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John Watkins Letter and Speech Transcripts

 Collection
Identifier: MS-3394

  • Staff Only

John G. Whipple created these transcripts from originals housed in MS.1161 in 1998. Included are two speeches entitled The Atlanta Campaign prepared for the members of the 19th Battery Association (as the editor notes, it is unclear which of the two speeches Watkins actually gave) and several war-time letters that Watkins wrote to his fiancee, Sarah Probert, between 1862 and 1865. The transcriptions include notes made by the editor.

Dates

  • 1862-1865

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

0.1 Linear Feet

Abstract

John G. Whipple created these transcripts from originals housed in MS.1161 in 1998. Included are two speeches entitled The Atlanta Campaign prepared for the members of the 19th Battery Association (as the editor notes, it is unclear which of the two speeches Watkins actually gave) and several war-time letters that Watkins wrote to his fiancee, Sarah Probert, between 1862 and 1865. The transcriptions include notes made by the editor.

Biographical/Historical Note

John Watkins was born to English emigrants George and Mary (Cook) Watkins in Cleveland, Ohio on January 24, 1840. He enlisted in the 19th Ohio Light Artillery on August 9, 1862 as a Private and was eventually promoted to Corporal. The unit participated in the Siege of Knoxville and the Atlanta Campaign before mustering out at Camp Cleveland, Ohio on June 27, 1865. After the war ended, Watkins married Sarah Victoria Probert (1841-1916) and the couple had five children: Mary (Watkins) Mills (1868-1898), Eliza Tinnie (1873-1960), Cornelia Corla (Watkins) Crosier (1877-1931), Louis Greble (1879-1951), and Emma Frances (1881-1932). Both Mary and Tinnie attended Oberlin College and became school teachers in Ohio. John Watkins died of heart disease on November 23, 1924 in Pittsfield, Ohio and is buried in South Pittsfield Cemetery.

Arrangement

This collection consists of a single folder.

Acquisition Note

These papers were donated to Special Collections.

Existence and Location of Originals

The original items represented in these transcripts are housed in MS.1161: John Watkins Papers, 1862-1958.

Related Archival Materials

Interested researchers may also wish to consult:

Missing Title

  1. MS.1161: John Watkins Papers, 1862-1958
  2. MS.1781: John Watkins Letters and Poem, circa 1860s
  3. MS.2292: Sarah Probert Watkins/Probert Family Papers, 1838-1948

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480