Documents

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

Frank M. Guernsey letters, 1862-1864

Copies of 45 transcribed letters written by Frank M. Guernsey (1839-1919) to his future wife, Frances "Fannie" Doty (1843-1921), during the Civil War. Guernsey enlisted in the “Truesdell Rangers”, Company C of the 32^nd Wisconsin Infantry in August 1862 and served in west Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia until 1865. In these letters, he wrote to her about his activities, conditions, and relations with local people from 1862 to 1864. The original letters are held by the University of Virginia and were transcribed by Guernsey's granddaughter.
Great Battle! Gen. Ord Defeats the Enemy on the Hatchie!, 1862

Broadsheet containing two dispatches to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on October 5, 1862, regarding the Battle of Hatchie Bridge or Davis Bridge in Tennessee. One is from General Edward Ord detailing the engagement with the forces of Confederate General Earl Van Dorn in retreat from Corinth, Mississippi. The second is from General William Rosencrans declaring Van Dorn's army to be routed and that Rosencrans was in pursuit. Grant ordered the pursuit to be abandoned and Van Dorn's army was able to escape with few losses.
Brigadier-General William McComb memoir

An undated typescript copy of Confederate Brigadier General William McComb’s memoir titled “Recollections of the War, 1861-1865”. The memoir is 40 pages and there are also 11 pages of notes. There are annotations through the memoir. The last two pages of notes are damaged., William McComb (1828-1918) was born in New Castle, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, where he studied civil engineering. He moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, in 1854 and was involved in flour milling. When the Civil War broke out, McComb enlisted as a private in the 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Soon after his enlistment, McComb was elected second lieutenant, then major of his regiment. The 14th Tennessee was part of Brig. Gen. James Archer's brigade in A.P. Hill's "Light Division" of the Army of Northern Virginia. McComb became colonel of his regiment in September 1862. McComb was wounded in several battles, including Gaines' Mill, Antietam, and Chancellorsville. In August 1863, he took command of Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox's old Alabama brigade. He commanded this unit through the Overland Campaign and on through the Siege of Petersburg. He was finally promoted to brigadier general on January 20, 1865. He was paroled at Appomattox Court House. After the war, McComb lived in Alabama and Mississippi, eventually settling in Gordonsville, Louisa County, Virginia, where he was a farmer for nearly fifty years. He married Nannie M. Quarles in 1868. McComb died on his plantation. He was buried in Mechanicsville Cemetery in Boswells, Virginia.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 August 5

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Johnsons Island, Ohio, to his daughter dated August 5, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 August 7

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Johnsons Island, Sandusky, Ohio, to daughter dated August 7, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 July 14

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Prison 3, Johnsons Island, Sandusky, Ohio, to H.B. Titcomb dated July 14, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 July 17

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Johnsons Island, Sandusky, Ohio, to his daughter dated July 17, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 June 30

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Johnsons Island, Sandusky, Ohio, to James Akin dated June 30, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 March 17

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Prison 3, Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, to his children dated March 17, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 May 15

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Prisoners Depot, Johnsons Island near Sandusky, to his daughter dated May 15, 1862(incorrectly written as 1861). An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Capt. G.W. Gordon letter, 1862 May 29

Letter from Captain George W. Gordon, Johnsons Island near Sandusky, Ohio, to daughter dated May 29, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
Charles M. Yocum letter, 1862

Letter from Charles M. Yocum, Hayesville, Ohio, to Lucian S. Yocum (brother), 16^th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer W.S.A., in Memphis, Tennessee, dated December 31, 1862. Charles notes the forthcoming battle for Vicksburg. He also has a long discussion of the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation which Charles supports after Lucian had noted in an earlier letter that it might make the South fight harder. A transcription of the letter can be found in the finding aid.

Charles M. Yocum was born on February 17, 1842, in Plain township, Wayne County, Ohio, the son of Joseph Glancy (1816-1907) and Margaret Bonnet Funk Yocum (1820-1896). He had a brother, Lucian S. Charles served as a private in Company G, 166^th Regiment, of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry for four months in 1864. Graduated from the Vermillion Institute, Hayesville, in 1866 and was admitted to the bar in 1868. In 1872 he married Isabella A. Ross of Wooster, Ohio. He practiced law in Wooster for many years. He died on August 28, 1911.

Lucian S. Yocum was born in 1840. He enlisted as a private on September 18, 1861, and was mustered into Company G, 16^th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The regiment served in Kentucky and West Virginia before being ordered to Memphis on November 10, 1862. Then served in Arkansas and Mississippi, including siege of Vicksburg and Jackson, and then served in Louisiana. Lucian was mustered out on November 31, 1864. He married Lucy Weaver (1848-1884) and had a son Joseph Glancy (1867-1928). Lucian died in 1912.
Civil War Days in Huntsville, 1937

"Civil War Days in Huntsville", the transcribed diary entries of Mary Jane Chadick (1820-1905) between 1862 and 1865, published by "The Huntsville Times", Huntsville, Alabama, in 1937. The city was occupied by Union troops during this period.

