News Archive for June 2010

Digital Collections has been working in conjunction with the Curator for Historical Manuscripts to digitize manuscript collections relating to the Civil War in Maryland, in preparation for a major exhibit to be launched in Fall 2011.

Collections digitized include:

Felix Agnus Papers: Felix Agnus, a French sculptor, came to America in 1860. On April 20, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company “C” of the 5th Regiment, New York Volunteers Infantry under Captain Henry E. Davis. In September 1862 he became a captain in the 165th, Regiment New York Volunteers, and was discharged on July 26, 1865 with the rank of major. During the war he married the daughter of Charles C. Fulton, publisher of the Baltimore American. After Fulton’s death, Agnus became publisher of the Baltimore American and made it influential throughout Maryland. His papers consist of correspondence, legal documents, and financial and military records, all of which relate to the Civil War.

Brooke Family Papers (select): The Brooke family lived in Sandy Spring, Maryland. Their papers consist of numerous letters and diaries as well as financial and legal records. In particular, the diary of Mary Briggs Brooke, written in 1864, describes how the Civil War affected the daily lives of this Quaker family.

Burhaus Family Papers: Herman Burhaus, one of the ten Burhaus children of Brooklyn, New York, was a volunteer in the 4th New York Union Regiment during the Civil War. This collection contains ten letters he wrote to his sister while he was stationed in the Washington, D. C., area. The letters discuss military life, the battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam), and the Battle of Fredericksburg in which he was injured while serving under General Burnside of the Army of the Potomac. Also included in this collection is a cased ambrotype of Herman and his older brother Alexander. The photograph was taken in New York during the war, and both men are in uniform.

William Emory Papers: William H. Emory was born in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. He graduated from the U. S. Military Academy in 1831 and spent most of his life in the U. S. Army, rising to the rank of brigadier general. His papers discuss social life in Maryland during the Civil War, his stay at Fort Leavenworth, and his efforts to retract his “hasty and much regretted” resignation from the Army in 1861.

Messrs. Freeman and Almy Archives: In 1864, Captain Daniel C. Childs wrote from Baltimore to ship owners Messrs. Freeman and Almy in New York City. In the letters, Captain Childs discussed the purchase of an Italian brig named Gertrude, which he repaired and loaded with cargo for the West Indies. Included in the correspondence are details of the process, from the purchase of the ship at auction, to its repairs, to loading the cargo and obtaining a crew.

George Koonce Collection: Seven documents attesting to the loyalty of Harper’s Ferry resident George Koonce, who defended the town against the Confederate army in 1861 and lost his business as a result. The collection includes a letter dated January 17, 1862, in which R. Jones, Major and Assistant Inspector General of the U. S. Army, who had been in charge of defending Harper’s Ferry during the events of April 18, 1861, wrote a letter of recommendation for Koonce, “Recollecting with satisfaction the loyalty…” On its verso, Colonel C. P. Kingsbury wrote: “I heartily concur with Major Jones as to the loyalty of Mr. Koonce and sincerely commend him to the kind consideration of any who may be able to give him employment.”

Isaiah S. and Martha Lang Collection: Isaiah S. Lang, and his wife Martha, were farmers in New Hampshire. They corresponded with many relatives, one of whom was Isaiah’s uncle, David M. Sanborn of Baltimore, Maryland. Sanborn, who owned land in Baltimore City and Howard County, wrote to the Langs about slavery, and about the economic and social conditions of Baltimore during the Civil War.

Osburn Family Papers: The Osburn family papers consist of thirteen letters primarily written to Ginnie Osburn by her brothers Lewis and James who served in Maryland regiments of the Union Army during the Civil War. Major topics within the correspondence include life as a soldier, family concerns, illness, financial worries, travel on the frontier, business prospects, and local news.

Willis A. Pomeroy Papers: Willis Pomeroy served in the 4th Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteers attached to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of The Potomac. His letters home, written in 1861, detail troop movements around the Potomac River, his promotion to brigade commissary, and daily life in a military camp. Places mentioned include Harper’s Ferry, Hagerstown, Manassas, Williamsport, and Downsville.

John E. Rastall Papers: John E. Rastall was a Union Lieutenant with the First Regiment, Eastern Shore, Maryland Volunteers during the Civil War. The collection includes 128 letters written by Rastall to his family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin detailing his service in Virginia and Maryland, especially on the Eastern Shore.

James F. Stepter Papers: James F. Stepter served as a private in the Union army during the Civil War. On August 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company B of the 6th Maryland Regiment Infantry, a company recruited from Cecil County. In the months before his death in 1864, he wrote numerous letters home to his wife Amanda from Harpers Ferry and various Union encampments. This collection consists of twenty-one of Stepter’s letters which outline his personal observations on the war and military life, politics, and family concerns.

Letter from James F. Stepter to his wife, April 18, 1864“… Give my love to all and reserve the same for yourself it is my belief that richmond is ours this summer we have a large army here at present and thare is more a coming every day i will have to close so no more at present But i remain your loving But absent husband - James F. Stepter”

Sterling Family Papers: Will Sterling and his wife Tillie lived in Annapolis, where Will was stationed, during the Civil War. The collection consists of correspondence among Will, Tillie, Tillie’s mother and Will’s father between 1862 and 1864. Topics include the mustering of troops, prisoners, changes in officers and duties, and slavery.

Items from the Maryland Manuscript Collection:

• MDMS 4273–Letter written by a Union soldier named John W. Sturtevant to his family in New Hampshire while he was at the U. S. General Hospital in Annapolis in 1864. The stationary is printed with a large picture of the hospital site, and John has drawn a diagram of the grounds and of the arrangement of his hospital room.
• MDMS 4319–Volume of Post Guard Reports of the 6th Regiment of Maryland Volunteers. The reports date from September 1862 to March 1863. Places listed in the reports include Harpers Ferry, Camp Kenly, Bolivar Heights, Williamsport, Camp Maffitt, Camp Franklin, Camp Fred[?] Junction, and a Camp near Monocacy Bridge.
• MDMS 5213–The John Jacob Omenhausser Sketchbook. While a Confederate prisoner at Point Lookout Prison Camp, Omenhausser sketched scenes of prison life. The color drawings are done in the style of cartoons, with each person in the scene speaking a line of dialogue.
• MDMS 5390–Diary of Private Lewis J. Watkins, 1st Maryland Cavalry, C. S. A. The diary, written in pencil, discusses many battles in detail.