1853-1885

Confederate States of America. Generals

Header Record

Title: Confederate generals born in Virginia: 34 letters & docs [decimalized]

[decimalized 02461.01-02461.34]

GLC02461

7 November 1861

Ashby, Turner, 1828-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

State inferred from content. General Ashby reports, "Mr. Duke who has been arrested as a spy and upon his own evidence has done acts that will establish beyond doubt his felony... He is a dangerous person..." A pencil note at the bottom of the page indicates that this letter refers to John H. Duke, a citizen of Sheperdstown, Jefferson County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia). One bust engraving of Ashby included as collateral. Written at Camp Evans.

GLC02461.01

14 May 1861

Beale, Richard Lee Tuberville, 1819-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Letcher

Requests that Letcher, Governor of Virginia, authorize the ordnance department to purchase guns for use in Captain T.S. Garnett's company. Mentions Colonel Ruggles (possibly Daniel Ruggles). Also signed on verso is a note signed by secretary P.F. Howard, noting that council members John Allen, Francis H. Smith, M. F. Maury, Robert L. Montague, and T. S. Haymond advise that the purchase of guns be allowed. Signed 15 May 1861 by Letcher, who notes "advice disapproved."

GLC02461.02

29 May 1861

Chilton, Robert Hall, 1816-1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Seldon Garnett

Chilton writes to Colonel Garnett, Adjutant General of Virginia forces in Richmond, Virginia. Relates, "I have the honour, in consequence of appointment in Army of the Confederate States, to resign my commission as Colonel of Cavalry in the Provisional Army of the State of Virginia."

GLC02461.03

7 August 1861

Colston, Raleigh Edward, 1825-1896

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Toole Clark

Written near Tanners Creek. Colston, Colonel of the 16th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. Mentions that he previously sent his Quartermaster Lieutenant A. T. Culpeper (possibly Alexander T. Culpepper) to request a grant of muskets from Clark. Remarks that Clark agreed to an exchange of percussion muskets for flint muskets. Requests that Clark order his ordnance officer to transmit the muskets without delay. One bust engraving of an unidentified man included as collateral. Written at Camp Withers

GLC02461.04

14 November 1853

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lorenzo Thomas

Then Lieutenant Jefferson Davis writes to Assistant Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas to request permission to rejoin his company in Virginia instead of Florida. The first artillery had been transferred from Fort Myers, Florida, to Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort, Virginia, and would leave Florida before he could rejoin it.

GLC02455.03

8 August 1860

Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander R. Boteler

On committee letterhead, Stevens, as Chairman of the National Democratic Executive Committee writes to Boteler as Chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Constitutional Union Party. Requests copies of campaign literature circulating. Letterhead of the National Democratic Committee is printed with John C. Breckinridge for President, and Gen. Joseph Lane for Vice President. Boteler was a U.S. congressman from Virginia (1859-1861). During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army as a member of Stonewall Jackson's staff. He was elected from Virginia to the Confederate…

GLC02455.12

21 April 1865

Getty, George Washington, 1819-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Marsena Rudolph Patrick

Written as Brevet Major General. Getty encloses an unspecified item, and requests that General Patrick, Provost Marshal General in Richmond, send the item to a niece of Mrs. Getty (Elizabeth Graham Stevenson). Notes, "Her mother, who is with her is a sister of Mrs. G and of Brig Genl. J.D. Stevenson of the Union Army. As they are now without a male protector I beg that you see that they are not harmed." One bust engraving of Getty included as collateral.

GLC02456.11

31 August 1862

Mitchel, Ormsby MacKnight, 1809-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Wager Halleck

Written from the Willard Hotel. Mitchel writes to Halleck, commander in chief of the United States Army: "In obedience to the orders of the Secretary of War, I report to you for duty." Two bust engravings of Mitchel included as collateral.

GLC02456.19

1 January 1861

Pleasanton, Alfred J., 1824-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to the Assistant Adjutant General, Headquarters of the Army, New York City

Captain Pleasanton submits his monthly report, and relates that he is in Washington, D.C. by direction of the Secretary of War. One bust engraving of Pleasanton included as collateral.

GLC02456.22

1888/11/30

Schley, Winfield Scott, 1839-1911

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mrs. Hausch [?] re: answering a letter

Written on Navy Department stationery. [Civil War generals from border states] One bust engraving of Schley incldued as collateral.

GLC02456.25

16 July 1864

Sykes, George, fl. 1802-1880

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Marsena Rudolph Patrick

General Sykes writes from Headquarters, 5th Corps, to Patrick, Provost Marshal of the Army of the Potomac. Writes that a friend of his, Miss Mary Delaplane, wishes to go to Alexandria or Washington, D.C. to meet one of her brothers, who "has important business with her solely on family affairs." Remarks, "There are five sisters residing together- & no one to help them or give them advice- I will answer for their doing nothing prejudicial in any way to our cause." Requests a pass for Delaplane. One bust engraving of Sykes included as collateral.

