Charles T. Haigh papers consist of a one volume diary and notebook kept by VMI cadet Charles T. Haigh between 1862 and 1864. The volume provides insight into the life and concerns of a VMI cadet during the Civil War. It primarily contains poetry written by his classmates, as well as poetry by Sara Henderson Smith, the wife of VMI Superintendent, Francis H. Smith. The diary portion contains sparse entries for the period between March and May 1863. Included are occasional references to wartime cadet life, as well as a brief account of Stonewall Jackson's wounding, death, and funeral in May 1863. There is one brief entry written from Fayetteville, North Carolina on March 23, 1864.
The collection also contains two excuses submitted to the VMI Commandant for infractions committed by Haigh and one document.
Charles Thomas Haigh was born March 1845 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He attended the Hillsboro (North Carolina) Military Academy and served as a drillmaster in North Carolina at the beginning of the Civil War. He subsequently enrolled at VMI, where he was a cadet from late 1861 through part of 1863.
In October 1863, Haigh began service in Company B, 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. He was killed in battle at Spotsylvania (Virginia) on May 12, 1864, while leading a charge. His brigade commander wrote that "Lieutenant Haigh was among the foremost in the charge upon the battery, and won the admiration of all who saw him."
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Charles T. Haigh papers, 1862-1864. MS 0016. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.
The diary and notebook provides insight into the life and concerns of a VMI cadet during the Civil War. It primarily contains poetry written by his classmates, as well as poetry by Sara Henderson Smith, the wife of VMI Superintendent, Francis H. Smith. The diary portion contains sparse entries for the period between March and May 1863. Included are occasional references to wartime cadet life, as well as a brief account of General Stonewall Jackson's wounding, death, and funeral in May 1863. There is one brief entry written at Fayetteville, North Carolina on March 23, 1864.