Unidentified Civil War Union Soldier letter

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

The collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Unidentified Civil War Soldier letter, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet 1 legal size folder
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Unidentified Civil War Soldier letter, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains a letter written by an unknown Union Army Civil War (1861-1865) solider in Newport News, Virginia dated Jan 9, circa 1863. The solider wrote to his sister about the conditions of the soldier's camp. In his description of the camp, he describes the amount of soldiers camped and the size of the camp. He writes that twenty soldiers were sick "with a bad cold." He also wrote the soliders were protecting five union families from the rebel forces. When he went scouting, he did not see much, except for "five or six" black people, whom he describes as "odd" looking. At the end of the letter, the soldier signed "this is from your brother Lee."

Biographical / historical:

The Union soldier who wrote the letter identifies hmself as "Lee." This soldier fought in the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. The soldier fought for the Union Army which was named for its declared goal of preserving United States'constitutional union.

Acquisition information:
Purchased with the Nell Richardson Tonkin Fund.
Processing information:

The collection receive container level processing. This finding aid may be updated to reflect new descriptions and acquisitions to the collection.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard