Civil War Finding Aids

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

MS-008: Papers of William H. Young

Kelly Kemp

The William H. Young Collection is divided into two Series. I. Biographical Information; and II. Correspondence. This collection consists primarily of correspondence between William H. Young and his wife Susan from August 10, 1862 through March 18, 1865 (with gaps). Most of the letters are written by Young to his wife, with the exception of one dated February 8, 1863, which she writes to him. This collection focuses on the battles between the Confederate and Union armies in the Western Theater of the war. Young writes about the Yankees attempt to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi and also gives a detailed account of the battle at Nashville where he was captured. These letters also describe the life of a common soldier who has gone off to war and left his wife and children behind at home.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our websitehttp://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-009: Ambrose Henry Hayward Papers

Melodie A. Foster

The Ambrose Henry Hayward Collection consists primarily of correspondence from the period April 14, 1861 through August 17, 1864. The bulk of the letters were written by A.H. Hayward to his father, sister and brothers, but the collection includes 3 letters written by Melville Hayward of the 7th New York (6/22/1862, 7/10/1862, 7/23/1862), letters from Henry's commanding officers regarding his service and four letters regarding Henry's death.

Also included in the collection are several newspaper clippings about the 28th Pennsylvania, Hayward's 1862 promotion to Sergeant, and 19 envelopes addressed to Mr. Ambrose, Mr. Albert, Mr. John and Miss Hannah C. Hayward of North Bridgewater, MA and to Mr. Augustus Hayward of New York City.

All letters have transcriptions, though many are slightly inaccurate. The collection is arranged chronologically. The letters provide firsthand accounts of camp life, major battles and minor skirmishes during the Civil War as experienced by a high-spirited and patriotic Union soldier.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-011: Lewis W. Tway Collection

Melodie A. Foster

The Lewis W. Tway Collection consists of two boxes of Civil War mementos. Items carried by Tway during the war include a "housewife", bible, inkwell, diary, currency (fractional and postage) and photographs (of himself and another soldier). The collection contains a letter written to his sister soon after he was wounded, the torn swatch of pants through which the bullet entered his leg, and two letters from a young lady whose comfort package he received in 1865. Also included in the collection are Tway's official papers from the war: his furlough, discharge and pension certificates.

Items from the 50th reunion of the 147th N.Y.V. at Gettysburg include a photograph of the surviving members, a lithographed muster roll of Company K, and a tip cup. Other personal items in the collection are Tway's marriage certificate, obituary, a book presented to his wife on their wedding day, certificates of membership to Stella Lodge and three G.A.R badges. The also collection contains a number of photographs of Tway, his wife, and his daughter from the period 1860-1920, as well as artifacts.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-014: Thomas Cheshire Papers

Meggan D. Smith

The Thomas Cheshire Papers mainly consist of his handwritten document describing his capture, prison experience, and escape from Andersonville. The manuscript is supplemented by correspondence written by Cheshire’s family members, army officials, and one letter from Cheshire himself. Also included in the collection is Elizabeth Scott’s (granddaughter of Thomas Cheshire) published historical fiction, More Fox Than Lion, based on Cheshire’s early life and manuscript. Correspondence from the donor of the collection, as well as a newspaper article on Cheshire’s escape found in the Providence Journal, is included.

Cheshire’s account illustrates the conditions experienced by prisoners of war, specifically in the Andersonville prison. The collection also highlights dangers faced when attempting escape. Although this manuscript contains useful insight regarding prison life, it also hints at Union sympathies in the South.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-015: Frederick H. Kronenberger, Company G, 2nd Regiment New Jersey Volunteers

Christine M. Ameduri and Sidney Dreese

The bulk of the collection consists of 26 letters written by Kronenberger to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kronenberger, and aunts and uncles Hill and Ludwig while posted at Camp Perrine, Trenton, New Jersey, in December 1863, and from a camp near Brandy Station, Virginia between January and April 1864. His letters tell about his need for stamps, hats, shirts, vests, a rubber blanket and ink. He states that he likes hard tack. He writes about visiting friends in other units, receiving letters from family and friends, sending money to his parents, sending photographs of himself and receiving photographs, and newspapers (New York Herald, Sunday Mercury and True Flag). He writes of enjoying baseball games between other units, pitching quoits, and hunting for rabbits and squirrels.