GLC02456.29

1862/05/21

Meigs, Montgomery C. (Montgomery Cunningham), 1816-1892

Autograph document signed

Title: to Perry Belmont

Souvenir copy of Meigs's order relaying the "Military Possession of all the Rail Roads in the United States" by President Lincoln, per Act of Congress. This copy, in Meigs's hand is identified in pencil as having been written out at the request of Belmont Perry , an autograph collector. Signed by Meigs at the close of the body and, in an abbreviated style, beneath the "True copy" note. This copy is dated May 21; the original order, however, was dated May 25. One bust engraving of Meigs included as collateral.

GLC02457.12

1861/06/30

Stoddard, Richard Henry, 1825-1903

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: Birds [poem]

GLC02453.33

[1900 ca.]

Tabb, John B. (John Banister), 1845-1909

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: The grave digger [poem] [signature overwritten by another person]

GLC02453.34

1861 ca.?

Timrod, Henry, 1828-1867

Document signed

Title: Signed cover of his book of poems, inscribed to his sister Emily T. Goodwin

Timrod, the "laureate of the Confederacy." Undated. Date assigned without authority.

GLC02453.35

[1847/03]

Weed, Thurlow, 1797-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to "Harris" re: political views, "clearly wrong to take money from emigrants"

GLC02453.36

1860/05/02

Worcester, Joseph, 1784-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Smith re: giving a copy of his dictionary to a friend

Worcester was the editor of "Chalmer's Dictionary".

GLC02453.37

5 December 1855

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Owen Brown

Brown discusses the free state struggle, and reports there are rumors of a free state man being murdered, and that it may lead to more violence. Says "We feel more, & more certain that Kansas will be a Free State." Also discusses family affairs, health, and his plan to stay in Kansas at least until spring. Bottom of the page and all of the second page are written by Samuel and Florilla Adair, with the end of their letter missing. They recount how the murder of the free state man happened, state that it is leading to war, and discuss the buildup of armed forces. The man murdered was…

GLC02454

1860-1866

Header Record

Title: Civil War Generals: 13 letters & docs [decimalized]

[decimalized 02455.01-002455.13]

GLC02455

February 12, 1862

Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881

Letter signed

Title: to Henry Wise

Union Brigadier General Burnside, commanding Department of North Carolina, writes to Confederate Brigadier General Wise, commanding Chowan District, Department of Norfolk. Agrees to a written request from Wise of the day before that the bodies and effects of fallen Confederates from the Battle of Roanoke Island (7-8 February 1862) be sent to him. In reference to another request Wise made about prisoner exchanges, Burnside asks that Wise forward an enclosed proposition (not present) to his superior, Major General Benjamin Huger. Writes, "The condition expressed in this proposition that…

GLC02455.01

13 December 1862

Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Buel Franklin

Orders written the morning of the Battle of Fredericksburg. Burnside is "this moment preparing orders for you," and tells Franklin to "Make no movement except for defense until they arrive." Also hopes "to be with you this morning." Franklin was in charge of a large portion of the army during this assault. After the bloody Union defeat, accused Franklin of disobeying orders and blamed him for being partly responsible for the Union defeat. Burnside demanded that Lincoln either remove Franklin and a number of other officers or relieve Burnside of his command. Lincoln chose to replace…

GLC02455.02

28 November 1863

Dix, John Adams, 1798-1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Wager Halleck

General Dix, Commander of the Department of the East, encloses a confidential report (not included) by a detective from Buffalo, New York. Informs Halleck, General in Chief of the Union army, that the detective "has seen, as you will observe, a large number of prominent rebel refugees, and, having been with them at the South, had free communications with them." Writes "I shall... send a small body of troops to Fort Montgomery at Rouses Point. [Bumont?] has been provided for by the Governor. There is, however, need of guns for a Company of artillery just recruited, and I will endeavor to…

GLC02455.04

January 27, 1862

Halleck, H.W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ulysses S. Grant

Major General Halleck transmits orders to Brigadier General Grant permitting the discharge of volunteers who desire to be recruited by the Navy for work on gun boats. The discharges must be distributed so they do not disrupt the efficiency of any single company. Asks Grant to have Commodore Andrew H. Foote send a recruiting officer to St. Louis. Written on stationery marked "Head Quarters, Department of the Missouri."

GLC02455.05

20 April 1866

Hood, John Bell, 1831-1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Philip Henry Sheridan

Former Confederate General John B. Hood writes to Commander of the Military Division of the Gulf, General Philip Sheridan (1865-1867). Requests permission for Colonel Harding to visit Mexico on business. Includes initials after post script that relates: "Sorry I missed you & Kautz" (possibly referring to General Augustine Valentine Kautz).

GLC02455.06