SCOUT

Seventy page battlefield ledger for Company B of the 117th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The ledger includes daily medical reports from January 24th to April 15, 1863. During this time the company was stationed at Ft. Pickering, Tenn. defending Memphis. Patients are listed by name and action (i.e. excused from duty, assigned modified duty, sent to hospital, or quarantine). A small loose piece of paper -- possibly a prescription or doctor's note -- is included among the pages.

Albert Probert's cousin, David W. Davies, and sisters, Eliza (Probert) Freeman and Sarah Probert, wrote these letters to him between 1863 and May of 1865. Most reached him while he was stationed at Camp Chase (November 1863 to February 1864) and at Camp Dennison (March 1864 to May 1865) during the Civil War.

In this letter to his mother (written near Knoxville, Tennessee), Allen Clifton reports on his unit's position and supplies, describes the weather, mentions that he is in good health, inquires about the health and doings of family members and friends, and asks for some postage stamps. He also asks about the returned veterans and solicits his mother's opinion of his decision not to re-enlist.

In twenty letters between 1863 and 1864, Alonzo Frink, a Union soldier with the 32nd Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company B, describes camp life and news of military successes in the Civil War to his wife Emily in Mason City, Iowa. The letters from early 1863 were written from Fort Pillow in Lauderdale County, Tenn., while those from the second half of the year were from Columbus, Ky.

Andrew Tousley wrote this letter to his friend and former classmate Amanda White from camp near Nashville, Tennessee on November 29, 1862. In it, he discusses his religious faith, serving under the command of General Rosencrans, and recent military happenings.

This collection consists of a receipt for corn and horses delivered to the 10th Michigan Cavalry in January of 1864 during the Knoxville Campaign.

C. Perry Goodrich wrote this letter to his wife, Frances (Bowen) Goodrich, in Christiana, Wisconsin on March 13, 1864. In it, Goodrich describes the recent battle for Knoxville and mentions that both the Union and Confederate Armies are living on hardtack and coffee due to extreme lack of supplies.

C. Perry Goodrich wrote this letter to his wife, Frances (Bowen) Goodrich, from camp near Fayetteville, Tennessee on July 25, 1863. In it, he discusses camp life, foraging in the countryside, breakdowns in discipline, and an incident in which a Union soldier was hanged for stealing from Confederate farmers.

C. Perry Goodrich of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry wrote this letter from a camp near Kingston, Tennessee on December 12, 1863. In it, he discusses Longstreet's clash with Burnside in the Knoxville campaign and mentions rumors that are circulating, including one stating that Gen. Crook with the 2nd Div. Cav. has defeated the Rebel Gen. Wheeler.

In a letter dated July 27, 1862, Charles Fox, a soldier from Indiana, writes to his sister from camp within three miles of Winchester, Tenn. Fox tells his sister that he is very tired of the service and would give anything to get out of it. He complains of the actions of the commissioned officers and expresses his desire for a quick end to the war.

This collection houses two books that Union Sergeant Charles H. Pierce used to keep a diary and record roll call in addition to a formal studio portrait depicting Pierce in his later years wearing his Grand Army of the Republic Star.

This collection consists of five letters written by Charles Steele, a soldier in Company D of the 53rd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, between April 1, 1862 and August 10, 1863 in Savannah (Tennessee), Memphis (Tennessee), and Vicksburg (Mississippi) to his mother and sister. Also included in this collection is a letter to Steele's sister from her niece, Maggie, expressing concern for Charles Steele, as well as a color photocopy of Steele's Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR).

This letter was written by an unidentified Civil War soldier to his parents in September of 1863. In it, he describes Union troop movements around Chattanooga and the hardships of crossing the river and marching. The letter may have been written by Private Andrew G. Wickham and was approved by Milton Weaver, whose papers may be found in MS.2128.

In this document, Colonel Geza Mihalotzy reports that the equipment his men are currently using is unserviceable.

This collection contains a letter from Captain Cornelius Longfellow of the Company E of the 69th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He writes from Camp Perry near Memphis, Tennessee, to his wife Lydia on December 2, 1862. In the letter, Longfellow discusses buying a Soldiers Memorial, his trip to Memphis from Indianapolis, the possibilities of traveling after the war, the actions of the freed blacks, and his own men.

This collection houses a single letter from Daniel Davis to his brother. In it, Davis details his regiment's march from Nashville to Dechard, Tennessee (southeast of Tullahoma, Tennessee.) At that time, the 46th Pennsylvania was detailed to guard sections of the Nashville-Chattanooga Railroad.

This collection houses a letter written by Daniel Pontious on June 13, 1865 from Shell Mound, Tennessee to Hannah in Ohio. The letter concerns news of friends and family, the family farm, a college graduation that Pontious will be unable to attend, and the the Union Army's slow progress in mustering out troops following the Confederate surrender.

This collection houses two letters from David Humphrey (signed D. W. H.) to Julia written from Union Headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 26 and December 17 of 1862. The letters discuss life in camp, General Rosecrans' good performance, family news, news of the war in Tennessee and Virginia, food being sent by the family to camp, Humphrey's desire to return home, and his love for Julia.

This collection contains two letters from Edgar Arthurs, one to his sister and one to his brother. The letters were both written from Columbia, Tennessee, while his unit was marching from Nashville, Tennessee to Athens, Alabama.