Thomas Evans Letters and Diary, 1862-1865

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Evans, Thomas L., -- Lt.
Title
Thomas Evans Letters and Diary
Dates
1862-1865 (inclusive)
Quantity
.45 linear ft. (314 items)
Collection Number
SPC 972-0007 (collection)
Summary
Letters and diaries of Union soldier Thomas L. Evans from 1862 to 1865, covering the siege of Vicksburg, POW Camp Ford (Texas), and the final surrender of Mobile, Alabama.
Repository
Eastern Washington University
Archives & Special Collections
Eastern Washington University Libraries
320 Media Lane - 100 LIB
Cheney, WA
99004-2453
Telephone: 5093592475
archives@ewu.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by the Pi Kappa Alpha Fund, in support of the Hidden Collections Digitization Project.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

These letters and diary were written during the Civil War by Thomas L. Evans to his family in Ohio. He joined the 96th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. K, in August 1862, and was elected 2nd Lt. A member of the Western Army, Evans participated in the siege of Vicksburg during the summer of 1863. The following April, 1864, Evans was captured by Confederate troops during a battle near Mansfield, La. and taken to a prisoner of war camp at Camp Ford near Tyler, Texas. He remained there until he was exchanged in October, 1864. After his release, Evans returned to military action and was eventually sent to Alabama where he participated in the siege of Mobile in April, 1865. The fall of Mobile brought an end to the fighting and Evans anticipated being sent to Texas until his enlistment ended in the summer of 1868.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection includes Evan's letters to his parents, brother, and sisters between August, 1862, and June 17, 1865. Included in these are his descriptions of daily life in the Union Army, comments on the conditions in the South during the war, first hand accounts of major battles and descriptions of life as a prisoner of war. The diary contains most of the information about the POW camp since Evans wrote few letters during this period. It also contains a list of supplies, etc., issued to his company. This personal narrative sheds light on the attitudes and conditions in the Union Army in addition to giving a first hand account of major battles.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

The letters have been digitized and are available as part of the Thomas L. Evans Civil War Correspondence digital collection.

Also available on microfilm.

Restrictions on Use

Use of this collection is subject to the rules concerning access to archival and manuscript collections at Eastern Washington University. For more information, see: http://www.ewu.edu/Library/Services/Archives.xml

Copyright restrictions may apply. For more information or permission to publish, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475, or archives@ewu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Thomas Evans Letters and Diary; SPC 972-0007; box number; folder number; Archives & Special Collections, Eastern Washington University.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Letters and diary organized into three series: I. Original Letters. II Diary. III. Book: Typed Copies of Letters; Chronological arrangement of letters.

The original letters are arranged chronologically. A xeroxed copy of the diary and the letters which had been compiled as a book are also arranged by date.

Note that there are parts of letters, without dates, which appear in the original but not in the copied form. These are arranged in a separate folder.

Acquisition Information

Mrs. F.M. Dickie; 1972.

Processing Note

Previous accession number: 72-6.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Original LettersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1:1
17 items
8-30-1862 to 10-17-1862
1:2
20 items
10-20-1862 to 12-7-1862
1:3
20 items
12-9-1862 to 2-21-1863
1:4
20 items
2-22-1863 to 5-7-1863
1:5
18 items
5-16-1863 to 7-28-1863
1:6
20 items
8-5-1863 to 11-6-1863
1:7
15 items
11-18-1863 to 1-25-1864
1:8
15 items
2-8-1864 to 9-9-1864
1:9
15 items
12-22-1864 to 3-29-1865
1:10
12 items
4-5-1865 to 6-17-1865
1:11
Miscellaneous letter fragments
9 items
undated
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1:12
20 items
11-26-1863 to 5-7-1864
1:13
20 items
5-9-1864 to 7-31-1864
1:14
20 items
8-1-1864 to 10-28-1864
1:15
19 items
10-19-1864 to 11-21-1864
1:16-17
Miscellaneous
32 items
undated

Book: Typed Copies of LettersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1:18
20 items
8-30-1862 to 9-27-1862
1:19
19 items
9-28-1862 to 10-20-1862
1:20
21 items
10-25-1862 to 11-27-1862
1:21
21 items
11-29-1862 to 12-21-1862
1:22
21 items
12-28-1862 to 2-3-1863
1:23
21 items
2-8-1863 to 3-20-1863
1:24
21 items
3-25-1863 to 5-7-1863
1:25
20 items
5-16-1863 to 6-21-1863
1:26
22 items
6-23-1863 to 8-5-1863
1:27
22 items
8-6-1863 to 9-19-1863
1:28
21 items
9-28-1863 to 12-5-1863
1:29
21 items
12-11-1863 to 1-25-1864
1:30
22 items
2-8-1864 to 4-6-1864
1:31
19 items
7-6-1864 to 2-13-1865
1:32
20 items
2-19-1865 to 4-15-1865
1:33
22 items
4-23-1865 to 8-6-1865

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Personal Names

  • Evans, Thomas L., -- Lt. -- Correspondence

Geographical Names

  • Mobile (Ala.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
  • Vicksburg (Miss.) -- History -- Siege, 1863

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Diaries
  • Letters (correspondence)