Mary Jane was the second wife of William Davidson Chadick (1817-1878), a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, editor and Confederate soldier.
David McComb & Co’s, Memphis, letter, 1863 April 30

Letter from an unidentified author (the signature has been cut out) on notepaper from David McComb & Co’s, a cotton merchant and dealer in plantation machinery on 141 Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee, to Brother Washington, dated April 30, 1863. The letter discusses abolition, the Lincoln administration and an eventual Confederate victory. A transcription of the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection.
D. Winters letter, Fort Harris, Tennessee, 1861

Letter from Lt. D. Winters at Fort Harris, Tennessee, to Wood and Perot at Philadelphia, Pa., dated April 29, 1861. Includes envelope with "Stars and Bars" and names of the Confederate president and vice-president. Winters notes he is building a fortification to defend Memphis and, because of his sympathies with the Confederacy, he can no longer assist Northerners. This letter was written before Tennessee seceded from the Union. The partnership of Robert Wood and Elliston Perot were manufacturers of ornamental iron work between 1857 and 1865. Fort Harris, named after Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris who ordered fortifications erected on the Mississippi River, was built at Mill’s Plantation on the third Chickasaw Bluff between April and June 1861. It was an earthwork fortification designed to command the river below with 14 to 16 guns. The fort was abandoned in 1862 just before Memphis was occupied by Union forces. The transcription reads as follows: "Fort Harris April 29th, 1861 Mssrs Wood & Perot. Gents. I am just building an fortification for our defence – I am sorry, that I cannot do anything for you but am bound to do everything against you – whenever peace will be closed, I shall do everything for you – but in these times I am against you. D. Winters Comdg Fort Harris"
George W.C. Lee letter, 1872

Letter from George Washington Custis Lee, the president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, to Stephen D. Lee at Brookville, Mississippi, dated January 15, 1872. He thanks Stephen Lee for his letter of sympathy after Robert E. Lee’s death (on October 12, 1870) and apologizes for the delay in replying. Says he has a memento of his father’s for Stephen Lee and will try to get it to him as soon as he can. Stephen Dill Lee (1833-1908) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and served in the U.S. army until resigning in 1861 to join the Confederate States army, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. After the war, he settled in Columbus, Mississippi, and became a Mississippi state senator in 1878. He was the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi (later Mississippi State University) from 1880 to 1899.
Gilliland letters, 1863, 1865

Copies of 11 letters from Confederate soldier William Brasier Gilliland (1825-1863) to his wife Martha “Marthy” Jane Webb Gilliland (1827-1913) between April and September 1863, a letter from William’s brother, H. Franklin Gilliland (b. 1838), in 1865, and a record of weather from 1863. The letters mention briefly William and Franklin’s service but are mostly concerned with how Martha’s family was coping and expressing a strong desire to return home. It appears that William, and possibly Franklin too, could not write and thus dictated their letters home. See Appendix 6 of the finding aid for transcriptions.

William Gilliland, the son of John and Sara Brasier Gilliland, was a farmer from Bennettsville, St. Clair County, Alabama, who with his wife Martha had five children: Sarah Jane (1845-1942), Nancy E. (1847-1933), John M. (1850-1939), James M. (1859-1934) and Lewis Franklin. William served in Company E of the 22^nd Alabama Infantry, which was organized in Montgomery, Alabama, in November 1861. The regiment was sent to Mobile and then fought in the Battle of Shiloh. It later fought at Perryville and Murfreesboro. On September 20, 1863, the regiment was part of an assault on General Rosecrans’ army at Chickamauga and lost almost two-thirds of its men. William Gilliland was one of those who died that day.

William’s brother, H. Franklin Gilliland (born 1838), enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861 and later was in the 58^th Alabama Infantry, serving in Companies A and H. After serving in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, he was discharged from the army in April 1865.
Gustavus W. Smith, Memoranda: Longstreet - Chickamauga

An undated typescript of Gustavus W. Smith's "Memoranda: Longstreet - Chickamauga" in which he questions some contemporary commentators' praise of General James Longstreet's actions at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. Chapters 2-6 are not included, according to the preface, as unnecessary for the purposes of the article. It is unclear if they were ever written. According to an obituary published in "Twenty-Eighth Annual Reunion of the Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy", June 10th, 1897, this was one of several papers Smith wrote that he hoped to publish but had not done so before his death.

Born in Kentucky, Gustavus Woodson Smith (1821-1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War, and then became a civil engineer in New York from 1858 to 1861. After the Civil War began, Smith joined the Confederate Army and was commissioned as a major-general. In 1862 he was briefly commander of the Army of Northern Virginia after Joseph E. Johnston was wounded and before Robert E. Lee’s appointment. Later that year, he took command of the defenses of Richmond until he resigned in February 1863. He was commissioned a major-general in the Georgia state militia in 1864. After the war, Smith was involved in several businesses and also wrote on the war.
H.B. Titcomb letter to Capt. G.W. Gordon, 1862 July 23

Letter from H.B. Titcomb, Columbia, Tennessee, to G.W. Gordon, Johnsons Island near Sandusky, Ohio, dated July 23, 1862. An excerpt from the letter is available in the finding aid to the Civil War collection. The accompanying envelope is owned by the Friends and Descendants of Johnson's Island Civil War Prison which kindly provided a copy., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.
J.C. Baker letter, Tennessee?, 1862 November 12

Letter from J.C. Baker to his wife Lou, care of James Hannah at C.J. Seldon & Co., in Memphis, Tennessee, dated November 12, 1862. Baker was a civilian, possibly living in eastern Tennessee, who was a merchant before the war. His wife and their children were in Memphis but it is unclear whether this was their permanent home. In his letter, Baker notes he is "connected" with the CSA Quartermaster’s Department. He is critical of General Sherman’s retribution against civilian Confederate sympathizers in the Memphis area. He also notes the high prices of goods in his area.
Lt. General Stephen D. Lee letter, 1864

Letter from Lt. General S.D. Lee, Headquarters Department, Mississippi and East Louisiana at Meridian, Mississippi, to General Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General at Richmond, Virginia, dated June 30, 1864. Lee lists 6 staff officers he wishes promoted and reassigned to his headquarters, including: Major William Elliott, Lt. Colonel George Deas, Captain P. Ellis, Major G.B. Dyer, 1st Lt. Henry B. Lee, 1st Lt. Samuel Hunter. A note on the letter states that no appointments will be made under the new staff act until further orders. Stephen Dill Lee (1833-1908) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and served in the U.S. army until resigning in 1861 to join the Confederate States army, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. After the war, he settled in Columbus, Mississippi, and became a Mississippi state senator in 1878. He was the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi (later Mississippi State University) from 1880 to 1899.
Maj. General Otis O. Howard letter, 1865

Letter from Maj. General Oliver Otis Howard, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, War Department, at Washington, D.C., to Stephen D. Lee dated July 26, 1865. Howard acknowledges Lee’s letter that raised the possibility of a pardon and says he will see the Attorney General about it. He notes that while he does not harbor “personal acrimony” towards his friends who supported the Confederate cause, his feelings towards those men have changed. Stephen Dill Lee (1833-1908) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and served in the U.S. army until resigning in 1861 to join the Confederate States army, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. After the war, he settled in Columbus, Mississippi, and became a Mississippi state senator in 1878. He was the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi (later Mississippi State University) from 1880 to 1899.
Memphis Daily Appeal, Atlanta, 1864 March

Three issues of "The Memphis Daily Appeal", published in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 1864: Vol. 15:25 (March 16), 15:26 (March 17-18), and 15:28 (March 19).

The "Memphis Appeal" began publication in 1841 in Memphis, Tennessee, as a weekly and then was published daily from 1847. The paper supported the Confederacy when war was declared and with the occupation of Memphis by Union forces in 1862, the paper moved to Grenada, Mississippi. During the rest of the war, the "Appeal" was published in Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi, Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama. The paper's staff returned to Memphis at the end of the war. It survived until its merger with the "Daily Avalanche" in 1890 which merged with the "Memphis Commercial" in 1894 to become the "Memphis Commercial Appeal".
New York Herald front page, 1862

Front page of the "New York Herald", New York City, New York, Issue 9335, April 1, 1862. The page features a map of Memphis, Tennessee, then under Confederate control. The city was occupied by Union troops on June 6, 1862.
Note from Capt. G.W. Gordon's doctor, 1862 January 28

Note from Capt. George W. Gordon's doctor, in Columbia, Tennessee, dated January 28, 1862. Dr. A.H. Brown reports that Gordon has suffered a fever and rheumatism and has just recovered sufficiently to return to duty., Captain Gordon served in Company E of the 48th (Voorhies’) Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. The 48th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Maury, near Nashville, Tennessee, in December 1861. Sent to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, around 360 men from the regiment were captured after its surrender in February 1862. The captured field officers were sent to Fort Warren, Massachusetts; the line officers firstly to Camp Chase, Ohio, and then in May to Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie; the enlisted men to Camp Douglas, Illinois. In September 1862, the Federal government agreed to an exchange and the officers and men of the 48th Regiment were released at Vicksburg, Mississippi., George Washington Gordon (1808-1862) was born in North Carolina and became a lawyer and planter in Maury County, Tennessee, owning an estate called “Boxwood” of 600 acres. He also owned the Gordon Springs resort in Walker County, Georgia. Gordon married Elizabeth Bradshaw (1811-1858) from Tennessee. After Gordon volunteered to join the Confederate army, he was elected captain of Company C (later E), a unit raised in Maury County. He survived incarceration at Johnson’s Island and was part of the exchange in September 1862. The boat carrying him and others docked at Memphis, where Gordon's sister, a nurse, tried to get him off the boat due to his health, but her request was denied. The day after the boat reached Vicksburg, however, Gordon was dead.