Archives West Finding Aid
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U.S. Civil War Collection, 1862-1898
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Lewis, James H., approximately 1840-
- Title
- U.S. Civil War Collection
- Dates
- 1862-1898 (inclusive)18621898
1862-1865 (bulk)18621865 - Quantity
- 0.05 cubic feet, (1 oversize box)
- Collection Number
- MSS CivilWar
- Summary
- The U.S. Civil War Collection includes newspapers, correspondence, handwritten songs, and artwork contemporary to the U.S. Civil War. Much of the collection was assembled by James H. Lewis, a soldier in the 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
- Repository
-
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The U.S. Civil War was waged between the federal government of the United States of America and the secessionist Confederate States of America from April 1861 to May 1865. The conflict resulted in 600,000 American deaths, the destruction of industry and agriculture in the country's southeastern states, and the abolition of slavery in the United States.
The 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised in the summer of 1862 in response to a national call for volunteer soldiers. The regiment, billed as the Iowa Temperance Regiment, attracted nearly one thousand teetotalers from the state of Iowa. Included in this number was James H. Lewis, a twenty-two year old resident of Tama County who enlisted on August 21, 1862 and mustered one week later as Seventh Corporal. Between 1862 and 1865, the Temperance Regiment moved through Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Georgia, and South Carolina. The regiment participated in the Yazoo Pass Expedition, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, and dozens of other operations. During this time, 128 members of the Temperance Regiment were killed by wounds received in combat and an additional 215 died of disease. The remainder of the regiment mustered out in Savannah, Georgia on July 17, 1865, less than a month after the surrender of the last Confederate general. Lewis survived the war and was discharged as Fifth Sergeant.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The U.S. Civil War Collection is composed primarily of materials generated and collected by James H. Lewis, a soldier in the 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the Iowa Temperance Regiment. The collection includes lyrics to several songs composed by Lewis and other Union soldiers, a pencil drawing depicting the transportation of cotton in the American South, a manuscript copy of General William Tecumseh Sherman's Special Field Order no. 54 announcing the surrender of General Lee, a letter from Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton, several military and civilian newspapers including one produced by Lewis' own regiment and some bearing inscriptions and correspondence from Lewis, and multiple reproductions of the April 15, 1865 issue of the New York Herald reporting the assassination of President Lincoln.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
U.S. Civil War Collection (MSS CivilWar), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection consists of one series: I. War Ephemera, 1862-1898. Materials are arranged by type and date.
Acquisition Information
The collected ephemera of James H. Lewis and other donations of Civil War memorabilia were accessioned into Oregon State University's McDonald Rare Book Collection at an unknown time. These materials now comprise the U.S. Civil War Collection of the OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center.
Related Materials
Additional materials related to military training and service in the United States can be found in the Ulysses Grant McAlexander Collection (MSS McAlexander), the Oregon State Yank Collection (MSS Yank), the Students' Army Training Corps Records (RG 060), the Oregon State University Military Photographs Collection (P 002), the Army ROTC Photographs (P 257), and the McDonald Rare Book and Manuscript Collection (RB McDonald).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: War Ephemera, 1862-1898Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
1 | Manuscript letter from Edwin M. Stanton, U.S. Secretary of War, to Caroline Patterson |
1863 |
1 | Manuscript copy of General William Tecumseh Sherman's Special Field Orders no. 54. |
1865 |
1 | Lyric Sheet: "We Are Coming" |
1865 |
1 | Lyric Sheet: "Who Will Care for Mother Now," "Fifty Cents a Day," and "Shoulder Straps" |
1865 |
1 | Pencil drawing of secessionists transporting cotton to market |
1863 |
1 |
Camp Life, vol. 1, no. 1 |
1862 |
1 |
Nachitoches Union Daily
|
1864 |
1 |
The Child's Index, vol. 3, no. 3 |
1865 |
1 |
Savannah Republican, vol. 1, no. 23 |
1865 |
1 |
Savannah Republican, vol. 1, no. 47 |
1865 |
1 |
Savannah Republican, vol. 65, no. 110 |
1865 |
1 |
The Herald of the Union, vol. 1, no. 6 |
1865 |
1 |
The Soldier's Friend, vol. 1, no. 2 |
1865 |
1 |
The New York Herald, no. 10456. Reprint of April 15, 1865 issue |
1891 |
1 |
The New York Herald, no. 10456. Reprint of April 15, 1865 issue |
1892 |
1 |
The New York Herald, no. 10456. Reprint of April 15, 1865 issue |
1898 |
1 |
The New York Herald, no. 10456. Reprint of April 15, 1865 issue |
undated |
1 |
The New York Herald, no. 10456. Reprint of April 15, 1865 issue |
undated |
1 | Engraving of a mule train from an unknown newspaper |
circa 1865 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Assassination--United States.
- Temperance.
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Personal Names
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
- Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891.
Corporate Names
- United States. Army--Military life.
Form or Genre Terms
- Drawings.
- Newspapers.
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869. (creator)