G. Horace Tarr Letter
Scope and Content
The G. Horace Tarr Letter collection contains a letter dated May 4, 1863, giving a detailed eye-witness account of the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.
Dates
- 1863
Creator
- Tarr, G. Horace, 1844-1922 (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
G. Horace Tarr (also Horace G. Tarr and Horace G. H. Tarr) was born about 1844 in Missouri. During the American Civil War, he enlisted with Company K. 20th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry Volunteers in September 1862, around the age 17. Following Chancellorville, he was promoted to Sergeant Major; following Gettysburg, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He later served as Captain of Company F during the Atlanta campaign. He mustered out June 13, 1865. Following the war, Tarr worked as a engineer and manager for a series of businesses, including two iron companies (an industry in which his family was well established) and later, Otis Elevator Co., and several water utilities. By 1886, he was married with six children. Tarr died on March 2, 1922, at his home in Philadelphia. Although 78 years old at the time, he was still actively employed with the R. D. Wood & Co.
Tarr's name appears in 1863 and 1885 correspondence between Walt Whitman and his brother, Thomas Jefferson Whitman that suggests the Whitmans were on friendly terms with Tarr's uncle Moses Lane (1823-1882), and later Tarr himself.
Tarr died in 1922 and is buried with his wife Carolyn in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
Source: "Capt. Horace G. H. Tarr" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49322668/horace-g_h-tarr.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
The G. Horace Tarr Letter, written May 4, 1863, gives a detailed eye-witness account of the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Source of Acquisition
A copy of the G. Horace Tarr Letter was donated to Special Collection in 1987. The original letter was donated in 1989.
Existence and Location of Copies
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the G. Horace Tarr Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the G. Horace Tarr Letter was completed in 1987. Additional description was completed in April 2011.
- Title
- G. Horace Tarr Letter, 1863
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Special Collections and University Archives Staff
- Date
- 2014 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu