Manuscripts
John B. Tapscott papers, (bulk 1861-1904)
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John B. Burrud papers
Manuscripts
In the letters to his wife, John B. Burrud, shared his war experiences, political views, religious sentiments, and intense longing for his home and family. The letters, many written over two or three days, cover the regiment's organization in Auburn, New York in September 1862; training in New York City; the voyage to Louisiana; the 1863 campaigns in Louisiana and duty at Morgan City, Bayou Boeuf, and Pattersonville; Burrud's month-long stay in St. James Hospital in New Orleans; the Red River and the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864, including the battles of Pleasant Hill (April 9), the third Winchester (September 19), Fisher's Hill (September 22-23), and Cedar Creek (October 19); duty at Middletown and Winchester, Virginia (1864 October27-1865, April), and Washington, D.C. (1865 April-June); the Grand Review (1865 May 23-25); and duty at Savannah and Hawkinsville, Georgia (1865 June-November). In addition to the detailed accounts of the campaigns and battles and discussion of the commanding officers (Weitzel, Banks, Grant, Sheridan, and others), Burrud's letters contain descriptions of Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia countryside, especially historical sites (e.g. the remains of the Jamestown church; the place of John Brown's execution; Blakely, a farm near Charles Town, West Virginia that belonged to George Washington's family, museums, public building, and gardens of Washington, D.C., or a Creek Indian mounds in Pulaski County), and natural wonders and various species of wildlife. He also reports, often in elaborate detail, encounters with residents, particularly enslaved people, contrabands, and women ("Yaller Gals"), who flocked to the Union lines as well as members of freedmen's aid associations and Union sympathizers. Burrud shares his thoughts on a wide range of subjects: slavery ("most damnable man degrading, soul killing, God dishonoring Institution that ever was permitted to exist on the face of the earth"); the Union cause ("the good of Mankind and the world and the Maintenance of the best and the Only true form of Government of the face of the Earth"); the Confederate government ("Jeff Davis's Empire"); Copperheads ("Political Miscreants"), African American soldiers whom he considered superior to white soldiers from "9 month regiments" and substitutes; guerrilla warfare, and race relations. He also at length discusses personal concerns and troubles of "the Boys" in his company, including an outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases and an alarming rate of marital infidelity that seems to have affected most of soldiers' wives of Wayne County; the role of women in the war effort; news from home (including his profound disappointment in the lack of patriotism and respect for the Union uniform on the part of the people of his hometown); war and political news; recruiting and draft; home front, religious revival in Marion; etc. Burrud, a staunch Republican, avidly followed political news, especially the New York state elections of 1863 and the 1864 elections. The letters also contain news from the 111th Regiment of New York Infantry where his brother William G. Burrud and his brother-in-law, Joseph Newton served as privates. An accomplished musician, Burrud also at length discusses music and army bands. Three pocket diaries cover the years of 1863, 1864, and 1865; the entries contain accounts of campaign and battles, duties, detachments, and details; and war and political news.
mssHM 75115-75334
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John Moore papers, (bulk 1761-1828)
Manuscripts
Miscellaneous papers, chiefly business records and business correspondence of John Moore and his father, with a few letters of his sons John and Townsend Moore. There are a few items relating to the New York politics, including a letter to a newspaper editor containing an attack against the Church of England (1769), and a satire depicting political parties of the revolutionary New York
mssMoorej
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Francis B. Harris papers, (bulk 1862-1864)
Manuscripts
The small collection contains diaries, letters, documents, and a cabinet photograph of Francis B. and Margaret Harris, taken in Long Beach before 1908. Harris's diaries and letters, mostly to his wife, Margaret, cover the entire period of his military service in Maryland and Virginia, including accounts of the battles of Chancellorsville, Bristoe Station, Mine Run Campaign, and the 1864 Overland Virginia campaign, as well as his extended stay at Lincoln Hospital in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1863. The documents include Harris's military and pension records, a certificate of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a list of soldiers in Upper Pittsgrove, New Jersey, written by Harris in June 1866. Accompanying the collection are some transcripts of parts of the collection, and related material, done by a national park service employee that had access to the original material.
mssHarris
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Benjamin Franklin Scribner papers, (bulk 1861-1865)
Manuscripts
A collection of 1,100 items from 1838 to 1911, it consists of documents, letters, manuscripts, receipts, orders, muster rolls, and a diary. The collection includes documents detailing general and special field battles such as Buena Vista and Murfreesboro; returns; final statements of deceased soldiers; personnel records; circulars; duty rosters; requistions; and receipts for supplies. The collection includes a diary of Scribner's activities written during the Mexican War from 1846 to 1847 with some pages which were edited by another hand for publication. There are also a few documents relating to Scribner's Treasury work such as indentures and tobacco stamp reports. The collection also contains an 1838 childhood composition book of essays; letters written to Scribner's family; personal and business papers. Correspondents include: Absalom Baird, Don Carlos Buell, William Passmore Carlin, Speed S. Fry, James A. Garfield, Robert S. Granger, Ulysses S. Grant, Milo S. Hascall, Richard W. Johnson, John H. King, Alexander McDowell McCook, O.M. Mitchell, J.S. Negley, William S. Rosecrans, L.H. Rousseau, William T. Sherman, William S. Smith, J.C. Starkweather, and Thomas J. Wood.
mssSC
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Brock Collection: Papers of John H. Steger, (bulk 1806-1848)
Manuscripts
Financial records - bills, receipts, etc., and a few personal letters chiefly related to Steger's duties as an administrator of the estates and his household expenses. Also included are scattered letters of his son John Overton Steger, an attorney in Stanton, Va
mssBR Box 73 (1)
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William D. Kendall papers, (bulk 1861-1865)
Manuscripts
The correspondence of William Devereaux and John Peter Kendall deals with their education at Bethel College and Philadelphia University, Kendall family history, and their American Civil War experience including military actions, relations with civilians, hospitals, and everyday activities of a fighting regiment. This portion of the collection also contains William Devereux Kendall's speech that is based on his reminiscences of the life of a Confederate soldier and describes trade between Confederate and Union soldiers. The letters also mention Hiram Kendall, an enslaved person who was taken to war by his enslavers, the Kendall family. The documents include indentures and deeds by Peter and Devereux Jarrett Kendall, records documenting William Devereux Kendall's military career, and a voter's registration issued to Devereux Jarrett Kendall in 1869. The collection also contains letters to and from Devereux Jarrett, William Devereaux, John Peter, and Courts Kendall; documents, photographs, newspaper clippings; as well as typewritten copies of late 17th and 18th century land and business records of the Courts family of Maryland, and family photographs.
mssKendall