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Correspondence, 1862 - 1863

 File — Folder: 1

Scope and Content

From the Collection:

This collection contains four letters, dated 1862-1863, from a Union soldier identified only as "Isaac," written to his parents. In the first letter, dated from Fairfax Court House on October 30, 1862, Isaac writes of gathering chestnuts and selling them, looking forward to gathering persimmons after the frost, and of his other activities in camp. His second letter, written from Dumfries, Virginia, on January 4, 1863, likewise focuses on personal matters and camp activities. In an undated letter, apparently written soon after the Battle of Chancellorsville, Isaac disputes reports of the roles played by the XI and XII Corps in the recent battle. (From his defense of the XI Corps, and particularly the artillery, we might infer that Isaac was a member of an artillery battery within the XI Corps.) He also writes of Confederate soldiers crossing to the Union lines under a flag of truce after the battle to request medical supplies for Union soldiers that had been taken prisoner. In a final, undated letter written from Brook Station, Isaac again provides some camp description and notes that the local farmers are beginning to plant, but the prospects of a good crop are not bright.

Dates

  • 1862 - 1863

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

The materials in the collection are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Extent

From the Collection: 0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308