9 May 1865

Johnson, Badley T., 1829-1903

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jane Johnson

Writes to his wife as a captured Confederate prisoner of war in Salisbury, North Carolina. Tells her about the situation in Maryland, their home state. "From what I hear you can hardly get to Maryland now. You ought not to go if in so doing you will be exposed to disagreeable annoyances ... " States that he cannot reside in Maryland under these circumstances and does not wish to take the oath of allegiance to the United States. "I do not intend to take the oath of Allegiance because I am not a citizen of Md, by their own decision & do not at this time desire to become a citizen of…

GLC02239

February 1, 1865

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Tate writes that he hopes Stephens might make a compromise to "stop the war tho I am not willing to compromise on any terms I want them to contend for our independence to the last." He adds later, "If we are whipt it wil not be the fault of the solgers [sic] especial[l]y in this amy, it will be the People at Home and Hoods army." Tate expects Sherman to reach Branchville and cut their communications. re: peace party with Alexander Stephens starting for Washington

GLC02082.63

4 September 1864

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

The letter is written faintly in pencil on foxed paper. The third page is written in his code. Mentions still being on hospital duty.

GLC02082.57

5 November 1864

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Written in pencil. Reports that he went back to his regiment. Mentions the Battle of Cedar Creek.

GLC02082.58

19 November 1864

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Written in pencil on a large legal sheet. Provides news about skirmishing. Mentions boys suffering from sore feet.

GLC02082.59

December 24, 1864

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Written in pencil. Mentions leaving the Shenandoah Valley on 14 December. Discusses the cold weather.

GLC02082.60

1 January 1865

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Continuation of GLC02082.60. Mentions citizens giving dinner.

GLC02082.61

January 20, 1865

Tate, Jeremiah M., fl. 1829-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary

Written in pencil. Mentions that little mail has arrived from Alabama since Sherman captured that city.

GLC02082.62

January 24, 1862

Pendleton, Alexander Swift, 1840-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Rose Pendleton

Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson's aide, writes to his sister about his trip to Winchester, Virginia, from Romney, Virginia, where Confederate generals Richard Garnett and William Loring had their winter quarters. He asks her to send him clothes and boots (his shoes had been stolen). Discusses family correspondence and visits. Comments on the children playing around him as he writes. Letter written during Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign.

GLC01652

February 19, 1864

Clay, H. L., fl. 1863-1864

Letter signed

Title: to Samuel W. Melton

Clay, Assistant Adjutant General for Confederate General Samuel Cooper writes that Cooper does not advise diminishing the Army of Tennessee and does not approve the suggestion that General John Cabell Breckinridge's Regiment and Dortch's Battalion should be sent to General John H. Morgan. Discusses the command of Duke and Smith (possibly Basil Wilson Duke). Possibly written 19 February, and transmitted with GLC02460.10.01.

GLC02460.10.02

5 April 1862

Duncan, Johnson Kelly, 1827-1862

Autograph note signed

Title: to Mary Grimshaw Duncan

Enemy gunboats attacked, trying to reach New Orleans, then retreated. Writes of "another turn at the Enemy today - six gun boats and four frigates having come up to point of woods below. All gone back again, and well." Written to his wife in New Orleans. Johnson K. Duncan was a Confederate Brigadier General in command of the coastal defenses that protected New Orleans, including Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. Despite a valiant defense, Union gunboats were able to sail past these positions and on to New Orleans on April 24th. On April 29th both New Orleans and Duncan's forces were…

GLC02457.05

1837-1908

Stafford, Robert H., fl. 1837-1866

Header Record

Title: Robert H. Stafford Collection [Decimalized .01- .98]

Stafford enlisted as a sergeant in the 12th Alabama infantry. Contains letters and newsclippings about the Peninsula Campaign, advance into Maryland, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Early's raid on Washington, D.C. Preliminary inventory included.

GLC02618

1861-1865

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Gustave Cook, H company, 8th regiment, Texas, cavalry] [decimalized]

#3 mentions intention to attend the Jeff Davis inaugural. #8 mentions Union POW's from 1st Manassas arriving in New Orleans. #9 has good description of camp life. #10 has account of battle of Woodsonville, KY 12/17/1861 and death of Col. Terry. #18 Describes the evacuation of Nashville and retreat. #50 Is written left handed because of a wound. #54 refers to East Tenn. campaign as fearful one to the poor old Rangers. #55 warns his wife to be careful because all letters are exposed to capture. #58 16 pages long describing the imminent fall of Atlanta and expected fall of Richmond;…

GLC02570

21 August 1865

Clay, Clement Claiborne, 1816-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Virginia Clay-Clopton

Clay, a former U.S. and Confederate Senator, writes to his wife while imprisoned at Fort Monroe. Informs her that, "The hardest part of my trial here has been my solicitude about you, my parents and other kindred, who, I feared, would be tortured by newspaper accounts of my condition, or bold assertations of my guilt, or possibly, reports of evidence establishing it." States that he is relieved to hear that she gives little faith to newspaper accounts. Comments on his health, which is fair. He has not had to use any of the medicinal remedies that frighten his wife, such as "prussic acid,…

GLC02590

January 25, 1837

Taylor, E. W., fl. 1837

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jeremiah Wilbur

Taylor, a Northerner who had moved to South Carolina and became a slave owner, explains his views on slavery and his willingness to fight for it. "If these matters are going to be carried so far as to the separation of the Union and blood must be spilt I fight for the South, & feel as though I could plunge the dagger to the heart almost of a brother in such a glorious cause. It would be for Liberty, Liberty." Believes abolitionists should leave well enough alone or the result might be the dissolution of the Union. Accuses abolitionists of being hypocrites and relays the story of a…

GLC08476

17 May 1862-19 May 1862

George, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Emma

Reports on the march to Richmond, Jefferson Davis's call for a 10-day truce, and the death of a favorite captain in his regiment. Written on stationery of the 2nd Regiment, New Hampshire volunteers. Written near Cumberland, Virginia, and Camp Grove.

GLC08657

June 11, 1863

Semmes, Paul Jones, 1815-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Emily J. Semmes

Writes to his wife that he "wept like a child" when reading her last letter. Expresses his thoughts before going into battle on route to Gettysburg. Discusses his concerns about his possible death, the welfare of his family, and his diminished wealth. Exclaims, "If my life be spared, we will have to return & live humbly & economically - If not spared, Oh! My Lord! What will become of my Dear, My Dear Family?" Mentions his life insurance policy and states that since his life is so uncertain, it might be best to renew it despite the cost. Sends love to the children and stresses the need…

GLC00101

October 21, 1862

Semmes, Paul Jones, 1815-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Emily J. Semmes

Gives instructions to his wife to secure their property from the Union occupation of General Benjamin Butler during the Civil War. Directs her to go immediately across the Mississippi river to their plantation. Doubts that the Federals have visited the plantation yet but believes it possible that Dye (possibly the overseer) has run off. "...or, if he has remained at the plantation, that some of the negroes have run off to the Yankees." Advises that if she cannot get to the plantation, to secure any property and move the negroes. If she cannot stay on the plantation, he tells her to rent a…

GLC00175

October 5, 1862

Stevens, Whitfield, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Archabald Wade

Whitfield Stevens, a Confederate soldier from Company A of the 4th Virginia Infantry (Stonewall Brigade) writes to his grandfather (letter addressed "Dear Granpa") and sends his letter in a "Yanky Envelope." Written from "Camp Bunkers Hill" outside of Winchester, Virginia. Mentions that his regiment has been badly wounded and predicts that they only have one big fight left in them before they break for winter.

GLC00220

July 21, 1862

Thornton, Joel F., fl. 1839-1910

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander Hamilton Stephens

Thornton requests advice from Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy. He explains that he was previously deprived of one of his feet, and that he went to New Orleans in February 1862 to have an artificial foot constructed. Later, an agent sent to pick up the artificial foot had to escape New Orleans before the foot was finished due to the May 1862 Union capture of the city. He writes "I want you to let me know- what you think the chances would be to get the Commding General at Jackson to let a man have a flag of Truce- & also to get you to write to him & state the circumstances…

GLC00238

1861

Whiting, William H., 1824-1865

Book signed

Title: Army regulations, adopted for the use of the Army of the Confederate States, in accordance with late acts of congress

Signed "Wm H C Whiting" on title page with note "Brig Genl C.S.A." Also a autograph note signed "Jas H Hill" by James Hill, Whiting's staff officer and Assistant Adjutant General. Published by West & Johnston. This book of regulations revised from the U.S. Army regulations of 1857 also includes an act for the organization of the Confederate Army and the Articles of War for the Confederate States of America.

GLC00480

December 4, 1864

Trimble, Isaac Ridgeway, 1802-1888

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Octavia Trimble

Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, a Confederate prisoner of war held in Boston, writes a poetic letter to his wife, Octavia, about captivity and his longing for home. "You may think I am sincere if you reflect a moment that I am not free like you 'to wander at will among the woods, & hold sweet communion with nature's loveliness.' Oh no! lonely, lonely captivity is my lot, with but few glimpses of the sky & none of the earth, woods, flowers, birds or babbling brooks ... All under foot, above, around is granite; granite! ... Home is now almost a forgotten word, or its memory comes lone,…

GLC00615

1845-1909

Van Valkenburgh Family

Header Record

Title: [Letters and photographs of the Van Valkenburgh family of New York] [decimalized .01-.37]

Correspondence from the Van Valkenburgh family, who lived mostly in upstate New York. Of the five brothers in the family, three joined the Union cause and another joined the Confederates. One member of the family, Frank, became a lawyer in Wisconsin (see GLC06253 for additional materials). Robert was a Union officer and Congressman from New York. The bulk of the collection dates from 1865. Some of the collection's key materials revolve around Gerrit, the brother who lived in Arkansas as an attorney and joined the Confederate cause as a member of Fagan's Arkansas Cavalry (Gerrit lived near…

GLC00686

March 14, 1861

Van Valkenburgh, Gerrit S., 1835-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mollie Van Valkenburgh

Written by Gerrit to his sister Mollie. Attempts to justify his decision, as a transplanted Northerner, to side with the South. Mixes support for his adopted home with love for the family he left in the North. He references her letter of from February 12 and says he will answer it now even though she takes six months to respond to him. Says he is at Warren, Arkansas attending court and collecting money. He reports that people in Warren are getting over the political excitement which has been the absorbing topic of conversation. He claims they are ending the talk and preparing for war. He says…

GLC00686.05

October 28, 1862

Van Valkenburgh, Gerrit S., 1835-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his brother

Two handwritten copies of the same letter in the file. Says it has been a long time since he wrote, but not because he has not thought of his family in the North. He claims that "although we now belong to sections of our country which are engaged in an unnatural and unholy warfare Yet I cannot say that I love your or my friends less than I did when we were Members of the same great family." He wonders when they will be reunited. He says the last letter he received from his family was from July 1861. He says he shed blood for the South and that he is "now in the army fighting for liberty - for…

GLC00686.08