December 1, 1861: Connie Spafford to her Friends

Carrie Spafford had been the fiancée of Col. Elmer Ellsworth. Col. Elmer Ellsworth was a lawyer and soldier and friend of Abraham Lincoln who was one of the first casualties of the Civil War. He was shot and killed on May 24, 1861 while removing a large Confederate flag from a tavern in Alexandria, Virginia.

AMs 811-2-7 p1 Connie Spafford to friends 2 AMs 811-2-7 p2 Connie Spafford to friends 2 AMs 811-2-7 p3 Connie Spafford to friends 2

Transcript:

Rockford. Dec 1st 1861

My dear friends,

Although I am not indebted to you and have nothing of interest to say I feel like writing you this evening. I have attended church once today, and am going again this evening. We have a most excellent minister- one whom I love most dearly. I also have an interesting class in Sunday school, which I am trying to guide in the path of Piety. But while I have a good minister to listen to on Sunday and a class to instruct it is the saddest day in the week to me. While at home, every thing is quiet. I have no domestic duties to perform and am consequently left alone with my thoughts. And while I try not to murmur I find myself wondering, why God thought to take away him who was so dear to me? Many answers present themselves, but still I am wondering. I know I loved him too well, he was my idol, and in this Christian world we should love none better than God. I fear I did not obey this commandment. Tomorrow will be my nineteenth birthday. I shall then enter the second year of my womanhood, sadder far, and I trust better than one year ago. Oh how little did I know of the sufferings I should endure during the following year, when I wrote Elmer one year ago tomorrow. And this well I did not.

Enclosed you find a copy of Elmers last letter to me. I beg your pardon for not having sent it before, but my time has been so much occupied that I have not been able to copy it.

My mothers health being so poor, I am obliged to attend to housekeeping affairs and am of course, busy most of the time.

I see by the papers that Mr. Ellsworth has had an office assigned to him. I am delighted. Where is he to be stationed?

I wish I could see you both tonight. Mr. E. are you not coming West? I must close now and prepare for church. Write me soon- and accept much love from your aff Carrie

Citation: Carrie Spafford, autograph letter signed to her friends. Rockford, Ill; 1 December 1861. AMs 811/2.7

November 29, 1861: U.S. Grant Letter to His Father

AMs 357-7 p1 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant AMs 357-7 p2 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant

Transcript:

Cairo, Illinois

November 29th 1861

Dear Father,

Your letter asking if Mr. Leathers can be passed South, and also enclosing two extracts from papers is received.

It is entirely out of the question to pass persons South. We have many Union men sacrificing their lives now from exposure, as well as battle, in a cause brought about by Secession and it is necessary for the security of the thousands still exposed that all communication should be cut off between the two sections.

As to that article in the Hawk Eye it gives me no uneasiness whatever. The Iowa Regiment done its duty fully and my report gives it full credit. All who were on the battle field know where Gen. McClernand and myself were and it needs no resort to the public. Press for our vindication. The other extract gives our loss in killed and wounded almost exactly correct. Our missing however is only

Head 2

three or four over one hundred. Recent information information received through deserters shows that the rebel loss from killed wounded and missing reaches about 2500. One thing is certain, after the battle about one third of Columbus was used for hospitals and many were removed to houses in the country. There was also two steamboat loads sent to Memphis and the largest hotel in the city taken as a Hospital. The city was put in mourning and all business suspended for a day and the citizens thrown into the greatest consternation lest they be attacked.

I wrote to you two days ago therefore it is not necessary to write a long letter. I believe I told you that Julia had gone to St. Louis. Will pay you a short visit before returning to Galena.

Ulysses

Citation: Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), autograph letter signed to Jesse Root Grant. Cairo, Ill., 29 November 1861. AMs 357/7

November 26, 1861: New York Tribune

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Transcript (excerpt):

Page 1, Upper Half

Insubordination at Richmond – Two or Three Soldiers Shot Weekly

A letter from H. Wagener, from Camp Herman, Richmond, Va., to his gather in Charleston, found in Port Walker, contains the following passage:

“There is a fine want of system in everything they do here, and a constant uproar in the different regiments. We have in our neighborhood a battalion of cavalry, Col. Gregg’s regiment, a Polish brigade, two Louisiana regiments, and some others whom I have not thought of inquiring about, who are in a state of constant insubordination. In fact, they shoot two or three every week to keep them quiet. Our men have nothing to do with them, and are therefore universally well thought of.”

The letter ends with the following cautious postscript in pencil:

“You had better not mention about the insubordination to any one, for fear the Yankees might hear of it, and think we are, or our army is, going to grass. They’ll find themselves mightily mistaken. What makes them [weak?] is their want of a fight.”

 

Citation: New York Semi-Weekly Tribune. 26 November 1861. Gift of Steven and Susan Raab.

November 16, 1861: Portrait by John Henry Brown

20010007002

 

This portrait is by Philadelphia miniaturist John Henry Brown and is signed and dated 1861. Brown’s account book names the sole male sitter in 1861 (if the list is complete) as Thomas H. Powers, Esq., making him the likely subject.  A wealthy industrialist, Powers, with others in the city’s elite, was reported by the Philadelphia Tribune in 1871 as protesting race riots that resulted in the murders of several of Philadelphia’s black residents.

 

Brown frequently had his subject pose for a daguerreotype, freeing both parties from tedious sittings. This miniature pair is the only known extant example of a Brown portrait that is identical to its source photograph.

 

Citation:  John Henry Brown (1818-1891), portrait miniature. Watercolor on ivory; leather, glass, and metal frame

Philadelphia, 1861.  Purchase funded by an anonymous donor. 2001.7

November 13, 1861: Sketch of Northern Virginia

This sketch of  the country from Alexandria to Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia  is one of twenty-four military maps and drawings  in a collection of papers from Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. It dates from 1861.

 

Citation: Unknown artist, sketch of country from Alexandria to Fairfax Courthouse. 1861. AMs 1168/11

November 10, 1861: Belle Boyd’s Album

This autograph book/scrapbook belonged to Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy. Only 17 years old at the start of the war, Boyd used her looks and charm to gain information from Union troops stationed near her Virginia home. Her most significant action was providing information to Turner Ashby and Stonewall Jackson about Union activities in Front Royal during the 1862 Valley campaign. Boyd was arrested multiple times and was held in Union prisons from July 29, 1862 to August  28, 1862 and again from August to December 1863.

Transcript:

To Miss Belle

In after years when thought shall trace

The past with many an ardent sigh

And memory lighten o’er thy face

When friends warm praises meet thine eye

Spurn not this page; which speaks of one

Who dreamed youth’s half of life away

And after deemed where beauty shone

He saw the glance of Glory’s ray

10 Nov. 1861

Sturgis

 

Citation: Belle Boyd (1844-1900), Album: 1859-1903 [bulk 1862-1900]. AMs 1296/16

November 8, 1861: U.S. Grant to His Father

AMs 357-6 p1 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant AMs 357-6 p2 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant AMs 357-6 p3 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant AMs 357-6 p4 U.S. Grant to Jesse Root Grant

Transcript (excerpt):

Cairo, November 8th 1861

Dear Father,

It is late at night and I want to get a letter into the mail for you before it closes. As I have just finished a very hasty letter to Julia that con-tains about what I would write, and having something else to do myself, I will have my clerk copy it on to this.

Day before yesterday, I left here with about 3000 men in five steamers, conveyed by two Gun Boats, and proceeded down the river to within twelve miles of Columbus. The next morning the Boats were dropped down just east of range of the enemies Batteries and the troops disembarked.

During this operation our Gun Boats exercised the rebels by throwing shells into their Camps and Battery….

Citation: Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885),  letter signed to Jesse Root Grant. Cairo, Ill., 8 November 1861. AMs 357/6

November 6, 1861: John Henry Brown’s Journal

John Henry Brown was a painter of portrait miniatures, living and working in Philadelphia. He had met Lincoln in August of 1860 when he was commissioned to paint Lincoln’s portrait for a supporter, but although Brown liked Lincoln personally, he did not agree with Republican policies.

1861-11-06

Transcript:

At Mr Powers picture. Ada is quite sick with the Influenza.

The War news daily , is still as exciting as ever, it is not entirely reliable and therefore I have concluded not to notice it regularly in this journal.

 

Citation: John Henry Brown, autograph journal/account book. Philadelphia, 1844-1890. AMs 573/14.1