Civil War Manuscripts Project

Alphabetical Name List A - B

A-B || C || D || E-F || G-H || I-J || K-L || M-N || O-P || Q-R || S-T || U-V || W-X || Y-Z
Index of Names || Index of Regiments || Index by Residence
 
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_____, Maria
Hartford
Civilian, Female
1865 April 10
1 Item

Letter to sister Rhoda, 4 pp. Describes local celebrations in Hartford upon receiving the news of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 26

_____, Richard
Unknown Residence
Civilian, Male
1860 December 7
1 Item

Letter from Washington, DC, to cousin Lizzie C. Griswold, 4 pp. Describes an excursion of the Putnam Phalanx to Mount Vernon and to Washington, DC, where the group was received at the White House; relates talk of dissolution and secession; mentions the resignation of George Sydney Hawkins (Florida) from the House of Representatives.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 26

Adams, Henry H. (1844?-1864)
Corporal
East Windsor
Sixteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company G
1864 January 1-October 20
1 Volume

Diary. Adams was taken prisoner at Plymouth, NC, on 20 April 1864 and died in captivity at Florence, SC, on 20 October 1864. He was initially held in Andersonville and was subsequently moved to Charleston and then to Florence. Adams, an unmarried mechanic, enlisted 8 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Private. He was wounded during the battle of Antietam and was promoted to Corporal on Christmas day 1862. Adams was reduced to the ranks on 5 March 1863. His diary contains an otherwise unidentified and unauthenticated Confederate twenty-dollar note. A newspaper clipping notes the diary spent eight years in New York City before coming to The Connecticut Historical Society.
Detailed Examination
Location: MS

Adams, Sherman W.
Acting Assistant Paymaster
Wethersfield
U. S. Navy
1832-1901
1 Box

Correspondence and papers; approximately 264 of 383 items relate to the Civil War. Adams officially enlisted on 10 November 1862 (though he reported for duty in March 1862) and was assigned Acting Assistant Paymaster of the gunboat U. S. S. Somerset. He resigned from the Navy on 11 October 1864. The collection includes his record book, 1862-1863, and papers and correspondence (156 items) pertaining to his service as Acting Assistant Paymaster aboard the Somerset, 1862-1864; among the papers are returns, provisions surveys, invoices, vouchers, requisitions, summaries of courts martial proceedings (May 1863 and May 1864), and transfer accounts. Names mentioned in the record book include Earl English, A. F. Crossman, William E. Dennison, William A. Arthur, Jonas S. Higbee, Thomas Chatfield, and Edward Healy. The collection also contains papers and correspondence (57 items) pertaining to Adams’s tenure as Secretary of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Committee, 1882-1894, and/or as Chairman of the Park Commission in Hartford. Also included in the collection are papers and correspondence relating to the Naval Veterans’ Association of Connecticut, 1885-1891, and eight apparently confiscated letters written to Confederate officer, M. Whit Smith, in Florida.
Detailed Examination
Location: MS

Aiken, William Appleton (b.1833)
Norwich
Civilian, Male
1867 December 23
1 Item

Letter from Norwich to Samuel Giles Buckingham (1812-1898) in two hands, 14 leaves. The letter recounts the mission of General Aiken to Washington in late-April of 1861 on behalf of Connecticut Governor William Alfred Buckingham (1804-1875), to reassure President Abraham Lincoln of Connecticut’s support. Leaf 3 of an original total of 15 leaves is missing; pages 1-10 are in a different hand from that on pages 11-15. William Appleton Aiken was the husband of Governor Buckingham’s daughter Eliza Coit Buckingham. Samuel Giles Buckingham was the brother of Governor Buckingham. The manuscript is badly water-damaged and large portions are virtually illegible. Fortunately, the majority of the narrative was published in W. A. Croffut and John M. Morris, The Military and Civil History of Connecticut During the War of 1861-65 (New York: Ledyard Bill, 1869), pp. 840-841, and in Samuel Giles Buckingham’s The Life of William A. Buckingham (Springfield, Mass.: W. F. Adams, 1894), pp. 145-148.
Location: MS 87048

Allen, John F. (1832?-1863)
Private
East Hartford
Tenth Connecticut Infantry, Company E
1863 January 15
1 Item

Letter from New Bern, NC, to Edwin Forbes in East Hartford, 4 pp. Allen describes the battle of Kinston, NC. Patriotic envelope included. Allen, an unmarried wheelwright, enlisted 9 September 1861, was mustered-in a Private on 30 September 1861 and died 3 October 1863.
Location: MS 87349

Allyn, Arthur W. (b.1843)
Hartford
First Connecticut Infantry, Rifle Company A, Private
Sixteenth United States Infantry, Brevet Major
1861 June 19-1865 August 10
10 Items

Letters to his father, Timothy Mather Allyn (1800-1882) in Hartford, from Camp Wood, KY, Camp Tyler at Falls Church, VA, and Lookout Mountain, GA. Allyn originally enlisted in the First Connecticut Infantry on 25 April 1861 and was mustered-in Rifle Company A as a Private. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Sixteenth United States Infantry on 14 May 1861. He was breveted Captain on 31 December 1861, receiving the full rank of a Captain in the Regular Army on 24 June 1864. Allyn earned the brevet rank of Major on 13 March 1865 and remained in the Army until 30 April 1880. The 16th U. S. Infantry was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland during much of Allyn’s correspondence. Allyn menions his brothers, A. H. Allyn, Joseph P. Allyn, and Robert Allyn, as well as his sister Nora Allyn.
Detailed Examination
Location: MS 81924

Andrews, Albert A. (1838?-)
Private
Wolcott
Ninth Connecticut Infantry, Company I
1862 March 9
1 Item

Letter to his brother and sister from Ship Island, MS. Andrews, an unmarried farmer, enlisted 17 August 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 16 October 1861. He was discharged 4 September 1862. The Ninth Connecticut was predominantly composed of Irish recruits.
Location: MS 74274

Anonymous
Hartford
Civilian, Female
1861 August 29 -1865 April 16
1 Item

Notebook diary of social and war-related welfare activities; also includes a letter from the compiler’s son Richard from New York dated 16 April 1865 which discusses the tragic death of Abraham Lincoln and reports the City in mourning. This Hartford socialite visits Watch Hill, RI, meets Henry Ward Beecher in Philadelphia where she had gone to visit the Volunteer Refreshment Saloon and Hospital and attends a dinner party hosted by Samuel Colt. The pages devoted to her Philadelphia trip render an interesting description of the "Cooper Shop." Names mentioned include Henry Clay Trumbull, Mrs. Buckingham of Norwich, Joseph R. Hawley, Alfred Terry, William A. Aiken, Harriet Putnam, Richard Cheney, Mr. and Mrs. Plitt, and John Olmstead. The diary also documents General Winfield Scott’s resignation, the military engagement at Ball’s Bluff, VA, and Mason and Slidell’s capture aboard a British mail packet by Captain Charles Wilkes. The compiler was much involved with soldiers’ aid work and narrates several interesting anecdotes pertaining to Abraham Lincoln and Captain Wilkes. The unidentified compiler has brothers named Richard and Henry (of New Haven, married to Annie, with a three-year-old son Willie and a daughter named Hattie) and a sister named Mary.
Location: MS 69272

Anonymous
Wilbraham, MA and Bridgeport, CT
Sixth Connecticut Infantry
1862
1 Item

Diary of an unidentified student attending Wilbraham (MA) Academy who returned home to Bridgeport in June 1862 to assist with recruiting for the Sixth Connecticut Infantry. The writer was apparently mustered into the service on 29 August 1862 and, from August through December 1862, served as clerk to Adjutant Redfield Duryée and Colonel John Chatfield.
Location: MS 74302

Anonymous
Unknown Residence
1862 September[?]
1 Item

Letter, 3 pp., to cousin Lucie F. Hanson, regarding the death of Augustus Upton, Company A, 21st Massachusetts Infantry. Augustus Upton was from Templeton, MA, and was killed at the battle of Chantilly, VA, on 1 September 1862, while guarding a baggage train. The letter reads as if copied from a newspaper notice of Upton’s death.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 1

Anonymous
Unknown Residence
Eighteenth Connecticut Infantry
1863
1 Item

Diary written in letter format, 24 pp. An unidentified soldier of the 18th Connecticut Infantry describes events following his capture at the battle of Winchester, VA, on 15 June 1863, including his journey by railroad to and imprisonment in Libby Prison (until 24 June) and at Belle Isle (24 June-6 July), both in Richmond, VA. The author mentions seeing Lt. Carpenter of the 18th Connecticut while boarding the train at Staunton, VA, for transport to Richmond. The narrative renders a good description of Belle Isle, located on an island in the middle of the James River where reportedly 4,000 men were crowded onto 2 1/2 acres. The writer describes the lice, dirty water, lack of shelter and poor food. The manuscript includes a pencil sketch of an unidentified railroad tunnel through hills.
Location: MS 88659

Anonymous
Woodstock
Eighteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company B
1863 June-July
1 Item

Reminiscences, 62 pp. The writer describes his captivity and confinement at Libby Prison and Belle Isle, both in Richmond, VA. He gives an account of cooking rations, wet shelters, and the effect of music on weary marchers. Names mentioned include Corporal Henry Paine and Edwin Wood, both of Woodstock; L. Buck of Putnam; E. C. Buck of Thompson; Mr. Cook; and Corporal Day. The soldier, who was evidently a Private, was probably among those members of the Eighteenth Connecticut captured 15 June 1863 at Winchester, VA. He was paroled 22 July 1863.
Location: MS 81476

Anonymous
Unknown Residence
Eighteenth Connecticut Infantry
1860-1880
1 Volume

Scrapbook of newspaper clippings, many of which pertain to the activities and actions of the 18th Connecticut Infantry. Other materials include poetry, anecdotes, advice and cartoons. Subject matter of the clippings includes G. A. Custer and the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn, baseball, African Americans, first-aid, marriage, and Irish Americans. Other military units documented in the scrapbook hailed from Texas, Kansas, Vermont and Michigan. One item relates the death of Bentley Shaw of the 18th Connecticut. Shaw was captured and taken to Andersonville where malnutrition and illness during his imprisonment resulted in death shortly after reaching home in Connecticut. The scrapbook also includes a manuscript poem entitled "Arlington."
Location: MS 73130

Autographs, Albert Lee Butler Collection
18th and 19th Century
3 Volumes

Only those materials pertaining to the Civil War were examined. Among the autographs represented are Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Clara Louise Kellogg, Simon Cameron, William Seward, Gideon Welles, William Alfred Buckingham, Horace Greeley, David Tod, Louis Goldsborough, David Dixon Porter, A. E. Burnside, W. S. Rosecrans, George McClellan, etc. Many of the autographs are accompanied by photographs. Collection also contains samples of Confederate scrip and tokens.
Location: MS

Autographs, Hoadley Collection
17th-20th Century
15 Boxes

Letters, autographs, documents, account books, journals, correspondence and other papers compiled by Charles Jeremy Hoadley (b.1828). Only those materials pertaining to the Civil War were analyzed. Box 4, Folder 34125 holds the majority of the Civil War items. Collection includes letters or signatures of both Union and Confederate officers and politicians, including Generals W. T. Sherman, John E. Wool, Robert E. Lee, William B. Franklin, Oliver O. Howard, Ambrose E. Burnside, George Meade and many others. An inventory of autographs by category is filed before Box One of the collection in the manuscript stacks.
Location: MS Hoadley Collection, Box 4, Folder 34125
Detailed Examination

