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William H. and Sarah McDowell Correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2022-037

Scope and Content

This collection contains two 1862 letters from William H. McDowell to his wife, Sarah McDowell, and a February 1865 letter from Sarah to her husband. The letters from William to Sarah were written on October 1 and October 3, 1862, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, while serving in the American Civil War. He describes camp life and food, Confederate and Union pickets sharing news and whiskey, and impending troop movements. The letter from Sarah to her husband dates to February 1865 and contains news of the war, its destruction in Danville (such as fires and thefts), and her hope that the war will end soon.

Dates

  • 1862, 1865

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials in this 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.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

This collection contains two 1862 letters from William H. McDowell to his wife, Sarah McDowell, and a February 1865 letter from Sarah to her husband. The letters from William to Sarah were written on October 1 and October 3, 1862, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, while serving in the American Civil War. He describes camp life and food, Confederate and Union pickets sharing news and whiskey, and impending troop movements. The letter from Sarah to her husband dates to February 1865 and contains news of the war, its destruction in Danville (such as fires and thefts), and her hope that the war will end soon.

Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in October 2013.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the William H. and Sarah McDowell Correspondence 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 William H. and Sarah McDowell Correspondence was completed in August 2022.

Title
William H. and Sarah McDowell Correspondence, 1862, 1865
Status
Completed
Author
Miranda Christy, graduate assistant
Date
2022 (CC0 1.0)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

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