Several letters between, Kronenberger's parents and Miss Belle Robison, a nurse/aid at Fredericksburg, discuss the wounds Frederick sustained and his subsequent death, as does a letter from James King, Surgeon General. There is also a letter from a teacher, Anne D. Potts. Miscellaneous items include notes, poems and Charles Kronenberger's 1852 U.S. naturalization certificate. Letters and other material are arranged chronologically.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-020: The Papers of John H. Warner

Melodie A. Foster

The John H. Warner collection consists of thirty-eight letters written by Warner to family members and friends during the period October 1, 1862 - May 5, 1865. The affectionate, optimistic letters provide a picture of camp, and later hospital life during the Civil War through the eyes of a young soldier from New York.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-021: Papers of John C. Tidball

Melodie A. Foster

The John C. Tidball collection consists of the diary kept by Tidball during his time at Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida, April 1861; a letter to his father, dated November 16, 1862; a report of the actions of his artillery brigade leading up to the fall of Petersburg in April, 1865; an engaging account of his impressions and recollections of Savannah, written for his son in 1905.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-022: Papers of David McConaughy, 1823-1902

Jaclyn Campbell

The McConaughy collection is composed primarily of correspondence and is arranged into four series: I. History of the Battle, II. McConaughy Family History, III. Correspondence Regarding the Soldiers’ Reunion of August 1869, and IV. The Establishment of the National Cemetery and all administrative matters required therein.

Reports of General George M. Meade is included in this collection, as well as correspondence from General Robert E. Lee and General George M. Meade in regards to the Soldier’s Reunion of 1869 and correspondence from General U.S. Grant regarding his election to Honorary Director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-023: Papers of Samuel Simon Schmucker and the Schmucker Family

Jaclyn Campbell

The Samuel Simon Schmucker collection is arranged into four series: I. Correspondence of Samuel Simon Schmucker (S.S.), II. Other Schmucker Correspondence, III. Publications and Papers, and IV. Sermons. Series I is primarily comprised of correspondence written by Schmucker. Series II is composed of correspondence written by other Schmucker family members. Series III includes diaries written by Schmucker, a Schmucker family genealogy, lecture notes by Schmucker, a certificate of reimbursement for damage to Gettysburg College during the Civil War, clippings, and an article about Schmucker. Series IV contains the original sermons written by Schmucker.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-025: Joseph G. Patterson, Company G, 90th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry

Christine M. Ameduri

The collection consists of 28 letters written by Joseph G. Patterson to his mother and father, written between April 1862 and January 3, 1863. The bulk of the letters were written in April, July and October. One letter is addressed to his brother, John. The letters include a patriotic boy-soldier's first hand account of camp life, his wish to continue his education once he is no longer serving in the army, and information about cousins and friends who are also serving in the army, and with whom he gets to meet occasionally. The letters are arranged chronologically.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-026: Aide-de-Camp to General John E. Wool, Civil War Diary

Leia K. Dunn

The Civil War diary depicts a Union staff officer’s day-to-day life throughout the year of 1862. It gives some information on the Merrimac’s naval battles and also the action that took place at South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam. Located in the back of the diary are a few addresses of friends/relatives in Troy and his brother Fred’s address in London.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-027: Michael Moyer Co. C 173rd Pennsylvania, Civil War Diary

Leia K. Dunn

The Civil War diary of Michael Moyer contains most of the movements of the 173rd Pennsylvania Regiment, from their enlistment on October 21, 1862 to their abrupt orders to move out of Camp Veile on July 10, 1863. Moyer comments often on the weather, if there was drilling each day, and what letters he wrote or received. Many Sundays he attended a sermon and the regiment undergoes a general inspection. Moyer notes on the four men who died at Camp Veile from typhoid fever during their stay, one was a drummer boy. He also mentions hearing cannonading at Fort Suffolk and Fort Monroe on occasion and receiving news of the fighting in Fredericksburg.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-028: Papers of Daniel Chisholm, Co. K 116th PA, Civil War