Autographs, Gilbert A. Tracy Collection
Various Dates
1 Box

Only those autographs not listed individually are examined here. The collection contains a letter, 1 p., dated 23 June 1865, from Major General Q. A. Gillmore, Hilton Head, SC, to Colonel C. W. Foster regarding the promotion of Captain D. S. Leslie. Also includes a letter, 1p., dated 21 March 1866, from Robert E. Lee, Lexington, VA, to an unnamed party regarding a gift of photographs sent him. Gilbert A. Tracy was a resident of Putnam, CT.
Location: MS Tracy Collection

Babcock, A. M.
Providence, RI
Civilian, Male
1864 December 3
1 Item

Letter, 4 pp., from Providence, RI, to Sgt. Jerome B. Baldwin of Mansfield, then a member of the 21st Connecticut Infantry, Company D, who had been wounded 16 June 1864 at Petersburg, VA. The letter discusses President Lincoln’s reelection and Sherman’s march and also mentions the death of Lt. Henry A. Lincoln (unidentified unit), a mutual acquaintance.
Location: MS 71020

Bacon, William Plumb (1837-1918)
Lieutenant Colonel
New Haven
Fifth New York Cavalry
and
Bacon, Theodore C.
Captain
New Haven
Assistant Adjutant General, First Cavalry Division, General John Buford's Staff
1861-1864
61 Items

Civil War papers and newspaper clippings pertaining to and collected by the Bacon brothers. Theodore was appointed Assistant Adjutant General, with the rank of Captain, on the staff of General John Buford in November or December 1862. He was discharged on 12 September 1864. Theodore’s papers include various retained, signed copies of General Buford’s official reports: 1) Engagement between Beverly Ford on the Rappahannock and Brandy Station, VA, 9 June 1863 (dated 13 June), with list of Right Wing casualties, 2) Operation of the Regular Cavalry Brigade during the raid into Virginia, May 1863 (dated 15 May), 3) Engagement near Upperville, VA, 21 June 1863 (dated 23 June), 4) Operation and engagements of the First Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, during the month of July 1863 (dated 2 August). William’s papers include a Record of [Daily] Movements of the Fifth New York Cavalry, July 1861-December 1863; List of officers, Fifth New York Cavalry, dated 3 May 1863; Annual Return, Alterations and Casualties, during 1862; Ordnance Returns, Fifth New York Cavalry, 1864 March-September. Other items within this collection include a copy of Sir Percy Wyndham’s European military record in the hand of General George Stoneman, dated 14 January 1862; Request for fifteen days leave of absence from Colonel Alfred Gibbs, First New York Dragoons, then commanding Cavalry Reserve Brigade, dated 1 February 1864; Confederate pass allowing Private A. J. Wilson, 13th Virginia Cavalry, Company C, to return home to procure a horse, dated 12 September 1863; and a notice taken by William Bacon from a shop door in the Luray Valley, signed by George Summers. Newspaper clippings discuss the battle of First Bull Run (21 July 1861); Colonel Dahlgren’s raid on Richmond (1 March 1864); and outline of the 5th New York Cavalry’s actions during the Civil War. The Bacon collection contains considerable detail in regard to dates, actions, locations and names.
Location: MS Bacon, William P.

Bailey, Orra B.
Private
Hartford
Seventh Connecticut Infantry, Company F
1862-1864
13 Items

Civil War letters from Beaufort and Morris Island, SC, Fernandina, FL, and Washington, DC. Bailey enlisted and was mustered-in a Private on 23 August 1862. He was transferred to the Sixth Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, Company A, on 27 January 1864 and was discharged 3 December 1864.
Location: MS
Detailed Examination

Ball, Norman (1821-1902)
Sergeant
Haddam, CT, and Agawam, MA
Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company L
1862 October 12-1864 December 23
3 Volumes

Civil War journals. First journal, 1862 October 12-1863 May 3; second journal, 1863 May 3-November 16; third journal, 1864 July 11-December 23. There is no existing journal in the collection for the period 1863 November 17-1864 July 10. On 28 October 1862 Ball notes that "much of the talk is PA Dutch." He mentions J. E. B. Stuart’s raid on the picket line at Hartwood Church, VA, wherein 30 men were captured; an engagement at Kelly’s Ford, VA, 17 March 1863; a review by President Lincoln on 6 April 1863; reports 34 casualties were sustained on 27 October 1864; notes a skirmish at Stony Creek Station, VA, on 1 December 1864, wherein his unit sustained 3 or 4 casualties; and an "Apple Jack" raid on 12 December 1864.
Location: MS

Ball Family
Alabama, Connecticut, Pennsylvania
1831-1887
1 Box

Correspondence between members of the Timothy Ball (1783-1869) and James Lynch families located in Tuscaloosa, AL, Philadelphia, PA, and Waterbury, CT, including letters pertaining to the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, the 106th Pennsylvania Infantry and the 183rd Pennsylvania Infantry. The majority of the Civil War era materials are encompassed by the correspondence of Betsy Finette Ball Lynch (1807-1885) and her four sons, all of whom were in service and all of whom would survive the war: Lt. Col. James C. (106th Pennsylvania and 183rd Pennsylvania), Capt. Francis A. (23rd Pennsylvania), and Lt. Bennet B. and Maj. Augustine Timothy (both of the 183rd Pennsylvania). Many of the letters were written to Betsy’s father Timothy Ball, brother Bennet and sister-in-law Ann Ball of Philadelphia, and nephew Angus Ball. Though the collection contains little detail regarding Civil War military engagements or actions, it is nevertheless an interesting account of one family during the war. A folder index (there are 13 folders) is filed with the collection.
Location: MS 83542
Detailed Examination

Barbour, Charles J. (1843?-)
Private
Hartford
Twelfth Connecticut Infantry, Company C
1862 October-1863 April
6 Items

