Civil War

This collection contains two works about the American Civil War by Dr. Carl Rollinson, The Civil War: A Portfolio of Fabulous Facts, Extrodinary Events, Inspiring Incidents, Piquant Personalities and Chemistry in the Civil War.

Letter written by Joseph Rule from his camp at Petersburg, Virginia, December 15th, 1864 to his friend Silas. Letter details Rule's Company B, 50th New York Engineers involvement in the December, 1864 raid on the Weldon Railroad which was a major supply line for Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Four letters from William Henry Ruse (1841-1912), of Company E, 97th Ohio Infantry and 11th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps during the American Civil War, written from a Nashville, Tennessee hospital and from regimental headquarters in Point Lookout, Maryland to Maggie Stewart of Adamsville, Ohio.

The J. W. Ryland Diary consists of a single Civil War diary kept by J. W. Ryland between September 1863-1865. In his diary, Ryland records activities from September 1863 – January 1866. His entries include the topics of the creation of the Confederate States of America, rail cars, and battles such as the Siege of Charleston, SC, the Siege of Petersburg, the Battle of Sailor’s Creek, the surrender at Appomattox Court House, and the weary Confederate trek home following April 9, 1865.

Three letters from James H. Saye, a South Carolina minister during the American Civil War, focusing largely on the Confederate economy, financial speculation, and the patriotic duty to support the falling Confederate currency.

This collection contains two books complied by George J. Schmutz (1848-1932) that include Schmutz' family history, poetry, political and opinion pieces, American Civil War memoirs, and a history of his regiment, the 188th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.

The collection contains three American Civil War letters, all written by Hamilton S. Sclater, Company D, 25th Virginia Battalion, to his mother. Letter of 13 August 1862, written from a camp near Gordonsville (Orange County Virginia), describes the aftermath of the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Other letters, dated 6 April 1864 and 4 July 1864 respectively, were written from Camp Chaffin's Farm, an area of fortifications south of Richmond.

The collection contains receipts and business documents relating to the business of Charles Scott and Company of Glade Spring Depot, Virginia. Charles Scott and Company ran a salt works outside of Saltville, Virginia, and supplied salt for the state of Virginia during the American Civil War. One of the receipts is for a retainer for James W. Sheffey in case of impressment of C. Scott and Co.'s property by the state.