Leia K. Dunn

The Chisholm papers include letters to friends and family members, mostly to his father, where he recounts interesting anecdotes of his war experiences and his thoughts on the Lincoln election and later assassination. There is a list of friends and soldiers who died in the war created by Daniel and his brother Alex, and a journal of Daniel’s which covers the fighting from November 8, 1864 to Lee’s surrender in April 1865. He comments on the action at Hatcher’s Run, Fort Stedman, White Oak Road, and Lynchburg Road Bridge. He also mentions General Humphrey’s taking command of the Second Corps, daily camp life and picketing, and the execution of deserters.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-034: Henry Louis Baugher Family Papers

Christine M. Ameduri

This collection is a compilation of miscellaneous papers of the family of Henry Louis Baugher, 2nd President of Gettysburg College, consisting of photocopies of a few letters to and from President Baugher, military service records of his son, Nesbit, and memorium books of another son, Henry Louis. It is not an extensive or in-depth collection.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-041: Thomas Meiser, Company F, 93rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers

Christine M. Ameduri

The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Thomas to his grandfather and grandmother. It includes miscellaneous correspondence including four letters written to Thomas from his grandparents during his service in the 31st Regiment (Emergency). The collection also includes various bonds, receipts and subpoenas as well as business correspondence relating to George Person (or Parson), Thomas’s grandfather. It contains various tintype photos, mainly of Thomas’s descendents, and a wallet from a bank in Lebanon. Lastly, it contains copies of research relating to Thomas Meiser, transcriptions of his letters as well as a Senior Paper written by Christopher Culig, class of 2007, on Meiser’s Civil War service and genealogy.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-042: Lt. Sylvester Crossley, 118 Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company H (Corn Exchange)

Christine M. Ameduri

This diary/journal consists of entries that Sylvester Crossley kept between December of 1864, his sixth month as a prisoner of war in Marion, Georgia, and May 15, 1865, about three months after his escape. It is a first hand account of his day to day life in a southern military prison camp, his experiences while an escapee and eventual return to his unit.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-043: George Washington Beidelman Collection

Kevin D. Luy

The George W. Beidelman Collection holds its most significant information in letters written by George to his father, Jacob. In these letters, George shares his political opinions, religious beliefs, and camp-life descriptions. The core of the collection is the correspondence from August 1, 1862 until November 18, 1862, in which George writes diary-like entries to his father, recounting each day’s activities. Accounts of the fighting at Ball’s Bluff and Fredericksburg are the most detailed battle descriptions. However, the collection’s strength is in George’s astute observations regarding camp life and the political aspects of the war.

In addition to letters written by George to his father, the collection includes letters to George from his father, brother, friends and fellow soldiers; various Army and United States Government documents pertaining mostly to George’s death; a newspaper clipping of a letter to the editor written by George; and the creative writings of George.

The collection is arranged chronologically with the bulk of the material being from 1860-1864.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-050: Robert B. Arms Collection

Meggan D. Smith

The Robert B. Arms collection consists largely of papers regarding quarterly returns, receipts, and letters from the ordnance office; along with muster rolls, descriptive lists and state of Vermont orders. There is a section on the 16th Regimental Reunions, as well as documents pertaining to Arms’ role as Deputy Collector. There is extensive paperwork regarding George Stannard’s account, including at testimony made by Arms on the matter of Stannard’s bankruptcy. The researcher will find a hefty amount of correspondence between Arms and William A. Scott concerning the sale of property in North Dakota.

Although this is a Civil War collection, it is not a rich Civil War resource. There are a few orders to Arms from his commander Colonel Veazey, as well as detailed letter from Arms to his parents describing the raid on headquarters that resulted in the capture of General Stoughton. The most intriguing item is a letter from Arms to his son written in October 1889 describing his trip to Gettysburg, and the possibility of a misunderstanding of what his Company actually did in the battle. The majority of the collection, however, is the basic paperwork of an officer. The post-war documents demonstrate how Arms served his state after the war, specifically his men in aiding with their pension claims.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-060: Henry N. Bemis Diaries

Stephen H. Light

The Henry N. Bemis collection consists primarily of two diaries kept by Bemis during the Civil War. The first diary runs from July 17th, 1862 to March 14th, 1864 while the second diary runs from March 17th 1864 to July 4th 1864. Both diaries contain frequent entries detailing the events of each day. Also included in the collection are two tintypes, a photograph, and Bemis’ discharge from service. The two tintypes are most likely images of Bemis and his wife, Georgia A. Bemis.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-061: Charles A. Rubright Collection

Stephen H. Light

The Charles A. Rubright Collection consists primarily of three journals he kept throughout the war and a letter he sent from Andersonville Prison camp to his sister. Also included are postwar news clippings about Rubright, the hymn book he kept while in the army, and a letter addressed to him from a Confederate veteran thanking him for a donation made towards the establishment of a soldiers home for infirm veterans.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-063: Melancthon E. Washburn Family Collection

Stephen H. Light

The Melancthon E. Washburn Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Washburn and his family members during the Civil War period. While the letters date anywhere from 1857 to 1883, most of them fall into the 1861 to 1865 time frame. The collection also consists of a wide range of miscellaneous items, including newspaper clippings collected into scrapbooks, the diary of Melancthon’s son William Washburn, wedding invitations, Confederate bonds and currency, and a public broadside advertising a slave auction.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-065: Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania

Jason M. Kowell

The Lincoln Fellowship collection consist largely of correspondence between Lincoln Fellowship officials and members (individual or through bulk mailings), LF officials and potential guests and speakers, and inter-organizational correspondence. Also included is documentation of LF events (newspaper clippings, photographs, speeches, and video recordings) as well as a few other miscellaneous items. Mixed in with the correspondence are Treasurer’s Reports, publicity pamphlets/programs, and bills/invoices.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-068: Henry P. Clare Letters, Co. D., 9th New York State Militia

Sarah E. Handley

This collection consists of 47 letters written by Henry P. Clare to his brother, William Keating Clare, with the exception of one letter addressed to Lieutenant Colonel M.T. McMahon, Assistant Adjutant General, and one written from a George E. Hyatt to William. The letters in this collection range from January 4, 1863 (although they are mislabeled by Henry to be January 1862) to December 6, 1863. Henry talks mostly of his life in the camp, gives his opinion of the war, and of the Army’s and the nation’s leadership. Many of the letters are sharply critical of leaders, including Lincoln, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, and of the way the war is being handled. He admits in one letter that he is a Copperhead, although the term is not looked upon kindly in the army. Letter 18, which is written by another soldier to William, letting him know that Henry is safe after the battle of Chancellorsville, and Letter 26, dated July 5, 1863, details what Henry and his regiment experienced during the Battle of Gettysburg. He occasionally mentions other members of the 83rd, including Colonel Joseph A. Moesch, their regimental commander, with whom he seems well acquainted. Henry is quite a character, and his letters express his unique personality wonderfully, as well as giving insight into some of the politics of soldiering.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special?collections/collections/.
MS-072: Adin B. Thayer, Co. B, 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry

Christopher M. Gwinn

This collection contains twenty-one Civil War era letters, ranging from 1862-1865, written by Adin Thayer of the 16th Maine. Most of his letters are written to family members prior to his capture and imprisonment in the Confederate prison camp in Salisbury, North Carolina. The final letter in the collection is dated April 26th, 1865 and is addressed to Thayer’s father from Sgt. William Fennelly, of the 16th Maine informing him of his son’s death.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.
MS-073: Alexander C. Barr, Battery F, 3rd Independent PA Light Artillery

Christopher M. Gwinn

The Alexander Barr collection consists of 17 letters written in between March 14, 1864 and June 3, 1865. The majority of the letters are addressed to his brother Charles in Taylorstown, PA, with the exception of at least one letter composed for his brother Jeff in April, 1864. Most of the letters in the collection date from the time Barr served on Maryland Heights and Harper’s Ferry. Included in the letters are Barr’s experiences as a new recruit in the artillery with topics ranging from the “very poor grub” at the artillery cookhouse, the oppressiveness of the summer weather and the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the evacuation of Richmond.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.