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Manuscripts

Civil War collection

Description

A collection of 546 items containing chiefly letters written by prominent military figures during the American Civil War (1781-1915, bulk 1861-1865); also included are some documents, a diary, manuscript maps, and battle plans. The collection focus is upon the land forces with a few pieces related to the Union navy. Significant persons represented in the collection, among others: Pierre G. T. Beauregard, Benjamin F. Butler, Jefferson Davis, David G. Farragut, Ulysses S. Grant, Henry W. Halleck, Edward Hatch, Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee, Francis W. Pickens, Philip H. Sheridan, William T. Sherman, and George H. Thomas.

Material created by U.S. presidents in this collection include: James Buchanan autograph note, 1861 February 28, added to Winfield Scott letter to Joseph Holt, 1861 February 26 (CW 388); James A. Garfield, Chattanooga, autograph letter signed to "Brother Evrett," Detroit, 1863 October 5 (CW 133); Andrew Johnson, Washington, D.C., autograph letter signed to Edwin M. Stanton, 1867 February 11 (CW 215). Also present are the following Ulysses S. Grant items: autograph note signed to unidentified recipient, 1862 February 26 (CW 144); autograph letter signed, Pittsburg Landing, to Henry Halleck, 1862 April 28 (CW 146); autograph order no. 111, 1863 April 21 (CW 154); autograph letter signed, Culpeper, to Edward Davis Townsend, 1864 March 30 (CW 153); autograph letter signed, Washington, D.C., to Lorenzo Thomas, 1864 April 4 (CW 152); autograph letter signed, City Point, to Benjamin Butler, 1864 November 30 (CW 145); autograph letters signed to George Henry Thomas sent from Chattanooga, 1863 November 7 (CW 149); Nashville, 1864 January 19 (CW 150); and City Point, 1865 January 31 (CW 151); and autograph letters signed, City Point, to George Gordon Meade, 1864 July 14 (CW 147) and 1865 March 27 (CW 148).

Type
Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date
1781-1915
Call number
mssCW
Provenance
The collection was assembled in 1974 from manuscripts removed from the extra-illustrated book, Battles and leaders of the Civil War (The Century Company, 1887-1888), (298000).
Abraham Lincoln. Commission to Richard F. O'Beirne, 1862 February 21, (mssCW 254), was acquired with the Civil War collection and subsequently transferred to the Abraham Lincoln collection (mssLincoln) by Huntington Library staff.
Associated people
Beauregard, G. T. (1818-1893.)
Butler, Benjamin F. (1818-1893.)
Davis, Jefferson, (1808-1889.)
Farragut, David Glasgow, (1801-1870.)
Grant, Ulysses S. (1822-1885.)
Halleck, H. W. (1815-1872.)
Hatch, Edward, (1832-1889.)
Johnston, Joseph E. (1807-1891.)
Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870.)
Lincoln, Abraham, (1809-1865.)
Pickens, F. W. (1805-1869.)
Sheridan, Philip Henry, (1831-1888.)
Sherman, William T. (1820-1891.)
Thomas, George H. (1816-1870.)
Find out more
View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)
View in the Online Archive of California(Opens in new tab)

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