Alfred B. McCreary Papers
This collection contains 34 original letters written by Alfred B. McCreary to his father, sister, and brothers during the Civil War. The letters describe the movements and activities of his regiment and give McCreary’s perspectives on the progress of the war. A few of the letters have hand-drawn maps and detailed descriptions of troop movements. The letters all have typed transcriptions and notes from a previous owner.
The collection also contains original documents concerning McCreary’s attempt to receive a pension from the Department of the Interior. In addition to the originals, the previous owner of this collection obtained photocopies of McCreary’s pension records from the National Archives. The collection also includes background research on McCreary and the 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Dates
- 1862-2006
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection contains 34 original letters written by Alfred B. McCreary to his father, sister, and brothers during the Civil War. The letters describe the movements and activities of his regiment and give McCreary’s perspectives on the progress of the war. The collection contains original documents and photocopies of original documents from the National Archives concerning McCreary’s attempt to receive a pension from the Department of the Interior. The collection also includes background research on McCreary and the 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Biographical/Historical Note
Alfred Biddleton McCreary (1843-1899), son of George McCreary and Mary Hayden, was a Civil War soldier from Bradner, a small town in northwest Ohio. He enlisted as a Private in the 26th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on June 11, 1861 and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. While in the 26th, McCreary served the Union in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. At the end of the war, McCreary enlisted in the 16th Kansas Calvary, serving on the western frontier. He married Sarah Albina Jones. McCreary was also a poet. He wrote a poem entitled Old Tennessee that describes his longing to be home and his desire to see a unified nation.
Arrangement
This collection consists of three series in one box:
Missing Title
- Series I: Alfred B. McCreary Papers (original documents)
- Series II: Alfred B. McCreary Pension Records (photocopies)
- Series III: Background Research
Acquisition Note
Collection is property of Special Collections.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository