1862-1864

Henry, Josiah E., 1840-?

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Josiah E. Henry, I company, 5th regiment, Vermont, infantry] [decimalized]

This collection consists of eleven letters (one is a copy) written by Josiah E. Henry, some detailing the Valley Campaign in 1864. Five of these letters are written to his sister, four are addressed to his mother, and two are written to both his parents. Josiah E. Henry enlisted on 27 August 1861 as a Private. He was mustered into Company I, 5th Regiment of the Vermont Cavalry on 16 September 1861. He reenlisted on 15 December 1863 and was finally mustered out on 10 July 1865. Henry was listed as wounded on 29 June 1862 at Savage's Station, Virginia, paroled on 15 July 1862, wounded on 4…

GLC02749

1862-1892

Wright, Sereno A., fl. 1862-1863

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Sereno A. Wright, B company, 24th regiment, Connecticut, infantry] [Decimalized .01- .49]

Collection of a soldier in the 24th Connecticut Volunteers who died in Louisiana. Includes 43 letters, 3 envelopes, 2 wedding announcements, 1 funeral annoucement and 1 calling card. 34 of the letters date from 1862-1863, and the balance are family papers.

GLC02751

24 June 1864

McCook, Edward M., 1833-1909

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Washington Lafayette Elliott

General McCook, commander of 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, transmits a communication from a surgeon in charge of an unspecified Confederate hospital. Indicates he intends "to send it through by a bye road in rear of their pickets so as to find their main camp. I can do it without difficulty unless the General Commanding sees some impropriety in it; or probably he would prefer sending it from his front." Requests that Elliot, Chief of Cavalry, respond that evening, and that he indicate whether McCook should send the letter through by flag of truce. Written on Headquarters,…

GLC02463.12

7 March 1781

Marion, Francis, 1732-1795

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Saunders

Written by Marion as Brigadier General of militia and a well-known partisan to Saunders as a Royalist Captain in the British Army and commander of the garrison at Georgetown, South Carolina. Marion writes with anger that Captain John Postell was taken prisoner by Saunders. Postell was travelling under a flag of truce to work out details of prisoner exchange. Demands satisfaction and claims he will retaliate against any British prisoners of war. Also expresses dismay that Saunders is treating prisoners harshly. Says Captain Clark was held in circumstances where he could not stand up or stretch…

GLC03332.01

3 March 1781

Ervin, John, fl. 1781

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Saunders

Written by Ervin as a lieutenant colonel in Francis Marion's brigade of partisans to Captain Saunders, a royalist in command of the garrison at Georgetown, South Carolina. Ervin sent this note by Captain James Postell and Lieutenant William Futhey to ask for a prisoner exchange. Postell was subsequently taken prisoner despite the flag of truce because Saunders claimed he was in violation of a parole given him after the American defeat at Charleston in May 1780.

GLC03332.02

27 April 1865

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

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph E. Johnston

Written one day after General Johnston's surrender to Major General Sherman. Sherman's letter concerns repatriation of Confederate troops, providing supplies to Confederate troops, and Sherman's hope that the wounds of war can be healed. Informs of his orders to General John M. Schofield to facilitate the return of the men to their homes. Gives his view on the end of the war, "Now that the war is over I am willing to risk my person & reputation as heretofore, to heal the Wound made by the Past War. And I think my feeling is shared by the whole Army." Continues on to comment on some…

GLC03260

31 July 1864

Williams, George W., fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Williams

Williams, a Union soldier, informs his sister that he was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Crater by Confederate forces the previous day. Relates that he was not wounded, and is in excellent health. Instructs Mary to write to Mrs. L. F. Hand of Binghamton, New York, to inform her that her husband, Sherman P. Hand, was also taken prisoner. Cross-writing on verso reveals that Williams served in Company I of the 48th Pennsylvania volunteers, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps. Page three measures 10.6 x 7.1 cm. Envelope states "Care of Col Ould Com of Exchange C.S.A. to be…

GLC03618

1782

Great Britain. Acts.

Pamphlet

Title: An Act to enable His Majesty to conclude a peace or truce with certain colonies

GLC03562.29

8 March 1864

Johnston, Joseph Egleston, 1807-1891

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Sidney Thrasher

Johnston, commanding the Army of Tennessee, replies to a letter from Thrasher, superintendent of the Confederate Press Association. Plans to send a communication to General Ulysses S. Grant accompanied by Thrasher's previous letter pertaining to a flag of truce. Mentions Mrs. Johnston's praise of John and Mrs. Thrasher.

GLC04488

December 11, 1863

Johnston, William Preston, 1831-1899

Endorsement signed

Title: [Endorsement on an envelope addressed to Martha Ready Morgan]

Date taken from a pencil note on the envelope. One side of the envelope indicates the correspondence was sent under flag of truce terms to Mrs. Morgan, the wife of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, care of Johnston in Richmond, Virginia. Johnston endorses on verso, writing "With congratulations on Genl Morgan's escape." Contains a five cent Confederate postage stamp. Johnston possibly signed in Richmond.

GLC04513

1 January 1865- 11 August 1865

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868

Diary

Title: [Diary of a soldier 2nd Brigade Band, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, during Petersburg Campaign]

States that his band played out the old year and in the new 1 January. 2 January, mentions "Rebs threw a shell at us while playing the Star-spangled Banner at Div Hd. Qrs shelling continued for some time afterwards. Notes that his band performs and practices nearly every day. 12 January, notes that a flag of truce has been sent by Confederates, with a sealed communication for General Ulysses S. Grant. 17 January, notes that Fort Fisher, North Carolina, was taken with 1400 prisoners. After celebrating, his band was practicing when they were "astonished By music out-side of the tent, which…

GLC04562

16 October 1778

Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Congressional resolution denying the flag of truce to British Peace Commissioners]

Denies the use of flags of truce to "nefarious" British peace commissioners who abused the privilege to disseminate "under the sanction of a Flag certain seditious Papers under the name and title of Manifestoes...with a view to stir up dissentious animosities and Rebellions among the goode Popele of these States."

GLC04805

23 June 1782

Livingston, Robert L., 1746-1813

Letter signed

Title: to John Jay

Livingston, then Secretary of Foreign Affairs, notes on the benefits of the British surrender at Fort St. Phillips. Comments on the "distrusts and jealousies between Spain and the People of the Country," discussing disruptions to the Havana trade and the surrender of the Bahamas to Spain. Suggests that it is strange that the Dutch United Provinces acknowledged American sovereignty before Spain. In regard to military activities, mentions the rejection of British General Alexander Leslie's proposal to General Nathanael Greene for a cessation of hostilities. Comments on the strengthening of…

GLC04814

29 November 1861

Newspaper

Title: The Union picket guard. [Vol. 1, no. 8 (November 29, 1861)]

"Fridday" misspelled in masthead. With ink marks (possibly iron gall) . Article about the 2nd Illinois Cavalry has been circled. Includes an article about a flag of truce passing through Paducah, at which point a Confederate flag waved outside a window, causing Union soldiers to be angry. Includes articles discussing the continuance of the Civil War, other local and national news, and advertisements.

GLC06107.25

1864-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Waiting for Exchanged Prisoners

Taylor & Huntington, publishers. "This is the flag-of-truce steamer "New York," waiting at Aiken's Landing, on the James River, for the Rebel flag-of-truce boat from Richmond, with a load of Union prisoners for Exchange. And what an exchange it was. The Union soldiers just from Rebel prison pens; starved and often too weak to walk, many of the poor victims had to be brought off on stretchers, some even were dead before they reached this place of exchange. What did the Rebels get in exchange; man for man, they received fat, healthy, well-fed, and well-clothed Rebel soldiers. The…

GLC05137.011

April 26, 1865

Butler, Matthew Calbraith, 1836-1909

Autograph document signed

Title: to Pierre T. Beauregard

Telegram instructing Beauregard to notify the commander of the 6th corps which camped 18 miles from Danville last night that the truce between Union General William T. Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston has resumed. On verso is an autograph note of Beauregard to Confederate General Lunsford L. Lomax, "1:10 PM Genl Johnston who is now on his way to confer with Genl Sherman in advance of Hillsboro directs as follows: 'Notify commander of 6th Corps (Federal) camped last night 18 miles from Danville that truce has been resumed between Genl Sherman and himself.'" Signed with…

GLC06654.02

6 April 1781

Phillips, William, 1731-1781

Letter signed

Title: to George Weedon

Written by Phillips as British Major General, joining Benedict Arnold in his invasion of Virginia in 1781, to Weedon an American Brigadier General. Mentions two officers that Weedon sent to him under a flag of truce. Hopes Weedon gets a report from them that states he will act liberally and humanly during his campaigning in Virginia. Says that he doubts the Americans will act as honorable. Says a letter from Thomas Jefferson, the Governor of Virginia, and the resolutions of the Virginia Legislature are "barbarous." Says it would be unbecoming of him to answer them and hopes that the…

GLC06492

12 April 1781

Phillips, William, 1731-1781

Letter signed

Title: to George Weedon

Phillips, a British Lieutenant-General, discusses flags of truce and prisoner exchanges with American General Weedon. Writes "the usual and necessary forms must be preserved especially respecting Flags of Truce which are objects of a chaste nature and the rules belonging to them ought never to be violated..." Refers to Moss Armstead, an American soldier sent to negotiate prisoner exchange. Discusses penalties for Americans venturing within British lines. States that all flag vessels must stop at British commodores' ships stationed at Hampton Roads, Virginia, to gain authorization to…

GLC06493

12 April 1781

Brabazon, E., fl. 1781

Manuscript document signed

Title: Return of the names of the prisoners on board the Robert, prison ship & parol'd at Portsmouth & Norfolk

Document signed by "E Brabazon, Major of Brigade." Names of the 64 former prisoners of the ship "Robert" who were paroled at Portsmouth & Norfolk. Full names are given for all prisoners, except for two "Blacks" who are listed as "Titus" and "Tom." Marked at margin "Seamen Lately taken." Date from docket. According to the seller's description in the collateral file this list comes from the personal papers of General George Weedon, who commanded a brigade of troops in Virginia 1780-1781.

GLC06494

December 7, 1864

Cowardin, J.A., fl. 1864

Newspaper

Title: Daily dispatch. [Vol. 27, no. 136 (December 7, 1864)]

Also known as the "The Richmond Dispatch." Says not much has changed on the front lines of Lee and Grant's armies and that "the tacit truce heretofore existing between the pickets has not been broken by the presence of Butler's's negroes." Update on the Confederate Congress and the South Carolina legislature. Short item from Georgia on "horrors of Sherman's march." Several advertisements for runaways. Editorial against Sherman's march says "we do not hesitate to say that the expedition of Sherman into Georgia is one of the most ridiculous conceptions that ever entered into the mind of…

GLC08838

April 15, 1778

Phillips, William, 1731-1781

Letter signed

Title: to William Heath

Phillips states that it is increasingly important that Captain Willoe go to Canada. Requests passports be granted for Willoe, two servants, and three women to sail to Halifax with a Flag of Truce. He wants Heath to get a passport that will admit the vessels into port and asks him to advise what papers Willoe needs in order to prevent being taken as a prize by a privateer ship. Phillips was a British general, and Heath was a Continental general.

GLC01450.078

April 12, 1781

McMichael, Edward, fl. 1781

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Thomas] Ward

Letter written by McMichael as a Loyalist Captain in the British Army. As a lieutenant in the Continental Army he deserted from his post at Fort Schuyler in August 1776 to join the British. McMichael was taken prisoner out of a flag of truce at Elizabethtown, probably on April 9, 1781. Lieutenant Samuel Seely of the New Jersey militia was then sent behind British lines, probably to work out a prisoner exchange. McMichael then received the "disagreeable news" that Seely was detained by Ward on the armed sloop the "Neptune," which was in New York Harbor. Says Seely was doing work for him and…

GLC01450.089

April 24, 1865

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

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edwin M. Stanton

Letter endorsed by William T. Sherman at the top of the first page. States that this morning he delivered the news to Union General William T. Sherman that the terms of his negotiation for surrender with Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was rejected by Stanton as the Secretary of War. He remarks that Sherman expected this. Reports that word has been sent to Johnston terminating the truce. Indicates that Sherman's negotiations were based on what he thought was already sanctioned by the President. Letter written on "Headquarters, Military Division of the Mississippi" letterhead.

GLC01254

November 15,1864-December 21, 1864

Harris, Rodney E., fl. 1862-1865

Map signed

Title: Maps Showing the Campaign of the 20th Corps from Atlanta to Savannah with the Dates

Disbound booklet of ten chronological watercolor maps documenting the towns and cities General William T. Sherman passed through on his march to the sea, from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. At the end is a large manuscript account of the march documenting cities they passed through and what they destroyed enroute, such as "passed through Social Circle and Rutledge. Burned R.R. buildings at both places...Laid siege to Savannah...Ft McAllister captured...captured Confed steamer 'Resolute'...Flag of Truce demanding surrender of Savannah...Savannah evacuated in the night." Harris served with…

GLC01888

January 16, 1863

Wharton, Gabriel Colvin, 1824-1906

Letter signed

Title: to Eliakim Parker Scammon

Written from the Narrows of New River. Confederate Colonel Wharton writes to Union General Scammon for General Samuel Jones. Requests that Scammon allow several Confederates soldiers' wives living within Union lines to join their husbands. On page two, Wharton notes that this letter will be delivered by Lieutenants Roche and Douglas, with an escort, and is signed again by Wharton. Docket notes "Rebel communication by flag of truce."

GLC01928