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The African American and African Diaspora Collection is comprised largely of individual letters, documents, and other manuscript items relating to slavery, abolition movements, and aspects of African American life, largely dating between 1781 and 1865.

The African American and African Diaspora Collection is comprised largely of individual letters, documents, and other manuscript items relating to slavery, abolition movements, and aspects of African American life, largely dating between 1781 and 1865. Topics addressed in the letters and documents include the experiences and work of enslaved persons in the North and South; the buying and selling of enslaved men, women, and children; participation in the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and Civil War of African descended persons; abolitionists and abolition societies; the American Colonization Society; the lives of formerly enslaved persons; African American education; and many other subjects. For details on each document, see the inventory located under "Detailed Box and Folder Listing"

The Henry C. Gilbert papers consist of a substantial body of personal and business correspondence documenting a long and successful public career. As attorney, Indian agent, political hand, and Colonel of a regiment of Civil War volunteers, Gilbert served his state and nation for over twenty years.

The Henry C. Gilbert papers consist of a substantial body of personal and business correspondence documenting a long and successful public career. As attorney, Indian agent, political hand, and Colonel of a regiment of Civil War volunteers, Gilbert served his state and nation for over twenty years, giving his life in the cause. His letters, mostly addressed to his wife, Hattie (Harriet), are extremely literate, tinged with a good natured sense of humor, though occasionally a black humor, and a deeply felt affection for family and nation. At his best, Gilbert is a passionate, keenly observant writer who never minces his words or hides his opinions. His forthrightness and firmness of opinion come through in nearly every letter, as does his sense of fun and fair play.

The Gilbert papers are arranged into several series. The first four boxes comprise the main run of correspondence, both professional and personal, written between 1826 and his death in May, 1864. The correspondence begins in earnest after Gilbert's move to Michigan. The early part of the collection is dominated by letters stemming from his work as prosecuting attorney for Branch County, providing a limited indication of crime and criminality in rural western Michigan in the 1840s. There are three extensive reports on Branch County merchants prepared by Gilbert in 1845 that give an indication of their viability for credit agencies.

Gilbert's employment as an Indian agent is somewhat sketchily documented, though there is a very nice series of five letters written while Gilbert was distributing annuity payments in the upper Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula in the fall of 1853. The best of these includes a nice description of the Indian village at Cross Village at the northern limit of the Lower Peninsula. Unfortunately, Gilbert's letters from the field tend to be somewhat sparse of detail, and are generally shorter than average.

For many researchers, the heart of the Gilbert papers is the 210 letters written while he was colonel of the 19th Michigan Infantry. These letters form a complete and detailed history of the activities of the regiment from its formation in July, 1862, through the death of Col. Gilbert at the Battle of Resaca on May 13, 1864. Although the regiment was in the rear during much of this period, assigned to reserve duty with the Army of the Cumberland in Kentucky and Tennessee, they nevertheless provide an important perspective on the war, as well as on the attitudes, motivations, and duties of an officer. Gilbert was ideologically driven, and less concerned for self-glorification or promotion than for the ardent and ceaseless pursuit of the war against secession and slavery. While he did not follow the radicalism of his cousin, Theodore Dwight Weld, he was a moderate abolitionist and held progressive views on race relations. Some of his best letters are filled with a strident patriotism and calls to sacrifice for the survival of the Union.

The significance of Gilbert's Civil War letters lies in their documentation of the activities of the army of occupation in Kentucky and Tennessee. Although the 19th Michigan was not involved in many major battles prior to Resaca, Gilbert's letters paint a vivid picture of the brutality of the guerrilla conflict in East Tennessee and the resulting devastation. Gilbert leaves no doubt that he considered the situation to be an inevitable result of civil war and a necessity in meeting the political goal of ending the war and slavery. His transformation from a stern disciplinarian into a more ruthless and rigid commander under the pressure of guerrilla violence is a particularly interesting feature of the collection.

