Will H. Morgan Letter
Scope and Content
This collection consists of a single letter written by Will. [William] H. Morgan, of Company E, 38th Indiana Infantry during the American Civil War. Written from Pilot Knob, Missouri on November 5, [1861?], the letter is addressed to Morgan's mother and is written on patriotic stationery, bearing an image of George Washington astride a horse with a caption "strike for the memory of Washington." Morgan discusses family and mutual acquaintances, reports that he is well, and relays the rumor that the regiment will be building barracks and moving into winter's quarters. He also predicts that "secessionism is broke up about here now." The letter is accompanied by a typed transcript.
Dates
- [1861?]
Creator
- Morgan, Will H. (William H.) (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
William Harrison Morgan, son of Gerrard (aka Gerard or Garard) and Eliza Hamilton Morgan, was born in Indiana on July 28, 1840. The 1850 federal census lists 10-year-old William Morgan living in the Washington (Decatur County), Indiana home of his parents. He continues to be listed in his parents' home in Mattoon (Coles County), Illinois in the 1860 federal census, his occupation reported as farmer. William H. Morgan enlisted as a private in Company E, 38th Illinois Infantry at Mattoon on August 2, 1861, and was mustered into service on August 21. He was later promoted to sergeant and on November 27, 1863, was transferred to the U. S. Signal Corps. He married Emeline (aka Emmeline) E. Bradley (1852-1929) in 1874; the couple would have two children. The Morgans appear to have been living in Chicago as early as 1875 and as late as 1882, but eventually moved to Middletown (Henry County), Indiana, where William Morgan practiced medicine. William Harrison Morgan died in Pendleton (Madison County), Indiana on April 17, 1907, and was buried in Miller Cemetery, Middletown.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
Letter writen by Will. [William] H. Morgan, of Company E, 38th Indiana Infantry during the American Civil War, at Pilot Knob, Missouri on November 5, [1861?], to his mother, relaying the rumor that the regiment will be building barracks and moving into winter's quarters and predicting that "secessionism is broke up about here now."
Source of Acquisition
The Will H. Morgan Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1989.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Will H. Morgan 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 and description of the Will H. Morgan Letter commenced and was completed in March 2022.
- Title
- Will H. Morgan Letter, [1861?]
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- John M. Jackson
- Date
- 2022 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2020-09-04: Finding aid notes updated to new department standards. juliags
- 2021-06-02: LM Rozema added missing notes for an unprocessed collection (abstract, source, processing, bio), added FA title, added FA date from EAD, and added component with instances previously attached to collection level.
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