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

William Henry Shaw, born in Michigan in 1840, enlisted in the 6th Michigan Infantry in 1861. His Civil War letters provide descriptions of New Orleans and its residents, and the operations in southern Louisiana, as well as accounts of the siege and battle at Port Hudson and the artillery assault on Fort Morgan. Two letters discuss the family problem of brother Stephen, a Southern-sympathizing physician living in Louisiana. A letter from one of his parents showed relief at hearing Shaw was not killed at the Battle of Baton Rouge, while expressing frustration and anger about the war and the institution of slavery which caused it.

William Henry Shaw's Civil War letters provide detailed descriptions of New Orleans and its residents, and the operations in southern Louisiana in 1862-1863. Two letters discuss the family problem of brother Stephen, a Southern-sympathizing physician living in Louisiana: Shaw's treatment of the difficulty is a classic portrait of brother vs. brother struggle. Also noteworthy are a good account of the siege and battle at Port Hudson, and a poignant letter describing the artillery assault on Fort Morgan, written to his little nieces, Maggie and Sarah Royall. One letter from New Orleans includes a magnificent, half-page engraving of Canal Street, New Orleans. A letter from one of his parents showed relief at hearing Shaw was not killed at the Battle of Baton Rouge, while expressing frustration and anger about the war and the institution of slavery which caused it.

Informal and jocular in style, Shaw's letters occasionally veer into introspection, providing a small taste of reflection on his experience as a soldier, without dwelling overly long. Throughout, his spelling is phonetic, providing a good record of mid-nineteenth century Michigan dialect.

The Warren H. Cudworth papers consist of 11 Civil War era letters, the bulk of which are from Warren Cudworth to his sister Fannie, and one post-war letter. Cudworth served as a chaplain for the First Massachusetts Regiment, Cos. F and S.

The Warren H. Cudworth papers contain 11 Civil War era letters. The first 8 letters are from Warren to his sister Fannie Gile. Warren writes from Harrison's Landing, James River; a camp near Alexandria, Virginia; Rikers Island, New York; and a camp at Brandy Station. He discussed his movements and the situations he encountered, such as: seeing a demonstration of the breech-loading Armstrong guns (October 5, 1863); and marching close to Washington to find rebels retreating under General Meade (October 23, 1863). In a letter from September 11, 1862, Cudworth criticized the Union Generals for being the cause of the army's misfortunes and "not [being] equal to the positions they are called upon to fill and consequently, as the rebel generals are, they have got the worst of it in nearly every battle." In September 1864, Cudworth mentioned the lack of transport out of Savannah, Georgia, and the unhealthy living conditions, which caused many of the men to become sick as they waited to return home from the war.

Two letters, one from 1864 and one from 1865, are from Jesse L. Osgood to his uncle John and Aunt Fannie, respectively. Osgood, who was in the Union Army stationed in Charleston, commented on McClellen's nomination to the Democratic ticket for the presidency, but thought "that Lincoln is as good a man as they will find” (September 1, 1864). Another letter was from Dr. James F. Upham, who seemed to know Jesse Osgood. Upham wrote of being stationed outside Washington and anticipated being discharged, because the war was coming to an end.

The collection also includes one letter from Warren Cudworth to Mr. Brigham, written from Jerusalem on November 23, 1880, on photo-illustrated stationery. He described his party's recent travels in the Holy Land and their use of hired men and animals.

This volume contains carte-de-visite portraits of soldiers who served in the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, additional loose photographs, and colored lithographs of Union generals.

This pocket album primarily relates to the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. The first four images are colored printed portraits of Winfield Scott, George McClellan, Fitz John Porter, and George Stoneman. An additional printed image of the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack appears later in the volume. The bulk of the items are 31 cartes-de-visite with formal photographic portraits of soldiers in uniform. The few named soldiers all served in the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Three loose photographs of William H. Gausler and two unidentified men (neither in military uniform) are laid into the back of the volume.

Robert Sherry enlisted in the 21st New York Infantry during the Civil War, a regiment that was beset with discipline and logistical problems, and and by a pattern of mutual animosity between officers and enlisted men. His letters to his wife, Caroline, provide valuable insight into the problems of the regiment and his deep hostility toward officers.

The Sherry papers includes 50 letters written by Robert Sherry to his wife, Caroline, and two to a friend, Oscar. The eight remaining items in the collection include letters and documents addressed to Caroline Sherry regarding the death of her husband and arrangements to receive a widow's pension.

Sherry was a rough-edged man, whose strong personality is reflected in the tintype that accompanies the collection, in which he stands glaring at the camera, leaning casually against his rifle, pistol stashed in his belt. Sherry writes what he feels without reservation, even when those feelings are murderous, and as a result, his letters are always interesting to read. His candor in discussing the problems in the regiment and his deep hostility toward officers provides a particularly valuable insight into the mind of many soldiers subjected to harsh conditions and to the extraordinary military inefficiency and arbitrariness that characterized some units.

Personal finances were among Sherry's greatest concerns, and the money offered to recruits may have been the primary factoring in inducing him to enlist and reenlist. He is vocal about the fact that he is not fighting for "adam nigger" or for the Republican Party, and he berates his wife because she no longer denigrates Blacks in her letters. He relished the opportunity to loot an elegant Virginia home in October, 1861, and wrote proudly of having taken $2,000 in Confederate money from a dead Virginian, which he buried by the banks of the Rappahannock, should he ever return. Sherry talked of returning to Virginia after the war, where he had been assured by a plantation overseer that he could make an easy living and high wages.

The Newell family papers show what life was like in a small New York town in the mid-1860s and detail Albert Newell's entrepreneurial ventures into the oil and cotton trades. The heart of the Newell family papers consists of 41 letters written by Arthur W. and Cornelia E. Newell to their son George Newell during his first two years at Yale.

The Newell family papers show what life was like in a small New York town in the mid-1860s and detail Albert Newell's entrepreneurial ventures into the oil and cotton trades. The heart of the Newell family papers consists of 41 letters written by Arthur W. and Cornelia E. Newell to their son George Newell during his first two years at Yale. Most were written from the family home in Medina, New York. Both Arthur and Cornelia included news of local people's movements and sicknesses, of events, and the effects of the weather on the crops. They frequently mentioned trips to nearby Lockport, Middleport and Ridgeway, often for cultural or religious activities. The Newells' letters also recounted longer trips to Chicago for the nomination of Lincoln on the Republican ticket in 1860, to the Armory in Springfield, Mass., and to the Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac in Washington in May 1865.

There are no letters from George to his parents, but some information about his university years can be inferred from the letters they wrote to him. They both lectured him about being an upstanding young gentleman, exhorting him to "choose virtue as your Goddess..." and to "beware of all evil". As a freshman he joined a fraternity without having to undergo too many trials. During the winter of 1865-66 he hurt his ankle severely enough to necessitate the use of a crutch for several months. He first lived in a private home at 30 High Street but moved to college rooms his sophomore year. Arthur's investments meant that the Newells were often cash poor, however, they were still able to send George over $970.00 during his first two years of college. Yale tuition at the time was less than $25.00 per term. Almost all of George's tuition bills are included in this collection, along with a "promise to pay" signed by his father.

There are five letters written to George Newell in the 1880s and 1900. As an older man, he evidently developed an interest in his family history, and there are two letters from a second cousin concerning their great grandfather Thomas Steadman. Colonel Edwin Franklin Brown of the 28th New York Infantry wrote George a marvelous letter recounting the involvement of his father, Jeremiah Brown, in the "Morgan Affair". In 1826 the Masons of the Batavia Lodge were accused of murdering Capt. William A. Morgan for divulging secrets of the society. Jeremiah Brown was charged with complicity in the abduction of Morgan, went into hiding, was tried at Lockport and acquitted by Judge William S. Marcy (who went on to serve as governor 1833-1838). This event catalyzed the Anti-Masonic movement, led by Thurlow Weed, and Brown related some of the repercussions felt by his family.

The collection also includes three earlier Newell family documents. The oldest is a small copybook, inscribed, "Samuel Newell his book 1734". It evidently passed from generation to generation of Newells and contains genealogical information and some accounts; dates span from 1726 to 1823. According to the copybook, Solomon Newell married Sally Steadman in 1807. The two letters from George's second cousin G. W. Pierce suggest that her father was Thomas Steadman, a Revolutionary War soldier from Connecticut. Pierce refers to Thomas Steadman as "your [George's] Grandmother's Father", offering further evidence that Arthur was the son of Solomon and Sally (Steadman) Newell. The other two documents are early nineteenth century deeds. One, from Damaris Newell, gave his son Solomon Newell land on Center Hill in Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Conn. The second, signed by Grandison Newell, gave Solomon a portion of a house and barn, also on Center Hill. The rest of the collection is comprised of a variety of miscellaneous documents relating to the life of George Newell, including Yale tuition bills, a bill from the photographer, George K. Warren, a stock certificate issued by the Medina & Alabama Plank Road Company, a mortgage, two checks drawn from a Union Bank of Medina account and a clipping from the Medina Tribune.

The Martin papers are made up of letters written home by Lewis Martin while serving with the Union Army. The letters express Martin's thoughts on the war as well as his concerns with matters at home, including finances, friends, and controversies over the regiment in local newspapers.

The Martin papers consists of fifty-one letters written by Lewis Martin to his mother, Charlotte Martin, and sisters, Ellen and Sarah, and one written by Martin's commanding officer, Colonel Henry L. Cake, informing the family of Martin's death at Crampton's Gap. Martin's letters are an engaging chronicle of early Union Army activities in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The first eight items in the collection date from Martin's association with the National Light Infantry. The remainder of Martin's letters document the travails of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, of which he was major, including their involvement in the Peninsular Campaign (West Point, Gaine's Mill, and Malvern Hill), 2nd Bull Run, and Crampton's Pass.

Martin's high rank and friendship with the staff officers of the regiment are not well represented in his letters home, nor are his letters particularly good resources for military information. Apart from the occasional asides, and some tangential references during the Peninsular Campaign, his letters are almost entirely consumed by problems at home, from finances, to friends, to minor controversies over the regiment as played out in the newspapers. For Martin, seemingly the most exasperating aspects of army life were the uncertainty, the waiting, and the irregularity of mail service.

There is a gap in the correspondence between the mustering out of the 25th regiment and the organization of the 96th, and no indication of his role in recruiting and organizing the 96th. Many of the letters written in the late spring and summer of 1862 concern McClellan's cautious planning and frustrating vigil on the outskirts of Richmond, and Martin believed that a single victory there, perhaps a direct attack on Richmond, would bring the war to a quick end. Though the hoped-for battle never took place, Martin nevertheless expressed total confidence in McClellan as a leader and in the arms of the Union Army.

Among other interesting topics covered in the correspondence are Martin's oft-expressed opinions on the course of the war, the situation of the army, and their health, and anecdotes such as an evening ride in an observation balloon, a great military review in Washington in November, 1861, a visit to fort Monroe, and of course the battles in which he participated.

The journal of Levi E. Kent, of the 4th Rhode Island Infantry, Company F., provides an account of his regiment's movements, battles, pastimes, entertainments, and lifestyle.

Although Kent served for only one year during the Civil War, he left an outstanding account of his regiment's movements, battles, pastimes, entertainments, and lifestyle. A good writer and capable of holding forth for several pages on a single engry, Kent's journal virtually amounts to a regimental history. Of special interest is his reporting on the palace intrigue among the officers of the 4th Rhode Island.

This collection consists of 4 letters that Private Josephus W. Voodry wrote to his sister and to a female friend during his service with the 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, Company G, between 1861 and 1863. He discussed military life, his eagerness to participate in battle, and an August 1863 visit to the battlefield at Gettysburg.

This collection consists of 4 letters (16 pages) that Private Josephus W. Voodry wrote to his sister (1 item) and to a "Sarah," a female friend (3 items), during his service with the 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, Company G, between 1861 and 1863. He discussed military life, his eagerness to participate in battle, and an August 1863 visit to the battlefield at Gettysburg.

In his early letters, Voodry expressed his disdain for the Confederate cause and his eagerness to participate in battle, a sentiment somewhat lessened by the time he wrote his final letter in August 1863. In his letter of October 12, 1861, he commented on hearing shellfire and on visits from General George McClellan and Napoleon III. On January 9, 1862, Voodry stated that his unit had not yet engaged in battle and that he had not seen much blood beyond having a tooth pulled that morning. Voodry's final letter, written on August 9, 1863, contains his description of the Gettysburg battlefield shortly after the fighting.

• August 10, 1861: Red, white, and blue. Woman holding an American flag, accompanied by a four-line poem.
• October 12, 1861: Red, white, and blue. "The Shield of Liberty," accompanied by the dates 1776 and 1861.
• January 9, 1862: Purple. Soldier standing in front of tents, resting his arm on the state seal of Pennsylvania.
• August 9, 1863: Red, white, and blue. Patriotic shield in front of a five-pointed star, with the words "North," West," East," and South."

The John D. Wilkins papers are comprised of West Point graduate and career army officer John Wilkins' letters to his wife during his service in the Civil War. Wilkins served in the 3rd and 15th Infantry regiments of the U.S. Army.

John Darragh Wilkins stood a world away from the stereotypical fresh-faced farm boy recruit of the Civil War. A true professional soldier, trained at West Point (class of 1846) and steeled in combat during the Mexican War, Wilkins had few illusions about military life. The 64 letters in the Wilkins Papers, almost all written to his wife in Washington, D.C., paint a vivid picture of the frustrated aspirations of this career officer who seemingly could never garner enough attention or find promotion fast enough. Through his bitter carping, an unvarnished portrait emerges of life in the regular army during the Civil War, replete with tales of poor leadership, ill discipline among the volunteer troops, and occasional military disaster.

Several letters trace Wilkins' elaborate attempts to secure promotion, but even his mother's visit to the Secretary of War failed to achieve the results he desired. Wilkins' bitter complaints, though, must be seen in the context of having received brevet appointments for gallant and meritorious service first at Malvern Hill (Major) and second at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (Lieut. Colonel), and finally an appointment in rank to Major in the 15th Infantry (official records of the army indicate that Wilkins was promoted to a majority in the 15th Infantry on May 6, 1864, yet his letters indicate that he continued to serve with the 3rd Infantry until May, 1865). Sadly, the absence of pre- and post-war letters and the apparent absence of at least some of his war-time correspondence make it difficult to evaluate whether Wilkins was ever actually deprived of advancement relative to his fellow officers, or whether he merely suffered from a chronic case of the sullens.

Although Wilkins is not a man prone to deep reflection, the Wilkins Papers include a number of excellent comments on the role (plight) of officers in the Union army, catty comments on generals and leadership, and insightful commentary on troop morale. His descriptions of the battles of Malvern Hill, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville provide interesting and unusual observations, but the engagements at Second Bull Run and Antietam are mentioned, retrospectively, only in passing. His account of a review in honor of Abraham and Mary Lincoln (13:46) and a pencil sketch of himself near Chancellorsville (13:52) are also noteworthy.

The John and Samuel Hunt papers consist primarily of Civil War era correspondence between the friends and family of John and Samuel Hunt with many letters between the two brothers. Also included is John Hunt's Civil War diary, which contains accounts of his service as adjutant with the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment between January and December, 1862.

The John and Samuel Hunt papers are comprised of 78 letters, 1 receipt, 3 miscellaneous printed items, 2 photographs, and 1 diary. The collection consists primarily of Civil War era correspondence between the friends and family of John and Samuel Hunt, with many letters between the two brothers. For the most part, cousins, sisters, and friends wrote the pre-Civil War letters, addressed to John Hunt. These concern family matters, school, and local Ohio politics.

John's Civil War era letters, mainly to Samuel with a few items to other family members, focus on his relationship to his family, particularly his parents. He also described Civil War camp life in Missouri, Tennessee, and near Corinth. Early on, in a letter from December 8, 1861, he wrote about a conflict between his regiment's lieutenant colonel and captain over a battalion drill, which almost resulted in a duel. The brothers often bonded over the activities (past and present) of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity, which they had both joined at Miami University. Samuel sent John his DKE pin, which made him popular with the ladies in St. Louis (February 23, 1862). Samuel kept John up-to-date on the fraternity's election results and activities. A few months after the war, John was working in Washington DC as a lawyer's clerk and reported that the town was "full of rebels at present seeking pardon" (September 17, 1865).

Letters from Samuel describe university life during the war and the impact that the war was having on the homefront. He included fiery political commentary and espoused bellicose sentiments, particularly in the early part of the war. In a letter to John dated May 25, 1861, Samuel wrote: "The murder of the accomplished Col-Ellsworth must and will be avenged -- those fine Zouaves will cause destruction in the enemy's camp -- they are 'spoiling for a fight' and will soon be gratified[.] " Samuel kept up his correspondence with a number of friends and Miami University alumni with whom he communicated about the school and his own academic progress.

The John Hunt's Civil War diary contains accounts of his service as adjutant with the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment between January and December, 1862. He entered notes almost daily, except during his sick leaves in April and from August 15 through the end of 1862. During his leave, Hunt wrote a few entries in August concerning an Ohio Copperhead and his views on the draft, and recorded a short run of daily entries from November 1-22. The diary includes descriptions of travels in the north and south and is most detailed between May and August, when the 81st Ohio took part in the assault on Corinth, Mississippi, and in the late fall, when they were encamped near Corinth. Hunt's brief entries provide interesting anecdotes about life in the Union camps, soldiers' amusements, and the scene near Corinth.

The Miscellaneous series consists of two photographs (a staged family portrait and a carte-de-visite of a young well dressed man), an army pass for John R. Hunt (February 1862), and three programs concerning the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (1862-1863).