoln, McClellan, Gettysburg [decimalized]

Including the famous Brady posed image of Lincoln and McClellan having a conference at Antietam. At least one of the Gettysburg views is similar to GL# 244 and 2435, showing corpses.

GLC00242

13 July 1889

Sarony, Napoleon, 1821-1896

Photograph signed

Title: [Sepia cabinet portrait of William T. Sherman]

Contemporary portrait of Sherman, published in 1888. Seated, upper torso, arms folded. Dated "1889" and signed by Sherman in pencil on front with his inscription on verso to General Frederick Tracy Dent in Denver on 13 July 1889. Dent was Grant's brother-in-law and West Point classmate, and an aide to Sherman (1869-1873). He lived in Denver at this time. This photo was used to design the $.08 Sherman stamp 1890-1894 issue.

GLC00478

August 17, 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Frederic P. Stanton

Follow-up letter discussing the addition of evidence in a Court of Inquiry case. Written on War Department letterhead.

GLC00496.044

October 4, 1864

Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893

Letter signed

Title: to George Dodge

Orders Colonel Dodge, Chief Quartermaster at Bermuda Hundred, to send all available boats that could carry troops to Washington, D.C. Written from Butler's Headquarters of the Army of the James in pencil, docketed in ink.

GLC00468.02

May 14, 1864

Lowndes, Lloyd Jr., 1845-1905

Autograph letter signed

Title: to E.M. Tunstill

Reports the latest war occurrences. Writes that "Lee got whipped" and "Sherman had whipped Johns[t]on." With green stamp on front.

GLC00468.06

circa 1865

Schurz, Carl, 1829-1906

Ephemera

Title: [Calling card signed by Schurz]

GLC00468.09

May 14, 1863

Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879

Letter signed

Title: to Robert E. Lee

Written on Headquarters, Army of the Potomac stationery, following the Battle of Chancellorsville. Hooker, Union General commanding the Army of the Potomac writes to Lee, Commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. States "On learning yesterday afternoon through my Medical Officers who have returned from your lines, that permission would be given to throw a bridge across the river at the U. S. Ford to enable our ambulance trains to proceed to the hospitals in the vicinity of Chancellorsville for our wounded I at once gave directions to have the bridge laid at an early hour this…

GLC00536

30 April 1864

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of Edward M. McCook to Brigadier General of Volunteers]

Countersigned by Secretary of State Edwin M. Stanton. Docketed and signed at top by Assistant Adjutant General E.D. Townsend. McCook, who had been a member of the Kansas territorial House of Representatives, went on to become U.S. Minister to Hawaii and Governor of the Colorado Territory. Includes blue seal.

GLC00496.047

11 May 1865

Jackson, William Hicks, 1835-1903

Document signed

Title: [Confederate prisoner parole document]

Also signed by Union Brigadier General Elias Smith Dennis. Jackson signed as Confederate Brigadier General. Partially printed parole of honor of Confederate soldier John L. Dismukes, 2nd Lieutenant, Company K, Nixon's Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers. Marked with no. 290. Printed on the other side of a blank receipt of Jennings, Dismukes & Woolwine Hat, Caps, Straw Goods in Nashville, Tennessee. Lower left corner is missing.

GLC00565

August 4, 1863

Custer, George Armstrong, 1839-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alfred Pleasanton

Custer writes to his commanding officer to report that he has complied with his orders to send 800-1000 men. He notes that this will leave him in command of two batteries of Horse Artillery without support. He explains that he would rather see those two batteries go along than leave his train open to Confederate General John S. Mosby's attack. Written in pencil from the Headquarters of the 3rd Cavalry Division.

GLC00614

1880

Johnston, Joseph Egleston, 1807-1891

Book signed

Title: The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies

Inscribed: "Lewis E. Harvie Esqe. from his friend Joseph Eggleston Johnston." The book was compiled by Robert N. Scott under the direction of the Secretary of War, with authorship attributed to the United States War Department. Published by the Government Printing Office. Series I, Vol. I.

GLC00628