Hannibal A. Johnson Letters
Scope and Content
The collection contains two letters from Hannibal A. Johnson to his friend, Samuel, written from Camp Fessenden, Alexandria, Virginia, in August and September 1861. Johnson's letters include descriptions of his experiences concealing himself in a cornfield to evade Rebel troops, meeting with General Jeb Stuart's cavalry in a skirmish at Chain Bridge, and how men were detailed to cut down trees between the fort and the enemy.
Dates
- 1861
Creator
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 Information
Hannibal Augustus Johnson was born on June 4, 1841, to Mark and Sarah (Simmons) Johnson, in Hallowell, Maine. Before the Civil War, Johnson worked in a dry-goods store. He enlisted with Company B, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry in April 1861. By 1864, he was a lieutenant with the company. During the war, he was captured at Gettysburg and spent seven weeks at Belle Island prison camp near Richmond, Virginia. He was captured again the Battle of the Wilderness, confined at several prisons, and escaped in November 1864. He returned to his regiment, mustered out, and reenlisted with the 1st Maine Battalion in April 1865. In 1866, he mustered out again, and returned to the business world. In 1868, he married Emma Watts Lombard. They had one son, Walter. Johnson died in Lynn, Massacusetts, on July 3, 1913.
Further biographical information can be found online.
Johnson was the author of The Sword of Honor: A Story of the Civil War, available online at https://archive.org/details/swordofhonorstor01john. The book details his experience during the war.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
The collection contains two letters from Hannibal A. Johnson to his friend, Samuel, written from Camp Fessenden, Alexandria, Virginia, in August and September 1861.
Source of Acquisition
The Hannibal A. Johnson Letters were acquired by Special Collections in 1990.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Hannibal A. Johnson Letters by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
Initial processing and description of the Hannibal A. Johnson Letters was completed in 1990. Additional description was completed in December 2014.
- Title
- Hannibal A. Johnson Letters, 1861
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
- 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