SCOUT

A single handwritten letter from James J. Vauln in LaGrange, Tenn. to General Ulysses S. Grant in Memphis, Tenn. dated June 23, 1862. Vauln, a deacon of the American Catholic Church in LaGrange, pleas for permission to continue his church services, as the new brigadier general had forced him to stop holding services.

In a letter to his father dated February 7th, Corporal James M. Stuart of the Union Army writes to his father back home. He consoles his father and makes report of his brother's condition. He speaks mainly of boring camp life, but mentions large numbers of confederate soldiers deserting to his commanding officer.

This collection consists of a hand-written obituary notice for Brigadier General James P. Brownlow, copied from the New York Herald in 1879.

In this letter written from Waverly, Tenn., and dated February 16, 1864, James E. Pritchard of the 8th Iowa Cavalry writes to his brother John. He comments that the "Rebels will never regain a hold on East Tennessee," noting that in Waverly, 300 Confederates surrendered and took the oath of allegiance.

This collection consists of a letter written from a camp in the field near Chattanooga from James R. Bell to a Miss Ella Bell. He desires to perpetuate "a friendship I esteem as almost sacred" with her and asks of news of her and her brother George.

This collection consists of a single correspondence from the Secretary of War, James Seddon and pertained to the commission for Officer William Nelson Garrett's promotion to Major to the 64th North Carolina Infantry. The commission is dated October 9, 1862.

This letter, written by James Strawbridge from a floating hospital in Nashville, Tenn., on June 10, 1863, discusses a dispatch from Jefferson Davis that was captured by General Blair's division and a battle between the Rebels and a black regiment.

This collection consists of a letter from Martha of Columbia, Tennessee to her friend Jane Ellen Foster in Nashville on June 8, 1839. Martha describes her trip from Nashville, personal news, friends, and heartbreak.

This collection, dated 1893-1941, primarily consists of correspondence between Jefferson McCarn, Attorney General for the State of Tennessee and the Chief Prosecutor during the Cooper-Sharp Trial in 1909, and his associates. Both private and professional correspondence can be found in the collection. Some legal materials are also included.

This collection consists of a letter from Jethro Hill, dated February 3, 1864, sent from Lenoir's Station, Tennessee, to Jodie. Hill describes a brief battle and his good living conditions. He also asks for news of the family and wonders why Jodie hasn't responded to his previous letters.

This collection contains a letter from Job Barnard to Flora Putnam, written from La Vergne, Tennessee on May 30, 1864. In it, he discusses his work on monthly reports to the War Department and singing for a sick Sergt. Henseley of Co H. Barnard also describes meeting local families and conversing with one woman about southern girls versus Yankee girls. He also talks about ladies who seem to like him or think he likes them.

This collection consists of a transcription of an 1864 Civil War diary, written by John A. Curran of the 32nd Iowa Regiment, Co. B. It covers the time period from July 11, 1864 to February 11, 1865.

This collection contains a letter written from John Alexander Wilson to his brother regarding the death of their mother, as well as a typed version of the letter and a brief biographical note on Wilson.

This collection includes four claims filed by John Baxter Edmondson on June 1, 1868 for compensation as a result of the Confederate Army using his Knox County, Tenn. farm for resources.

This June 23, 1880, document by John Bell Brownlow, is a copy penned by Brownlow himself of an affidavit filed at the pension office in Washington, D.C., concerning his disability claim for hemorrhoids resulting from events during and after the Civil War.

John D. Messinger wrote this letter to his friend E. Smith Woodworth from Pulaski, Tennessee on November 20, 1864. In it, Messinger discusses Lincoln's victory in the recent presidential election and Confederate troop movements in Tennessee. He also expresses his hope that the Union will soon win the war so that he can return home.

A travel pass issued by John E. McDermot of the 108th Illinois Infantry at Union headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee on May 2, 1865. It allowed J. T. Willis, his wife, and their four children to pass through Union lines for a period of 30 days without facing arrest.

This collection consists of a letter and a poem written by John Edward Thompson of the 20th Illinois Infantry. The letter, written on March 17, 1862 to a friend while Thompson was stationed in Savannah, Tennessee, discusses Thompson's thoughts on surviving the war and on arriving in Savannah. The poem, entitled Good Night: Who Wouldn't be a Soldier and written before the Battle of Shiloh, was published in the Advocate in 1887.

John Forsyth wrote these two letters to his wife, Martha (Swanger) Forsyth, while serving with Company G of the 97th Ohio Infantry. The first is dated September 12, 1863 from Bridgeport, Alabama amidst the Chickamauga Campaign and the second is dated May 27, 1864 from Chattanooga, Tennessee.