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Two letters from William James Davidson to his future wife, Margaret "Maggie" May Mericle. One written from Camp Columbia in Havana, the other from Savannah, Georgia. Davidson served as a sergeant in the Iowa Volunteers and his letters cover some of the things he experienced during that time. The Georgia letter contains a description of a violent "blanket-tossing" that resulted in the death of a Black woman at the hands of several Virginia soldiers.
Purchased from PBA Auction Galleries with the assistance of the John M. Presson Estate fund.
William James Davidson letters, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.