7 November 1864

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. West

Says he received coffee, but no letter from her. Says the admiral is not accommodating to the mails, as they sit for weeks at Port Royal. Tells the story of three refugees who said they were from the North. Gave an account of Macon, where they came from. They confirmed the reports of "barbarous treatment" at Andersonville. Says "They saw the place of confinement ... where thousands of men were confined in an open field with no shelter from the weather and lying in mud knee deep." Says such things should make men who say "peace at any price" rethink their ideas. Says the Union is lucky to have…

GLC03836.77

January 26, 1865

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Harriet Moore

References receiving her letter of 5 January. Says his Christmas was subdued, but that he did manage to get a turkey for dinner. Says "By the way, was not Sherman's dispatch to the president presenting Savannah as a Christmas gift, a neat thing?" Says the only present he gave this year was "a calico dress to the old darky woman who washes for me and the result is that she wants to send a barrel of peanuts to my mother, in return." Assumes that Sherman is in South Carolina by now. Recommends that her father read "Army & Navy Journal," a weekly journal based in New York, as it is better…

GLC03836.85

18 May 1864

Attwood, F.J., fl. 1864

Printed document signed

Title: [Receipt for corn]

Receipt for a "ba." of corn, possibly a bag of corn. Captain T. A. Walker bought the corn for $1.70.

GLC08649.01

7 April 1899

Davis, George Breckenridge, 1847–1914

Typed letter signed

Title: to John G. Walker

Written by Lieutenant Colonel Davis as Deputy Judge Advocate General, Recorder to Walker as a retired Rear Admiral. Says the Court of Inquiry that was convened to investigate the beef supplied to the Army during the Spanish-American War wants to question Walker on his experience with canned roast beef used by the Nicaragua Canal Commission. Asks if he can appear the next day to give the court the benefit of his experience. Asks for a more convenient time if tomorrow is bad.

GLC03804.34

7 November 1860

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. West [incomplete]

Says he arrived in Foochow on 26 October after a 14 day voyage from Hong Kong. Ran into a northeast monsoon along the way. Says "Foochow is one of the few places I have never visited before on the coast of China." Goes on to describe the city, saying it only recently became an important city in the tea trade and that the Min River, which empties at Foochow, is very dangerous. Says the first thing he did upon arriving in port was a "regular house cleaning," and says the ship now looks like "a pretty girl rigged up for a ball, the handsomest craft, here!" Has taken on 200 tons of tea after…

GLC03836.01

1861-1865

Garrison, Francis Jackson, 1848-1916

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Morse

Francis J. Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison's son and biographer informs Morse that he has found a room in a boarding house for him on Highland St. for $10 a week. Describes the room in detail. Asks if he would like to arrange to see it and to notify him soon. Writes that he will be in town at the Anti-Slavery office tomorrow. States of the landlady, "I understand that she sets a very good table, if that is any inducement to you." Written from Rockledge, the Garrison home in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts.

GLC07483.09

6 September 1861

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. West

Says he is still waiting for his ship to arrive. Describes the people he has met at the fort. References General John Wool -- "Old Wool" -- who works the troops in reviews and drills. Says "I never saw a more beautiful sight than a review of the 4th artillery (regulars) that we had the other day. I only wish that we had a hundred thousand such troops." Tells the story of a captain who took his ship oystering and was fired upon by Union pickets when he tried to return. The captain was so angry that he declared "Nothing would satisfy him but that an equal number of them should get into the…

GLC03836.21

4 December 1861

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. West

References his mother's letter of 26 November. Says the Confederates are trying to avoid the blockade by stopping in Nassau and transferring their cargo to smaller ships to slip past the Union Navy. Says the Union controls the sea islands off South Carolina and that "the niggers being lords of the land. They have availed themselves of the opportunity to sell to the invaders large quantities of beer, mutton and vegetables, the ownership of which nobody troubles themselves to inquire about." Says he gave some money to one of the former slaves and he remarked that he would probably give it to…

GLC03836.28

21 December 1861

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. West

Says he started down for Fernandine. Says they previously boarded an English ship loaded with salt heading for New Brunswick. The ship had a letter stating that it should try to get to Savannah, Georgia if possible, but to go to New Brunswick otherwise. They thought it was a weak ruse to avoid the blockade and they towed the ship into Port Royal. Says they captured a ship ladened with provisions after it ran ashore on the beach. Describes the capture and eventual burning of the ship in detail. Says he was able to get some coffee and a new pair of shoes and that 12,000 cigars were captured.…

GLC03836.29

26 August 1862

West, Lewis H., 1829-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary West

Written by Lewis to his sister Mary. Continues the letter on 30 August and 5 September. Disparages where he is stationed, saying it is desolate and lacks civilized life. Says he has been made an executive officer again, due to personnel changes on the ship. Says he is at St. Andrews Sound because the "Alabama" has been under steam for over a year and cannot be trusted to make the trip north to be overhauled. Therefore they are waiting in Georgia for the machinery to come to them. Says the repairs are needed as dry rot is everywhere. At St. Simons three weeks before he "had the pleasure of a…

GLC03836.37

29 March 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

Weeks thanks his family for the food and updates them on cmp news. Describes the various foods he has consumed since he received his family's packages and writes that he's "grown fat since yesterday morning".

GLC07460.032

1 January 1862

Bope, John, 1838-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lydia Bope

Bope writes to his mother from Camp Wood. Expresses thanks for the candy she sent for Christmas. Letterhead has a drawing of a cannon and American flag with the phrase "OUR COMPROMISE" written underneath. Envelope has a humorous image and caption depicting soldiers being distracted from their commanding officer due to the presence of a young woman.

GLC03523.03.03

1 January 1862

Bope, Conrad, 1839-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Eliza Jane Bope

Conrad Bope writes to his sister. Comments it is the New Year and they have nothing to do. Brother John is well and in his tent as he writes. Reports he was on picket duty and once the bridge is rebuilt over the Green River, they will march to Bowling Green. Mentions that butter sells for twenty-five cents per pound and asks her to send him some. Letterhead has the logo "United We Stand Divided We Fall" and Kentucky underneath. Envelope has images and wording.

GLC03523.03.04

25 April 1862

Bope, John, 1838-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Bope Sr.

Bope writes to his father from the Battlefield of Shiloh, near Pittsburg Landing. Reports that "...some 20,000 men buried who fell in this great battle...", and they expect another attack. Mentions Easter, and notes that the cost of eggs is 30 cents a dozen. Discusses in great detail logistic battle plans and asks him to speak to the hardware man about the pistol he returned.

GLC03523.03.06

13 June 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

Writes of the possiblity of getting furloughed in late July but asks that this not be mentioned to anyone. He tells his family that he could have asked for a furlough sooner, but he felt that the men with wives and children deserved to be furloughed first. Wheeler writes about his friend Brundage whose father and brother are copperheads in West Chester County, New York. He writes that Brundage "could shoot his father as well as a southern Rebel." Mentions a Nashville paper's erroneous report of fighting that occurred at Lavergne,Tennessee between Union troops and three thousand rebels.…

GLC07460.035

7 April 1866

McSherry, Anna, 1833-?

Autograph letter

Title: to Henry F. McSherry

Written by Anna to her brother Henry. Says their father wants him to send home an allotment ticket. Says their father would be able to put the payment, which is in gold, to good use, maybe to purchase land. Continues letter on 18 April 1866. References his letters of 1 February and 11 February, both of which had photographs in them. Henry seems to be thinking about settling in the East Indies. If that is the case, their father would not have thought his resignation such a mistake. Says their Baltimore friends consider his resignation a mistake. Everyone is afraid of the glut of surgeons…

GLC03523.21.56

8 July 1866

McSherry, Anna, 1833-?

Autograph letter

Title: to Henry F. McSherry

Written by Anna to her brother Henry. Says there has been hot weather lately and that their father is in good health. Says he has not answered whether he would like to take advantage of an investment opportunity in a house in Baltimore for 200 dollars. Their father has rented a nice house until 1 October. Says she is putting off all enjoyments until he gets home. Mentions that there are several cases of cholera in Baltimore. Continues the letter on 17 July 1866 -- Says she read in the Sun that the "Wyoming" (Henry's ship) was involved in a collision in Nagasaki, Japan and she hopes it is…

GLC03523.21.59

28 December 1866

McSherry, Willie, fl. 1866

Autograph note signed

Title: to mother

Letter written by Willie McSherry to his mother on one side. Verso has a second letter by one of Willie's sisters (the letter is signed, but the signature is too faded to read). Their mother, probably Eliza, appears to be in Martinsburg visiting her sister Anna McSherry and her father Richard McSherry. Willie says they are going to keep the Christmas tree up for her until she arrives. Asks for a cape or a new pair of gloves from her. Says "saint nicklous" gave him a nice Christmas gift. Wants to know if the boys of "jime" belong to a baseball club. Second letter says they have been keeping…

GLC03523.21.61

30 April 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

Thanks his family for the letter and the trunk of food they sent him. He has packed his winter clothing and will be sending it home so as to not carry it around during the summer months. Writes that there is rumor that his regiment will join the main Army in Murfreesboro. In a separate letter dated the evening of April 30th, Wheeler describes seeing "the darkies" dance to the music of his regiment's band. He also writes that General Rosencrans' wife announced that fighting had commenced in Murfreesboro.

GLC07460.026

8 May 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister Martha [Spohn]

Thanks his sister for sending him a letter and food with a fellow soldier. Playfully writes to his sister that as he is writing he is being distracted by a chunk of maple sugar sent to him by his aunt. He writes that while on picket he has found the perfect place to eat his pie and wishes that his family were there to join him as long as they brought their own food. Discusses the furlough of Charles Siedel, a fellow soldier and friend from home. His furlough was granted on the grounds that his wife was very ill and it was necessary for him to return home. Requests that his sister send…

GLC07460.028

20 May 1863

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

Thanks his family for the cakes they sent him with Bob Thomas. Writes that they are refixing the camp, rearranging tents and building fireplaces for company cooking. Complains of the amount of flies increasing as the weather gets warmer. Reports that nearly fifty thousand men (about 25,000 from each side) were "used up" in the last battle of the Rappahannock. Writes that soldiers unfit for active service will be put in companies for garrison duty. Discharged officers will also be enlisted on certain conditions. In a second letter labeled " 2nd edition", Wheeler writes about stealing…

GLC07460.029

12 December 1782-13 December 1782

Duffield, John, 1755-1798

Autograph document signed

Title: Certification that John Granger cannot perform his duties as a soldier due to a pulmonic complaint

This document contains notes written and signed by three people. The first, written and signed by Surgeon John Duffield at West Point on 12 December 1782, advises that John Granger, of the 10th Massachusetts Regiment, is suffering from a pulmonary complaint and is "unable to do the duties of a soldier; and that, the most probable method to restore his health is also be living on a vegetable and milk diet, which he can best obtain with his friends in the country, could he be indulged with a furlough or leave of absence for that purpose." Below Duffield's note is one written and signed by…

GLC02437.01742

1 November 1863

Bope, Conrad, 1839-1917

Autograph letter

Title: to Eliza Jane Bope

Bope writes to his sister Eliza from camp in Chattanooga. Mentions a shortage of blankets. Encloses money for the family. Gives her an extensive list of food to send. States he has not seen younger brother Abe who is in "K" Co., Ohio 61st Infantry, but knows he is nearby. Letter is very faded and illegible in sections.

GLC03523.03.14

28 November 1862

Goold, James, 1842-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Abby Goold

Writes to his mother about all the letters he has recently received, including one from her, Aunt Jane, and Nellie. Describes his duties on provost guard and the differences between being on guard and in the regiments. Tells her of difficulties, including harsh weather, leaking tents, and food shortages. Describes in great detail how the squads are divided into two on the march. Comments "I think that I am well off here, and I thank God for your sake more than my own that I am here as I presume that we are in no great danger of being killed in case of a battle. Do not mark me as a coward for…

GLC03523.05.03

January 10, 1863

Goold, James, 1842-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John S. Goold

Writes to his father about guard duty and thinks that the worst part is how it disrupts sleep. Wishes he had more newspapers to read, although he is "very much obliged to you for sending me a box, whether it ever reaches me or not. I am much obliged to Johnny [his brother] for sending me such a large proportion of his apples..." Comments that "Theodore [his brother] had better stay in Phil. as long as he can, and never mind whether he is reduced or not so long as he is not reduced for misconduct." Letter written in graphite.

GLC03523.05.06