In one letter and in his diary, Gilbert provides an account of the Union debacle at the Battle of Thompson's Station and of his capture by Confederate forces. Information on his imprisonment at Libby Prison in Richmond is sketchy, but between his diary entries for this period and five letters a strong sense emerges of the physical and psychological hardships he endured. His toughness, though, resulted in his very rapid return to active duty.

Among other miscellaneous items of note in the collection is a humorous description of Gilbert's visit to the home in of Theodore Dwight Weld and Sarah and Angelina Grimké in Belleville, N.J. (1849 July 22). To his annoyance, Gilbert, the smoking, coffee guzzling carnivore, found that the lot of them were on the Graham system, eschewing meat, caffeine, and tobacco. Of equal interest are two exceptional descriptions of séances with one of the Fox sisters, held in Detroit in 1853 (1853 August 26, 29). Gilbert is at his literary best in conveying the emotional power of these séances and the mechanics of the séance itself.

Box 5 of the Gilbert papers contains correspondence and records relating to the Southern Michigan Railroad, 1848-1852. As the only one of three railroad lines planned for Michigan to be completed in the 1850s, the Southern Michigan Railroad established an important communications and commercial link between the eastern and western parts of the state. As President, stock holder, and chief lobbyist in Lansing, Gilbert was instrumental in securing passage of a bill in 1849 to help finance the construction of the line.

The Southern Michigan Railroad series contains a considerable body of detailed information regarding the laying out and financing of the line, including 74 letters received by Gilbert between June, 1849, and December, 1851, contracts, time sheets for laborers, surveys for right of way, and information on stocks and dividends. Additional information on the railroad can be found in letters from Gilbert to his wife, filed in the main correspondence series.

Finally, the Champion-Warner series relates to Gilbert's financial entanglements with his father-in-law, Reuben Champion, with whom he was often at odds. Most of these items are deeds and legal documents relating to the grist mill in Lima, Ind.

Charlie and John Moore, who appear to have been cousins, both received captains' commissions in the 99th U.S. Colored Infantry. Their letters describe training at Camp Lyon in Connecticut, a journey to Ship Island, and stationing in New Orleans.

The John and Charlie Moore papers (15 items) contain the letters of two cousins serving as captains in the 5th Engineers, Corps d'Afrique, writing to John's father in Hartford, Connecticut. The collection falls into two distinct parts, the first of which includes nine letters written by John Moore, covering his training at Camp Lyon in Connecticut, to his transport and arrival at Ship Island. John Moore's letters are generally well-written, suggesting that he was well educated, however his descriptions of Camp Lyon are routine, focusing mainly on food and requests for stockings, books (James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy and The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish), and other daily needs. Two letters stand out: one describing the unpleasant journey to Ship Island aboard the Steamer Fulton (1862 May 3-5), and another desribing the wildlife that he and his fellow soldiers encountered around Ship Island while gathering logs for construction (1862 March 29).

Moore had trepidations about becoming ill in the South, and on June 16, 1862, he wrote that he had become lame and was being considered for a medical discharge. The presence of an additional letter from Moore, dated April 17, 1864, suggests that he did not receive a discharge. By that time, Moore had been commissioned as Captain in the 5th Engineers, Corps d'Afrique (later designated as the 99th U.S.C.T.), and was involved in Banks' Red River Campaign.

Charlie Moore is less articulate than John, and the letters he wrote while an officer in the 99th U.S. Infantry (Colored) were written while stationed in relatively calm New Orleans. Most of Charlie's five letters discuss bad news he received of Banks' campaign, and rumors of good news of Grant's success in the east. Moore's company appears to have spent much its time overseeing "contrabands" who were working plantations.

This collection is made up of 4 letters to William H. Strong of Wallingford, Connecticut; a manuscript poem addressed to his sister-in-law, Louisa Strong of Wallingford and New Haven, Connecticut; a letter addressed to "Bro. Strong"; and proverbial thoughts about friendship by James and Marcia A. Strong. William's brother, Edwin F. Strong, wrote 4 of the letters while serving in the 8th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. The poem, told from the point of view of a slave, also concerns the war.

This collection (7 items) is made up of 4 letters to William H. Strong of Wallingford, Connecticut; a manuscript poem addressed to his sister-in-law, Louisa Strong of Wallingford and New Haven, Connecticut; a letter addressed to "Bro. Strong;" and proverbial thoughts about friendship by James and Marcia A. Strong.

Edwin F. Strong's 4 letters his brother William regard Edwin's service in the 8th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, and his life in New Haven, Connecticut, after his discharge from the army. "Jennie G" sent a poem titled "Kingdom Coming" to Louisa Strong; the poem is in African-American dialect and regards a master fleeing his plantation. C. E. Piper's letter to [William?] Strong concerns Christianity. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

The Vinaca papers consist of Civil War letters written by Francis Vinaca to his parents; correspondence from his cousins Henry Chase and James Miner; and from a friend, Martin Dealing. Francis and Martin served in the 186th New York Infantry and Henry in the 1st New York Mounted Rifles. Francis' letters are a valuable resource for examining the attitudes of a soldier entering the war in its latter stages.

The Vinaca papers contain 46 letters written by Francis Vinaca to his parents during the Civil War; 10 from his cousin, Henry Chase addressed to Francis; two letters from Francis' close friend, Martin Dealing (also of the 186th N.Y. Infantry); and two from a cousin, James Miner of the 35th New York Infantry. Although he is not the most observant writer, Francis' letters are a valuable resource for examining the attitudes of a soldier entering the war in its latter stages. His motives for enlisting appear to have been as much tied as much in profit and personal advancement as they were in patriotism, and the time that he spent in the unglamorous work of building roads or digging for fortifications was typical of the experiences of many soldiers, as were the periods of inactivity. Vinaca's unsuccessful attempts to secure a commission in a "colored" regiment are meagerly documented.

Henry Chase's rough-edged and occasionally offensive letters include some colorful descriptions of the theatre of action near New Bern, N.C., with particularly negative comments reserved for discussions of African Americans and the idea of fighting for the end of slavery.

Vinaca's letters from March and April, 1865, provide an indication of how low Confederate morale had sunk, as measured by the large number of deserters crossing the lines, and the level of desperation they must have felt. The most interesting letters concerning military action are the two in which Francis discusses his bloody experiences in the assault on Fort Mahone and the fall of Petersburg -- the last major engagements of the war in Virginia.

Martin Webster's journals record his service with Battery I, 3rd New York Light Artillery, from 1863 to 1865, during which the regiment was stationed in northeastern North Carolina, primarily at New Bern.

Martin Webster's journal offers an insightful venture into the thoughts and experiences of a working class man drawn into the back waters of the Civil War. The two volumes record his service with Battery I, 3rd New York Light Artillery, from September, 1863, through the beginning of March, 1865, during which the regiment was stationed in northeastern North Carolina, primarily at New Bern. The volume contains fine descriptions of two expeditions undertaken by the regiment from December, 1864 through March, 1865, and a fair, but myopic view of the Confederate assaults on New Bern in February and May, 1864. With these exceptions, however, the diary is more a chronicle of the doldrums of camp life and the effects of ill discipline, abysmal sanitation, and alcohol, than it is a record of martial achievement.

Of particular note are an excellent, long and detailed account of the mass execution of a group of deserters at New Bern (1864 August 14), and a memorable account of Webster and his friends stealing Thanksgiving dinner from local Black families (1864 November 23). The constant refrains of Webster's world are drill, drink, and (particularly in the fall of 1864) disease, and through these emerges a vivid picture of the seamy side of the war that many soldiers preferred to deemphasize. He is, for instance, one of the few soldiers in the Schoff Collection who admits to having taken a body part as a souvenir, the scalp blown off the head of a man hit by a 100 pound shell (May 9, 1864), and he is a soldier who plans openly to get even with his colonel for what he perceives as a slight.

The longest and perhaps most significant part of the journal spans the period from December, 1864, through March, 1865, when Webster was engaged in expeditions to Rainbow Bluff, N.C., and in the vicinity of Plymouth and Colerain, N.C., the latter a half-hearted offensive led by Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Jones Frankle, and conducted as a northern extension of Sherman's Carolinas Campaign. The journal ends shortly before the engagement at Wise's Fork, and thus includes little information on the role that the 3rd N.Y. Artillery played in this decisive stage of the war.

Laid in the front of the first volume of Webster's journal are several loose manuscripts, including an 1876 deposition relating to Webster's work in the machine shop at Auburn Prison, and a series of documents relating to his application for an invalid's pension in 1890. The journal also includes a newspaper clipping dating from 1896, pertaining to the attempted murder of Isabelle Webster, probably a relative of Martin's.

Fannie Preston's diary spans 120 pages and reflects her experiences during a stay in Baker County, Georgia, from November 1861 to September 1862, and of life in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1862 to 1863. Preston discussed daily life, wartime hardships, battles, Confederates, Confederate-sympathizers, African American people, slavery, religion, education, and wartime hardships.

Fannie Preston's diary spans 120 pages and reflects her experiences during a stay in Baker County, Georgia, from November 1861 to September 1862, and of life in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1862 to 1863.

Preston's writings while in Georgia include descriptions of daily life and wartime hardships. Preston was elated at finding something as simple as a "tangled skein of black silk" on the floor, having been forced to take apart old garments for thread to repair a dilapidated wardrobe (February 22, 1862). Preston's entries reflect the all-encompassing nature of the war, women's struggles on the home front, and her daily duties and responsibilities amidst the turmoil.

While in Baker County, Georgia, Preston worked as a teacher and taught a variety of fundamental topics to students. She considered herself somewhat proficient in "how to make a good grammarian, or a good reader, or to make [a student] proficient in History, Geography, Mathematics, etc." (January 23, 1862), but struggled with the belief that she did not know how to form her students' character. Deeply religious, Preston often included Christian teachings and practices with lessons.

After Preston returned to Maryland, she continued to write about the effects of the war on civilian life. On April 18, 1863, her family discussed heavy firing heard in the distance that morning, but still "returned to [their] various pursuits and meditations, as if [they] had not just admitted the probability of a murderous conflict within a few miles." This desensitization to war was not new to Fannie: "the idea of war, a year ago, tho' painful, was romantic", but her sensibilities were "somewhat deadened by familiarity with details of carnage and destruction" (March 21, 1862). Mentions of disputes over the American flag--as well as farmers learning how to deal with a lack of an enslaved work force--paint a picture of a Maryland occupied by Union forces, but whose populace leaned towards the Confederacy.

Preston, a Confederate-sympathizing Protestant, also wrote about her internal conflicts regarding slavery and whether it was ordained by God or was a sin. She questioned her personal duties and remarked on what she would do if "Providence made me the slave" (June 8, 1863). She consulted scripture for answers to these questions, but did not seem to draw a hard conclusion. Her brief description of African Americans in Georgia and Maryland during the Civil War includes building entrenchments, attending school, singing hymns, and continuing work as laborers and caretakers. These remarks provide glimpses of the lived experiences of African American communities during a time of extreme tumult. In October of 1863, she noted the passage of Black people escaping enslavement: "Some of them inform their mistresses beforehand that they are getting ready to leave. Most of the men have been gone some time, and every once in a while, the wife and children of one of the absentees disappear into the night carrying with them their effects" (October 18, 1863).

The Simeon Gallup papers are comprised of 30 letters written by Gallup to his sister, Emily, while he served with the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment during the Civil War. Gallup bluntly offered his opinions about a number of aspects of the war and provided detailed descriptions of his experiences in North Carolina and Virginia.

The Simeon Gallup papers are comprised of 30 letters written by Gallup to his sister Emily, while he served with the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment during the Civil War. Gallup's correspondence covers most of the war, and includes his bluntly expressed opinions on a number of topics related to the war's administration. Gallup frequently complained, for example, about the tedium of parades, and expressed hope that Lee's invasion of the North would stymie the growing Copperhead movement (June 21, 1863). Simeon provided an unflattering portrait of Southerners (June 22, 1862) and displayed a loathing toward censorship of soldiers' letters, but though he often depicted the words of contrabands and other African Americans in simplified dialect, Gallup expressed admiration for units of the U. S. Colored Troops attached to his brigade: "I have quite as much confidence in them for their fighting qualities as in any others who went with us. Such a thing would not have seemed possible" (February 12, 1864). His letters reflect a fair amount of frustration at the artillery's stint performing cavalry duties, as well as boredom while stationed in New Bern, North Carolina, but Gallup saw action several times throughout his military service. Several of his letters describe rebel troops and destruction occasioned by the fighting, and he shared a particularly wrenching account of experiences during the Siege of Petersburg (May 19, 1864). Also of interest is a description of a sword presentation to General Ambrose Burnside, including a description of the Union's commanding general (June 22, 1862). One additional letter in the collection was composed by a soldier known only as "S. P. C.," who wrote to his parents while recuperating from a shoulder wound in Chesapeake Hospital (undated).

This collection is made up of correspondence and receipts related to Juliette F. Gaylord's work with the Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, during the Civil War. Gaylord, the group's secretary, corresponded with members of the United States Sanitary Commission's New-England Women's Auxiliary Association and with Hannah A. Adams, a Fitzwilliam native who worked in the South during the war.

This collection is made up of correspondence and receipts related to Juliette F. Gaylord's work with the Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, during the Civil War. Gaylord, the group's secretary, corresponded with members of the United States Sanitary Commission's New-England Women's Auxiliary Association and with Hannah A. Adams, a Fitzwilliam native who worked in the South during the war.

The collection is comprised of 1 letter to "Mrs. Cahill;" 1 letter and 1 receipt addressed to the Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire; 1 printed report; and 12 letters and receipts addressed to Juliette F. Gaylord. Gaylord received correspondence from the New-England Women's Auxiliary Association's executive committee about their efforts to procure flannel and other items for Union soldiers. In her letter of March 10, 1865, F. P. Fox thanked Gaylord for a recent report about the religious composition of the Fitzwilliam Society. Later correspondence pertains to a proposed lecture series and includes a printed questionnaire about potential locations. Other items concerning the Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society include receipts for in-kind donations to the United States Sanitary Commission and a printed monthly report by the New-England Women's Auxiliary Association (November 20, 1864).

Hannah A. Adams wrote 2 personal letters to Juliette Gaylord in March 1864 about her work in St. Louis, Missouri, and Huntsville, Alabama, where she participated in relief efforts for soldiers. Adams discussed her desire to assist the soldiers, her intention to relocate to Nashville, and black residents' reactions to the arrival of Union troops in Huntsville.

The Peterson papers consist of 14 letters addressed to Simon Peterson of Oakfield, Mich., written by acquaintances in Civil War service.Although war-related content is comparatively sparse, there are reports of the battle of Shiloh and the advance on Corinth, references to daily routine, marches, the pros and cons (mainly cons) of post-war service, and slaves in Alabama.

The Peterson papers consist of 14 letters addressed to Simon Peterson of Oakfield, Mich., written by acquaintances in Civil War service, including soldiers in Co. C, 13th Michigan Infantry (William N. Barnard, Bradley McArthur, Isaac Lewis Tower, and R.L. Wells) and Co. L, 1st Michigan Cavalry (H.A. Rowley). One letter was written by Peterson's cousins, Nellie and E. C. Schumeshorn, of Clifton Park, N.Y. Most of these letters are brief and relatively breezy, and their most notable feature may be the wide assortment of stationery and envelopes emblazoned with patriotic scenes, figures, and mottoes.

Although war-related content is comparatively sparse, there are reports of the battle of Shiloh and the advance on Corinth, references to daily routine, marches, the pros and cons (mainly cons) of post-war service, and slaves in Alabama. H.A. Rowley's letters are particularly interesting in that he actively discouraged thought of Peterson's (or anyone else's) enlistment. After the war, one of Peterson's friends, R.L. Wells, became a successful photographer in Cleveland, and one of his letters encloses some excellent, unmounted samples of his work.