Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

The Calvin A. and Albert H. Irish diaries consist of 2 volumes. Calvin A. Irish kept a diary from January 1865, during the end of his service in the Union Army, until May 1866. His son, Albert H. Irish, also wrote a diary in 1885.

For his diary, Calvin used a printed almanac entitled Vermont Directory and Commercial Almanac for 1865. The entries are mostly short and detail his daily activities and experiences, including the distance he marched, the weather, letters that he sent or received, and work that he accomplished. The small volume was also Calvin's financial ledger.

Calvin's son Albert also wrote daily records in an almanac entitled The American Diary 1885. The first 2 manuscript pages are comprised of a few verses and adages. Albert's entries are short and include information about the weather, school, chores, odd jobs, and visits of his friends and neighbors. The almanac also contains a short cash-management ledger and brief descriptions of the Irish family's cows.

The Charles M. Byington diary records the Civil War service of the quartermaster-sergeant of the 110th New York Infantry, including the battles of Fort Bisland and Port Hudson.

The Charles M. Byington diary contains approximately 95 pages of daily entries, covering January 1-July 19, 1863, and 5 pages of records documenting financial transactions. The earliest diary entries are quite brief and record daily activities, duties, and movements. Byington frequently noted that he had distributed equipment, made invoices, foraged for food to feed the soldiers, and drawn rations in his role as quarter-master sergeant. On January 4, 1863, he mentioned a soldier who had given religious instruction to an African American Regiment; in other entries he discussed the activities of his company's colonel, DeWitt Clinton Littlejohn, and those of several of his friends.

Byington wrote longer, more detailed entries beginning in March, when his regiment camped near Baton Rouge and he noted the frequent firing by gunboats there. On March 15, 1863, he gave a firsthand account of an engagement near Port Hudson, in which the USS Mississippi lost its rudder and exploded. In mid-April, he wrote about the Battle of Fort Bisland, including nearly getting hit by shells and seeing white flags hung outside of "most every house," reportedly by Confederate women frightened of the Yankees (April 19, 1863). In June, he described frequent foraging, his health problems, and the Battle of Port Hudson, in which several men he knew were wounded and killed (June 14, 1863). He also recounted a surprising assault by Confederate cavalry, which he and several officers fled by boarding a ship that was "peppered by bullets" (July 2, 1863). On July 18, 1863, he mentioned a visit to the decimated Port Hudson (July 14, 1863: "The buildings inside were literally torn to pieces"). The diary ends with a search for a coffin for "one of our boys" and a church visit on July 19, 1863.

During the mid-19th century, A. A. Coleman was a judge and well-respected planter in the black belt of west-central Alabama. W. S. Stuart, possibly a son-in-law to Coleman, was a physician, planter, and slave holder living in Monticello, Miss., southeast of Vicksburg. After the Civil War, both he and Coleman returned to farming, and Coleman may have engaged in a mercantile partnership. The Coleman-Stuart Papers consists of twenty-nine items, mostly bits of correspondence and other manuscripts of A.A. Coleman and W.S. Stuart.

The Coleman-Stuart Papers consists of twenty-nine items, mostly bits of correspondence and other manuscripts of A.A. Coleman and W.S. Stuart. The public addresses in the collection, probably written by Coleman, reflect the local prominence of the speaker, as does his Colonel's commission in the 40th Alabama Infantry.

The items in the collection span half a century, and although there is little continuity in the correspondence, many individual items are of interest. Stuart discusses crop values, arrangements for selling slaves, and the Locofocos (#2), and in the post-war period, he discusses the difficulties of adjusting to free labor in Louisiana (#23). Coleman's correspondence includes a letter written by Eli Shorter, brother of the Alabama governor, discussing state politics in 1861 (#11) and another letter asking Coleman to discharge a young soldier (#12). A letter written by E. Simpson provides a lengthy and imaginative attack on the "Black Republicans" (#7), and there are important resolutions of support for the Nashville Convention favoring the extension of slavery into the territories (#6) and what appears to be a Democratic Party address lambasting abolitionism, while supporting the Union (#8).

Cornelius Hulsapple entered the Paoli Guards in October, 1864, as a two-year draft substitute for W. R. Ridgway. Only three letters of Cornelius Hulsapple's survive, two of which are addressed to the man for whom he was substituting, W.R. Ridgway.

Only three letters of Cornelius Hulsapple's survive, two of which are addressed to the man for whom he was substituting, W.R. Ridgway. Each of the letters provides detailed information of Hulsapple's activities.

Hulsapple's writing is typified in a passage written in March 1865. In the passage Hulsapple describes seeing a large number of deserters from Lee's Army and a flood of liberated, nearly debilitated Union prisoners marching north: "they are a sad site to look on some of them have the toes frsen [sic] off of their feet some of them without hat or coat and they say that they are diing in droves every day some of them are that starved that they would catch rats and mice and eat them and they would even kill dogs if they could catch them and eat them raw."

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Photographs are also included.

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album (25cm x 18cm, 141 pages) contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Included are 112 salted paper and 3 albumen photographic portraits. The album has a hard cover with Belden's name and a decorative border stamped in gold on the front. Plates on the inside of the front and back covers feature a patriotic eagle and banner with the slogan "The Federal Union it must be preserved" and of a building used as "Republican Head Quarters" in 1860.

The first 37 pages contain signatures from members of the New York State Assembly, where Belden was a messenger in the early 1850s. Some politicians accompanied their signatures with brief personal message for Belden, often including well wishes and advice. Many signers recorded the name of the district they represented, and most dated their contributions April 16, and 17, 1851. This section of the album is followed by other autographs that Belden solicited in the mid-1850s, as well as an endorsement from his employers Lemuel Jenkins and C. Ten Broeck (November 22, 1852, p. 41).

The remaining contents, dated 1860-1866, are comprised of small photographic portraits, brief biographical notes, inscriptions, autographs, and newspaper clippings related to a variety of individuals, including many men who served in the Civil War. One page of individual full-length portraits represents members of the Albany Zouave Cadets with military equipment and musical instruments. Belden labeled most of the photographs and often included notes about the subjects' dates of death. Several entries include copied correspondence, inscriptions and autographs, and obituaries or other news articles. Contributors included former New York Governors Washington Hunt and John A. King; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and Samuel Streeter, a former delegate representing Albany at The Colored Men's Convention of 1840 (also pictured, October 30, 1860, p. 63). A letter from William F. Russell, a former member of the state legislature, is laid into the volume after the autographs (April 19, 1886).

The Barry diary recounts 48 days in the life of a private in the 127th Pennsylvania Reserves, Company E, encamped in 1863 near Falmouth, Virginia, across the Rappahannock River from rebel forces. The diary describes his company's actions surrounding the second battle at Fredericksburg at Marye's Heights.

This volume is a 3" by 6" leather-bound pocket diary recounting 48 days in the life of Henry Barry, a private in the 127th Pennsylvania Reserves, Company E, encamped near Falmouth, Virginia, across the Rappahannock River from rebel forces. Entries span from March 31 to May 16, 1863. The first page, numbered "113," indicates that it is part of a series. Pasted in the back are severely faded pictures of his father and mother, William A. Barry and Rachel Ann Barry.

Barry wrote in detail about camp life in Northern Virginia and about the Virginia front six weeks before Gettysburg. He described his experiences leading up to the second battle of Fredericksburg, and the Battle of, Chancellorsville, at Marye's Heights and his regiment's unsuccessful attempt to push Southern forces back to Richmond. On April 14, they were warned that they were about to advance, confirmed by seeing a cavalry unit and about 2,000 wagons go by. On the 29th they marched south seven miles with full packs and 8 days’ rations.

"This evening I went to the top of a hill and there saw for the first time an engagement between our forces and the Rebs. They were shelling each other at a fine rate" [April 30].

"I understand old Ive drove the Rebs 10 miles yesterday capturing 18 wagon loads and ammunition and 4 days rations. I understand old Joe calculates being in Fred-ericksburg by 4 o’clock this afternoon carrying all the heights" [May 2].

In Battle. This morning at daybreak we marched into Fredericksburg and went down Caroline Street and there rested a few moments when I heard Gen. Gibbon tell Gen. Hall to file left & left flank so we did and the shells did come in profusion" [May 3].

John Byrd Hall, Jr., of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was a Confederate soldier who enlisted in the Fredericksburg Light Artillery (Capt. Pollock's Company Virginia Light Artillery) on August 6, 1861. His short diary, covering a 43-day period between August 10th and September 20th, 1861, describes his time spent at Camp Braxton near Aquia Creek, Va. He did not see combat during this time, but filled his days with drills, guard duty, reading books, a "Philos Lodge" discussion group, prayer meetings, and chess. This diary is a handwritten copy of the original made by Capt. John P. Reynolds, a Union officer, in 1888.

The back cover of this diary declares it to be "a copy of a Rebel diary." The copy was made in 1888 by "J.P. Reynolds, formerly a Capt. in the 19th Mass." from the original, at that time, in the possession of Mrs J. C. F. Because it is a handwritten copy of a handwritten manuscript, the transcription may have errors. For example, the name "Stallard" is written as "Stalland," and the name "Thorburn" as "Therburn." This could have been the mistake of Hall or Reynolds, or both. A single drawing on the first page of the diary is a Christian cross with the letters IHS.

This is a short diary covering a 43-day period between August 10th and September 20th, 1861. It starts the day John B. Hall, Jr., first arrives at "Camp Braxton" near Aquia Creek, Va., joining his younger brother Marshall and several other friends from Fredericksburg. They do not see combat during this time, but fill their days with drills, standing guard, and waiting for something to happen. John spent a good portion of his leisure time reading moral philosophy, the Bible, the works of Goldsmith, and history books (Napoleon and Charlemagne), although he did read Edgar Allen Poe's "The Gold Bug" while on furlough in Fredericksburg. He and some of the other soldiers formed a "Philos Lodge," where they engaged in frequent discussions. He also attended the prayer meetings held in one of the mess tents. Chess was popular, and after playing three games in one day, he decided to cut back on the amount of time he spent at the chess board.

The Lyman Gardner papers contain the Civil War correspondence of Mr. Gardner, who served in the 26th Ohio Infantry Regiment, and a later account book which documents his work in the Ohio lumber industry.

The bulk of Lyman Gardner's collection consists of a series of letters to his parents in Ohio, including two letters to his brother and sister. The collection also contains a few brief articles announcing births, deaths, and marriages in the Gardner family. A ledger of his personal accounts and of his lumber business can be found in this collection as well.

Gardner's letters center around food, clothing, and money. He does not possess much understanding of why he is participating in the war. He views his service as a dutiful obligation, though he neither explains why he is dedicated to the Union, nor what he believes the Union cause to be. Gardner's letters reveal a strong religious background.

Gardner's letters serve as an account for his action in the Atlanta Campaign, and his regiment's assignments in Chattanooga, Tenn., Huntsville, Ala., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., and Irwin, Tex. He goes into some detail of his skirmishes, but the majority of his letters are filled with requests for supplies and money. Overall, Gardner seems to enjoy his involvement in the army and does not express a particularly strong desire to return from it.

"Our Generals" is a lithograph album (17 x 13.25 cm) consisting of 24 gray-toned lithograph carte de visite sized portraits of Union Civil War generals sold commercially by Leavitt & Allen of New York in 1862.

"Our Generals" is a lithograph album (17 x 13.25 cm) consisting of 24 gray-toned lithograph portraits of Union Civil War generals sold commercially by Leavitt & Allen of New York in 1862. The initials "A.W." appear in pencil on the inside front cover. There is a pre-printed index of names.

On each page, there is one lithographed carte de visite mounted into pre-cut slots surrounded by red and white decoration. The images themselves are either close ups or full body portraits. The name of the subject is handwritten in pencil under each image.

The album's covers are brown leather embossed with a floral pattern, with two large decorative brass clasps. The two brass closure tabs are stamped with "Our Generals."

The South Carolina Militia orderly book contains brigade-level orders issued under the command of Brig. Gen. James Simons, commander on Morris Island during the siege of Fort Sumter.

The South Carolina Militia orderly book contains brigade-level orders issued under the command of Brig. Gen. James Simons, commander on Morris Island during the siege of Fort Sumter. The importance of the book lies only partly in documenting the build up and reduction of Sumter, but in the insight it provides into the formation of the earliest structures for organization and command in the Confederate army, and the taste it provides of the enthusiasm surrounding South Carolina's defiant entry into war.

Laid inside the cover sheet are two letters:

Charleston, 1861 June 10. Concerning formation of regiments.

Charleston, 1861 June 27. Request for a list of officers.