Final statement, discharge papers and four letters from friends. Barbour, a married clerk, enlisted on 2 November 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 4 December 1861. He developed a hernia and was discharged on 20 October 1862. Letter, 4 November 1862, from Thomas M. Smith (unidentified unit) describes Harper’s Ferry and a tour of Philadelphia. The writer also mentions having seen the 14th Connecticut Infantry. Three letters from Henry E. Blakeslee (of Hartford, then a Corporal serving with the 12th Connecticut Infantry, Company C): 1) 15 December 1862, mentions foraging in Louisiana; 2) 6 February 1863, also from Louisiana, notes "Billy Coats and others gave an Ethiopian Concert at Thibodaux [sic] last evening." Among names mentioned in this letter are: Lt. Jim Francis, Lawyer Preston, Henry Clapp, Colonel Deming, Captain Lewis, Lt. Rogers, Charles Green, Lt. Taintor, Lt. Harmount, the "two Twitchels," John Moore, Sgt. McGann, and Billy Adams. Blakeslee notes the 13th Connecticut were then at Baton Rouge, LA, and mentions the death of Fred Dart; 3) 24 April 1863 (Blakeslee was at this time First Lieutenant, Company K, 76th United States Colored Infantry), from Baton Rouge, LA, mentions building fortifications at Fort Williams, First Lieutenant Bob Rogers, and notes that Ed Peck was under arrest for drunkenness.
Location: MS 70100

Barnes, George (1818-1904)
Roxbury
Civilian, Male
1862
1 Item

Draft notice from the selectmen of Roxbury dated 20 January 1862 requires proof that Barnes is not able to perform military duty. Barnes was a drover. There is no evidence that he ever served in the military. The entire collection, the majority of which does not relate to the Civil War, ranges from 1862 to 1883 and consists of 46 items.
Location: MS 88248

Barnum, Joseph Hall (1838-1902)
Hartford
First Connecticut Infantry, Infantry Company A, Private
Sixteenth Connecticut Infantry, Companies B and H, Captain
1864 January 1-March 19
1 Volume

Diary. Barnum, a married printer, originally served in Infantry Company A, First Connecticut Infantry. He enlisted in the 16th Connecticut on 11 August 1861 and was mustered-in as First Lieutenant, Company B. He was promoted to Captain of Company H on 20 September 1862 but resigned on 13 February 1863. He was re-mustered, Captain, Company H, 12 May 1863 and served until his muster-out on 24 June 1865. According to references found in the diaries and letters of other members of the 16th Connecticut, Barnum was a rather unpopular officer. The final date of this diary coincides with the date he was found guilty by Court Martial of neglect of duty to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. His arrest seems to have been due to his actions or inactions on 21 January 1864. See next entry for further information. Barnum’s diary is enlightening as to the personality of its owner. He keeps careful count of letters sent to and received from his wife. There are many cryptic references to activities which may be sexual in nature. Baseball was documented as a popular pastime in February 1864.
Location: MS

Barnum, Joseph Hall (1838-1902)
Hartford
First Connecticut Infantry, Infantry Company A, Private
Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteers, Companies B and H, Captain
1858-1875
4 Boxes

Very large collection of correspondence and official papers, mainly retained copies, as First Lieutenant, Company B and as Captain, Company H, 16th Connecticut Infantry, as well as personal correspondence, receipted bills and account books. Barnum’s obituary appears in the Mary Morris Scrapbooks, MS, Library of The Connecticut Historical Society. Also see previous entry.
Location: MS 74130
Detailed Examination

Bartholomew, Perkins (1841?-1864)
First Lieutenant
New London
Fourteenth Connecticut Infantry, Companies G, H and I
1862 October 29-1865 February 2
14 Items

Letters to his mother Caroline Bartholomew as well as letters written by comrades to his mother regarding Perkins’s death. Bartholomew, an unmarried clerk, enlisted 24 July 1862 and was mustered-in a Corporal, Company H, on 23 August 1862. He was promoted to Sergeant on 10 November 1862 and to First Sergeant on 26 November 1863. On 30 March 1864, Bartholomew was promoted to Second Lieutenant, Company G, and on 26 June 1864 to First Lieutenant, Company I. On 15 October 1864 he wrote, the "...majority of our regiment will vote for McClellan, but as for me I would vote for Abe..." Lieutenant Bartholomew was mortally wounded in action on the Boydton Plank Road on 27 October 1864 and died nine hours later on 28 October 1864. The collection includes a small remnant of the 14th Connecticut’s regimental flag and a resolution drawn-up upon his death and signed by twelve fellow officers. Letters to Caroline Bartholomew were posted upon her son’s death by Adjutant William B. Hinks, Horace Brown (Company H), Frank [?] A. Dudley, and Captain Simpson. Bartholomew’s remains were not recovered from behind enemy lines. He was buried by Confederates by the side of the Boydton Plank Road.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 3

Bartlett, John S. (1839?-)
Sprague and Stafford
Second Connecticut Infantry, Company C , Private
Tenth Connecticut Infantry, Companies D, F and H , Captain
1861 February 4-1866 December 4
and
Bartlett, Samuel (1843?-)
Stafford and Willington
Twenty-Fifth Connecticut Infantry, Company D, Private
Tenth Connecticut Infantry, Company F, Private
1863-1865
26 Items

Letters from two brothers to their mother and sisters. John Bartlett, a married mechanic, served originally in the Second Connecticut Infantry, Company C. He enlisted 18 September 1861 and was mustered-in a Private, Company F, Tenth Connecticut Infantry, on 1 October 1861. He was promoted to Corporal on 1 January 1862 and to Sergeant, Company F, on 21 January 1864. He was promoted to First Lieutenant, Company H, on 19 November 1864 and to Captain, Company D, on 20 December 1864. John Bartlett was mustered-out 25 August 1865. Letter of 13 February 1862 mentions Georgia Governor Henry Wise’s son was taken prisoner, then shot and killed while attempting to run away. His letters are characterized by his usage of the expression, "all unercount of." John’s brother Samuel Bartlett, an unmarried farmer, enlisted 29 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Private, Company D, 25th Connecticut Infantry, on 11 November 1862. He was mustered-out of this nine-months regiment on 26 August 1863 and enlisted 29 February 1864, in Company F, Tenth Connecticut Infantry, mustering-in as a Private. Samuel was wounded at Deep Bottom, VA, on 14 August 1864 and again at Fort Gregg, VA, on 2 April 1865. He was granted a disability discharge on 21 September 1865. The collection also includes a letter from sister Louisa Bartlett relating to her brother John the town news. Three letters written by Samuel Bartlett were directed to sister Hannah. Letter, 21 December 1863, mentions Lt. George Root (Company D, 25th Connecticut) and letter, 15 May 1865, from Fortress Monroe, where Samuel was recovering from a second wound, mentions the death of Abraham Lincoln.
Location: MS Civil War, Box II, Folders 4-6

Bassett, Milton Humphrey (1840-1926)
Private
New Britain
Thirteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company A
1859-1875
1 Box

Letters and other papers describe experiences in the 13th Connecticut Infantry and in the U. S. Military Telegraph Service in Louisiana including the surrender of Port Hudson and the lack of aseptic medical facilities; Bassett also discusses the social condition of African Americans and attitudes towards their suffrage; renders wonderful descriptions of the natural habitat of Louisiana’s Southwest Passage in 1863. The collection includes a phrenological evaluation of Bassett by Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887). Also included is other Bassett family correspondence and deeds. A typed transcription of the Civil War letters by Mrs. Willard Butler Clary and a folder index is included with the collection. Bassett, an unmarried student, enlisted 14 September 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 22 December 1861. Beginning to study the operation of the telegraph in New Orleans in July of 1862, Bassett accepted a discharge from the army to assume a position with the U. S. Military Telegraph Service on 28 August 1863. He remained with the Telegraph Service until 31 January 1866. Among other service, Bassett operated the U. S. Military Telegraph lines in the field with Brevet Major General J. H. Wilson from February 1-28, 1865. He became Chief Cipher Clerk and Manager of the U. S. Military Telegraph in Montgomery, AL, 1865 July 13-1866 January 31. His letters provide detailed descriptions of the places and people he encountered during the war and in the post-war south. The collection also contains genealogical information on the Bassett family.
Location: MS 88970

Beddoe, Warren
Charlestown, MA [?]
Unidentified Massachusetts Unit
1862 April 1
1 Item

Letter from Hampton, VA, to his mother Harriet J. Beddoe in Charlestown, MA. The letter includes a small pencil sketch of the Monitor and provides a good description of Hampton, VA, and the African American population there.
Location: MS 74274

Belden, Elizur D. (1842?-1864)
Private
Rocky Hill
Sixteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company C
1862 August 19-1864 January 3
2 Volumes

Diaries. Volume 1, 1862 August 19-1863 June 8, and volume 2, 1863 June 22-1864 January 3. Belden, an unmarried farmer, enlisted 11 August 1862 and was mustered-in 24 August 1862. He was captured 20 April 1864 at Plymouth, NC, and died in captivity at Florence, SC, on 2 November 1864.
Location: MS

Bellows, Henry W. (1814-1882)
New York City
Civilian, Male
1863 August 20
1 Item

Letter to General Lorenzo Thomas, Washington, DC (?), recommending George H. Bellows for a Major's or Captain's commission in an African American regiment. Dr. Bellows established the United States Sanitary Commission in April 1861.
Location: MS Tracy Collection

Bennett, Edgar B. (1842?-)
Sergeant
Burlington
First Connecticut Heavy Artillery, Company K
1864 January 22
1 Item

Letter, 1 p., from Fort Richardson, to Mary E. Marsh in Burlington, Bennett’s "Dearest Love," whom he later married on 9 April 1865. The letter is accompanied by sketches of various artillery pieces. Bennett enlisted and was mustered-in a Corporal on 23 May 1861. Though he was reduced to the ranks on 24 June 1862, he was again promoted to Corporal on 10 October 1863. He was promoted Sergeant on 28 May 1864, was taken prisoner 25 March 1865 in front of Petersburg, VA, was taken to Libby Prison and was paroled 30 March 1865. Bennett was mustered-out on 25 September 1865.
Location: MS 69986

Bidwell Family
Undated
1 Volume

Scrapbook family history including programs, postcards and copies of newsletters of Bidwell family reunions which contain biographies and photoprints of ancestors and narratives regarding the service of various Bidwell family members in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the American Civil War and World War I. Includes photograph and biographical sketch of Emory Smith Bidwell (born 1841, Starksboro, VT), of Middlebury, VT, who enlisted on 24 August 1861 and was mustered-in a Private, Company B, 5th Vermont Infantry. Bidwell was wounded on 5 May 1864, and was captured while on picket and hung by guerrillas on 7 October 1864. Also contains photographs of Brigadier General Daniel Davidson Bidwell of Buffalo, NY, who began his Civil War service as Colonel of the 49th New York Infantry and was subsequently killed during the battle of Cedar Creek, VA, on 19 October 1864. Includes text of an address delivered at the dedication of a monument to General Bidwell at Buffalo, NY, as well as a photograph of the monument in the notes of the 5th Bidwell family reunion in 1914. Also contains a photograph and brief biography of Dr. Edwin Curtis Bidwell, Surgeon, 31st Massachusetts Infantry, 1862-1865.
Location: MS 93693

Bill, Frederick (1833-1920)
Cleveland, OH
Civilian, Male
1864 August 2
1 Item

Letter, 2 pp., to Hiram C. Holmes regarding prices paid for military substitutes and laws restricting their interstate transportation. Bill seems to have been engaged in the business of supplying substitutes.
Location: MS 85560

Birge, Burritt N. (1842?-)
New Britain
Twenty-Second Connecticut Infantry, Company F, Private
U. S. Navy, Surgeon's Steward
1863 October 19-1865 February
1 Volume

Birge, Henry Warner (1825-1888)
Norwich
First Connecticut Heavy Artillery , Major
Thirteenth Connecticut Infantry , Brevet Major General
1861 September 9-1864 November 17
11 Items

Letters to his uncle, Governor William Alfred Buckingham (1804-1875). Birge discusses the qualifications of men holding or appointed to various military positions in the 13th Connecticut. Collection includes a copy of a letter from Henry Champion Deming (1815-1872) to Edwin M. Stanton recommending Birge’s promotion. Birge sends his uncle confiscated confederate articles as gifts. Henry Birge, a married merchant, enlisted and was mustered-in the First Connecticut Heavy Artillery as Major on 22 May 1861. He was promoted to Colonel of the 13th Connecticut Infantry on 5 November 1861 and to Brigadier General on 6 October 1863. Birge was breveted Major General on 25 February 1865 and resigned the service on 18 October 1865. For further correspondence between Governor Buckingham and Birge, see entry for Buckingham below. This latter collection also contains photocopies of Birge’s compiled military service record and biographical information on both Buckingham and Birge.
Location: MS 87456

Bissell, H. C.
Carlowville [?], SC
Civilian, Male
1861 February 28
1 Item

Letter to an unidentified cousin. Bissell explains that he has been a southerner for thirty-five years, that his property is all in slaves and land, and, though once a Yankee, will go with South Carolina if war results. Bissell also includes a discussion of crops.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 26

Blake, Edward Foster (d.1862)
Major
New Haven
Fifth Connecticut Infantry
1861 September 24-1865 August 15
2 Volumes

Two loose-leaf volumes of correspondence and papers, including correspondence and hand-drawn maps relative to Major Blake’s death at the battle of Cedar Mountain, VA, on 9 August 1862. Blake enlisted and was mustered-in as Adjutant on 7 October 1861 and was promoted to Major on 12 June 1862. Also included are papers (4 items, June and August 1861) confiscated from the home of James M. Mason in Winchester, VA, by Blake in March of 1862. An article written by Walter L. Powell, "'Heaven Alone Can Soothe Hearts': A New Haven Family's Search for its Missing Son, Major Edward F. Blake," was published in the Spring 1983 (Volume 48, Number 2) issue of The Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin, pp.52-71. Contact Jill Padelford for ordering information.
Location: MS 70041

Blanchard, Caleb (1833-1916)
Sergeant
Killingly
Eighteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company B
and
Blanchard, Horatio (1835?-)
Killingly
Sixth Connecticut Infantry, Company A , First Lieutenant
Eighteenth Connecticut Infantry, Companies B and G , Captain
1854-1866
2 Boxes

Large collection of correspondence between the Blanchard brothers and their family in Killingly. Caleb Blanchard, a married carpenter, enlisted 18 July 1862 and was mustered-in a Sergeant, Company B, on 18 August 1862. He was discharged 20 May 1865. Many of Caleb’s letters were written to his wife Martha Preston Blanchard ("Mattie"). Horatio Blanchard, an unmarried mechanic, first enlisted in the Sixth Connecticut on 21 August 1861 and was mustered-in Second Lieutenant of Company A on 3 September 1861. He was promoted to First Lieutenant, Company G, on 4 November 1861, but was not mustered and later resigned on 1 March 1862. He enlisted 1 August 1862 in the Eighteenth Connecticut, and was mustered-in First Lieutenant, Company B. Horatio Blanchard was subsequently promoted to Captain, Company G, on 6 February 1865 and was mustered-out on 27 June 1865.
Location: MS

Boyle, Charles A. (1837?-1864)
Sergeant
New Haven, CT, and Bernardston, MA
Fifteenth Connecticut Infantry, Company E
1862 August 12-1864 September 17
42 Items

Letters from New Haven, CT, Suffolk, VA, and New Bern, NC, to his parents and sisters, Grace and Annie, in Bernardston, MA. Collection also includes two hand-drawn maps of North Carolina locations where Boyle was stationed and two newspaper clippings concerning the 15th Connecticut Infantry, one dated 28 September 1863 from South Mills, NC, and one dated 24 October 1863 from Portsmouth, VA. Charles Boyle, an unmarried painter, enlisted 12 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Private on 25 August 1862. He was promoted to Sergeant on 1 February 1864 and died at New Bern, NC, on 10 October 1864, during a yellow fever epidemic. Boyle’s letters provide extraordinary detail in regard to military units, actions, movements and events. He speaks frequently about the interaction between officers and their men and relates several incidents involving African Americans.
Detailed Examination
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 7-11

Bradley, Caroline Conklin
Salisbury
Civilian, Female
1862-1863
1 Volume

Diary. Within a Leet & Lane Ore Bed record book, 1853-1864, which includes the labor accounts of a mining company in West Stockbridge, MA, is the diary of Mrs. Bradley in Salisbury beginning as her husband enlists as Quartermaster in the 28th Connecticut Infantry in 1862. The Bradleys were married in 1841. Milton Bradley, Jr. (b.1822), enlisted 1 September 1862 and was mustered-in on 15 November 1862. He resigned on 14 March 1863. The record book also contains Milton Bradley's "Amount of Money paid out Soldiering," a sum of $73.25. Caroline's diary begins on 15 September 1862, though her husband would not leave the New Haven rendezvous with his unit until mid-November, "I went to the shop for the first time in my life to get a horse shod." The account is full of trouble with her hired hand, John Runnells. On 18 September, "John drunk in the barn"; on 19 September, "John drunk again to day," and the story was much the same the following day. On 13 February 1863, "I made stockings a very lonely evening thought much of my Dear Husband." By the third week in February Caroline was trying to hire a man for the summer. On 21 February she wrote, "I have had a lonely day," and on 25 February, "I missed my husband much." Finally, on 26 February 1863, Caroline notes, "Went to see if I could hire a man. I shed many tears to day." According to the official record, Milton Bradley resigned on 14 March 1863; however, when Caroline's diary ends on 12 April 1863, he had not yet returned home."
Location: MS 94353, Leet & Lane Ore Bed

Bradley, James
Second Lieutenant
Preston
First Connecticut Cavalry, Company C
1865 February 27-May 24
3 Items

Diary (1865 February 27-May), muster roll (7 January 1865), and certificate of appraisement of captured horse (28 April 1865). Bradley enlisted 11 October 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 26 October 1861. He was promoted Sergeant on 10 June 1864 and Second Lieutenant 18 October 1864 (date of muster 7 January 1865). He was mustered-out on 2 August 1865. Bradley’s diary contains interesting, albeit very brief, accounts of the many engagements during the month preceding Lee’s surrender of his army at Appomattox Court House, VA. On 8 April 1865: "Ordered to escort Gen Grant to Sheridans HQ." On 9 April 1865: "great cheering in both armies.... Gen Custer received the first flag of truce & went into the reb lines with a white hankerchief on his hat." On 17 April 1865: "went foraging...found corn & a weeping woman but our horses must be fed so the woman found no pity." Unfortunately the diary is written in pencil which has become badly blurred and faded over time.
Location: MS 68990

Brainerd, Morris Birdsall (1843?-)
Private
Haddam
Twenty-First Connecticut Infantry, Company H
1863 April 26-1865 January 6
9 Items

Five letters written to his sister Lucy from Suffolk, VA; Knightsbridge General Hospital in Washington, DC; and Point of Rocks Hospital, VA. The collection also includes a 20 pp. history of the 21st Connecticut, August 1862 to July 1863, written in November and December 1864 for publication in the Washington Evening Star. Most of the letters were penned while convalescing in various hospitals. Brainerd, an unmarried farmer, enlisted 19 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Private on 5 September 1862. He was wounded 3 June 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA, and was mustered-out 16 June 1865. Later in life (ca.1872), Brainerd established a homestead in Sibley, IA.
Location: MS 74274

Brooks, Albion Dennis (1843-1864)
First Sergeant
Bridgeport
Eighth Connecticut Infantry, Company A
1864-1898
One Envelope

Diary, 1864 February 16-May 31, and various papers. Albion Brooks enlisted at Annapolis, MD, 26 November 1861 and was mustered-in a Private. He was promoted Corporal on 28 March 1862 and to Sergeant on 17 September 1862. Brooks was again promoted, to First Sergeant, on 25 September 1862 and was mortally wounded in action at Cold Harbor, VA, on 2 June 1864 and died the next day.
Location: MS 81063, Brooks Family Papers

Brown, Charles E.
Residence Unknown
Thirty-Third Illinois Infantry
1862 May 6
1 Item

Letter, 4 pp., to his brother from Big Black River, AR. Brown’s regiment was then serving in the Army of the West. The letter mentions "The Brain Regiment," which may have been a reference to his own unit.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 1

Brownson, Sheldon Byron (b.1839)
Corporal
Huntington
Twenty-Third Connecticut Infantry, Company D
1863 January 1-September 2
1 Item

Typescript transcription, 19 leaves, of Brownson’s 1863 diary completed by E. B. Brownson in 1974. Brownson, an unmarried mechanic, describes activities near New Orleans and Brashear City, LA, including references to the court-martial of Charles E. Plumb, to attending an African American prayer meeting and to mosquito bars. Brownson, who was 5’8" tall and 24-years-old, went by the name of Byron. He enlisted on 25 August 1862 and was mustered-in on 14 November 1862. He was mustered-out of his nine-months unit on 31 August 1863. He notes on March 11 that all the non-commissioned officers of his company had been given letters from Colonel Holmes charging them with disrespect, a charge Brownson felt unmerited. The next day he wrote, "Every thing quiet except now and then a darkey comes into camp with his head cut open." On 29 March Brownson noted, "The Steamer Diana was captured yesterday by rebels up above Brasher Co A of the 12th Conn was mostly killed" [actually Company A reported seven casualties]. On 3 April Brownson mentioned that he "Went to a Catholic funeral and see them burn the evil spirits out." A note on the back page of the diary reads, "See here my boy you must keep your diary better. -- father."
Location: MS 92841
*Restricted collection. In-library use only*

Bryant, William B. (1827?-)
Corporal
East Hartford
Twenty-First Connecticut Infantry, Company A
1862-1888
8 Items

Collection consists of Bryant’s military commission and pension papers. William Bryant, a married painter, enlisted on 11 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Corporal on 5 September 1862. He received a disability discharge on 5 December 1862. Collection also contains his disability discharge certificate, received at age 35, and pension correspondence dating from 1865 to 1888, some of which pertains to his wife’s, Sarah E. Bryant’s, efforts to secure a widow’s pension.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 12

Buckingham, William Alfred (1804-1875)
Norwich
Governor of Connecticut, 1858-1866
1863 August 26-September 12
5 Items

Collection consists of letters recommending the promotion to Brigadier General of Buckingham’s nephew, Colonel Henry Warner Birge (1825-1888), 13th Connecticut Infantry. Collection includes: 1) Copy of a letter from General Godfrey Weitzel, 26 August 1863; 2) Copy of a letter from General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks, 27 August 1863; 3) Copy of a letter from Colonel George B. Bissell, 25th Connecticut Infantry, 31 August 1863, in which Bissell writes, "...and when he fights, [Birge] ‘fights for a funeral.’"; 4) Letter from General Robert Ogden Tyler, 11 September 1863; and, 5) Letter from Governor Buckingham, Hartford, to Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814-1869), Secretary of War, Washington, DC, 12 September 1863. Also see entry for Henry W. Birge, a collection which contains a letter from Colonel Henry C. Deming, 12th Connecticut Infantry, to the same purpose and which Governor Buckingham mentions in his letter to Stanton.
Location: MS 87851

Buckingham, William Alfred (1804-1875)
Norwich
Governor of Connecticut, 1858-1866
1861 August 12
1 Item

Letter, 2 pp., to Daniel Putnam Tyler (1799-1882). Governor Buckingham asks Tyler to recommend several energetic men from Windham County whose character and habits would qualify them to be officers of the three regiments of volunteers he was planning to call for soon. A typed transcription is filed with the letter.
Location: MS Howard, James, Autograph Collection, 1725-1921

Buckingham, William Alfred (1804-1875)
Norwich
Governor of Connecticut, 1858-1866
1861-1865
12 Items

Papers, 1858-1874. Correspondence, 1861-1865, contains information on conveying General Nathaniel Lyon's body to Connecticut (30 August 1861), on various appointments of regimental officers (30 September 1861; 26 and 31 December 1863; 7 February 1864 regarding Rev. Jacob Eaton's appointment as Chaplain, 7th Connecticut Infantry; and 14 April 1864 regarding Col. Redfield Duryee) and regarding the draft and town quotas (6 August 1863).
Location: MS

Bulkeley, Morgan Gardner (1837-1922)
Hartford [?]
Governor of Connecticut
1881-1892
1 Volume

Scrapbook containing proclamations issued by Governor Bulkeley, invitations to the dedications of the soldiers' and sailors' monuments in Hartford, New Haven and Brooklyn, CT, and of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in St. Louis, MO, in 1887 (21st National Encampment) and of the testimonial banquet to American baseball in 1889. Also includes a notice of the meeting of the Court of Common Council, 14 July 1885, to take action regarding the death of Ulysses S. Grant, at which time Bulkeley was Mayor of Hartford. Contains a program for the dedication of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch in Hartford, 17 September 1886, and the acceptance speech of General Joseph R. Hawley. Includes the roll of the GAR's 21st National Encampment at St. Louis, 28-30 September 1887, as well as a souvenir "Poem of Welcome," and the menu of a banquet given in honor of the delegates on 30 September 1887. Scrapbook also holds a copy of the Memorial Day address delivered by William Edgar Simonds at Hartford on 30 May 1887, "The Eternal Purpose in our Civil War." The dedication of the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument in New Haven took place on 17 June 1887 and that of the Soldiers' monument in Brooklyn, CT, on 14 June 1888. Also includes a program for the latter dedication. Morgan Gardner Bulkeley was the brother of William Henry Bulkeley (See entry for W. H. Bulkeley).
Location: MS 93631

Bulkeley, William Henry (1840-1902)
Hartford
Thirteenth New York National Guard, Company G , Private
Fifty-Sixth New York National Guard, Company C , Captain
1861-1863
13 Items

Collection consists of letters from Annapolis and Baltimore, MD, and Harrisburg, PA, to his mother, Lydia Bulkeley, and sister, Mary Jerusha Bulkeley, in Hartford, describing daily life as a member of the State Militia. The collection also includes one letter from his brother, Morgan Gardner Bulkeley, a future Governor of Connecticut. Several letters are on patriotic stationery. Bulkeley was mustered-in a Private, 13th New York National Guard (Brooklyn City Guard), on 23 April 1861 [?] and was mustered-out on 6 August 1861. He was commissioned Captain, Company C, 56th New York National Guard (Gettysburg Alarm) on 18 June 1863 and was mustered-out on 24 July 1863. Bulkeley’s letters mention guard duty, reenlisting and the desirability of a commission, the dimensions of and sleeping arrangements within army tents, and General Dix’s request shortly after the battle of Gettysburg that the 56th New York remain in service an additional week. No date is necessary to discern the following was written early in the war: on 8 June 1861 Bulkeley wrote home from Annapolis during a spell of very hot weather, "we find our havelocks very comfortable."
Location: MS 66554

Bullock, Edmund L. (1832?-)
Private
Hartford
Tenth Connecticut Infantry, Company E
1864 September 29
1 Item

"Eagle" discharge certificate, 1 p. Bullock, a married cook, enlisted 6 September 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 30 September 1861. He was wounded at Kinston, NC, on 14 December 1862 and was subsequently transferred to the 13th Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Company H, on 30 September 1863. His discharge is dated 29 September 1864.
Location: MS 71619

Bumstead, John W. (1837?-)
Private
Windsor
Twenty-Second Connecticut Infantry, Company A
1862 November 4
1 Item

Letter, 4 pp., from near Falls Church, VA, to Timothy L. Loomis of Windsor. Bumstead, an unmarried brickmaker, enlisted on 19 August 1862 and was mustered-in a Private on 20 September 1862. He was mustered-out of his nine-months regiment on 7 July 1863. The letter mentions Henry Camp (22nd Connecticut, Company B) and Norris Griswold (of Windsor).
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 1

Burnett, John A. (1819?-)
Corporal
Hartford
Tenth Connecticut Infantry, Company E
1863 November 16
1 Item

Letter, 4 pp., from St. Augustine, FL, to an unnamed recipient who would seem to have been a former fellow worker in a Hartford shop. Burnett enlisted on 21 September 1861 and was mustered-in a Private on 30 September 1861. He was promoted Corporal on 1 November 1862 but was reduced to the ranks on 1 September 1863. He was mustered-out 25 August 1865. The 10th Connecticut was serving in the Department of the South at the time the letter was posted. Burnett mentions that the regiment’s flour for soft bread was "full of ‘skippers’ or little black insects." Burnett also felt his Captain’s accountability for the company fund left much to be desired; in fact, the entire letter is pervaded with a general resentment of officers’ privileges.
Location: MS Civil War Box II, Folder 1

Byrne, Andrew
Corporal
Enfield
Eighth Connecticut Infantry, Companies B and C
1863-1865
4 Items

Diary (1864 January-1865 July), Corporal’s commission and discharge papers. Byrne enlisted and was mustered-in a Private, Company C, on 14 October 1861. He was transferred to Company B on 26 December 1863 and was promoted to Corporal on 1 July 1865. He was mustered-out on 12 December 1865. Byrne provides interesting, if terse, descriptions of the fighting around Petersburg during the summer of 1864, mentioning the names of several comrades who were killed in action. According to Byrne’s discharge papers (December 1863 and December 1865), he was born in Ireland. On 13 April 1864 Byrne was present at the execution of a member of the 10th New Hampshire Infantry at Getty’s Station.
Location: MS 45302