Colonel John Lord Otis Letter
John Lord Otis wrote this letter to his wife from St. Helens Island, South Carolina on March 5, 1863. In it, he describes his disillusionment with President Lincoln and his dislike of African Americans.
Dates
- 1863 March 5
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 Lord Otis wrote this letter to his wife from St. Helens Island, South Carolina on March 5, 1863. In it, he describes his disillusionment with President Lincoln and his dislike of African Americans.
Biographical/Historical Note
John Lord Otis was born to Hayden E. and Mary (Lord) Otis in Lyme, Connecticut on July 15, 1827. He worked in a cotton mill as a child and, over the course of eighteen years, worked his way from bobbin boy to overseer by way of hard work and equally hard study. Otis married Catherine Preston (1818-1901) on March 1, 1847 and the couple had two children, Harry Preston (1851-1926) and Philip A. (1855-1914). Otis took charge of the Pacific Mills of Manchester, Connecticut in 1851 and went on to establish the Otis Manufacturing Company in the same city. When the Civil War broke out, he left his engineering work to serve with the 10th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry and was eventually promoted by brevet to Brigadier General. After the war ended, Otis returned to his family in Connecticut. They later moved to Florence, Massachusetts, where he continued working as an engineer and held several local political positions. John Otis died at Tarpon Springs, Florida on March 15, 1894.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single folder.
Acquisition Note
Special Collections purchased this letter in February of 2011.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository