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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], F.I. Shipman Letter, Ms1988-033, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The F. I. Shipman Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1988.
The processing and description of the F. I. Shipman Letter commenced and was completed in April, 2021.
Although this letter has long been attributed to "F. I. Shipman," the writer can much more likely be identified as Frederick E. Shipman, of the 52nd New York Infantry. Several clues in Shipman's letter suggest the connection: the provided name for his father, J. W. Shipman; the mention of "Montrose;" the identification of his unit as either the "32nd" or "52nd;" the identification of "McDugal" as brigade commander and General "Humphrey" as corps commander; and the admonition for "Harry to be a good boy."
Frederick E. Shipman, son of Joseph William and Mary P. Slocum Shipman, was born in Pennsylvania on June 12, 1845. The 1850 and 1860 census records show him living with his parents in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Shipman married in the 1860s, and he and his wife, Eveline (1844-1904), appear to have had at least three children: Harry, Lillian, and Willie. During the Civil War, Frederick E. Shipman served in Company A, 151st Pennsylvania Infantry, a nine-month regiment, with Company A organized in Susquehanna County. Following that regiment's mustering out, records indicate that Shipman served in the 52nd New York Infantry, enlisting as a private and being discharged as a corporal when the regiment mustered out in 1865. Postwar census records show that Shipman returned to Susquehanna County after his discharge and lived in Montrose, working as a farmer. Frederick E. Shipman died July 29, 1892, and was buried in Montrose Cemetery.
The 52nd New York Infantry was organized in New York City in August, 1861. In November, the regiment departed for duty in the defense of Washington, D. C., where it remained until the following spring, when it participated in the Peninsula Campaign. (In April, the regiment became attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, II Corps, to which it would remain attached for the duration of the war. By 1865, 3rd Brigade was commanded by Bvt. Brigadier General Clinton D. MacDougall, under II Corps, commanded by Major General Andrew A. Humphreys.) The 52nd also participated in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House, among others. The regiment also participated in the Appomattox Campaign at the end of the war, and it was mustered out at Alexandria, Virginia on July 25, 1865.
This collection consists of a single letter written by a Union soldier to his father, J. W. Shipman. Although the letter has been attributed to "F. I. Shipman," it is much more likely that the writer was Frederick E. Shipman, of the 52nd New York Infantry (see biographical/historical note). Writing from Petersburg, Virginia, Shipman notes that the replacement of "Beast Butler" with Sheridan has brought cheer to the army and that he hopes the II Corps will be transferred to Sherman, so that he can "see the country." Shipman discusses the prospects for peace and tells his father that the soldiers at the front don't get the war news any sooner than the civilians receive it through the newspapers. He complains that he has not received his pay and that "Abe" owes him nearly eighty dollars. He briefly discusses his regiment, noting that "our Col is a Jew the rest of our officers are dutch men," before moving into personal matters. Shipman asks his father to send postage stamps and mentions personal acquaintances and relatives.
The guide to the F.I. Shipman Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).