Thomas Evans Letters and Diary, 1862-1865
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Evans, Thomas L., -- Lt.
- Title
- Thomas Evans Letters and Diary
- Dates
- 1862-1865 (inclusive)18621865
- 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
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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
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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 Note
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 Description
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 Collection
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 Information
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.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Original Letters
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Dates: 8-30-1862 to 10-17-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:1
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Dates: 10-20-1862 to 12-7-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:2
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Dates: 12-9-1862 to 2-21-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:3
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Dates: 2-22-1863 to 5-7-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:4
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Dates: 5-16-1863 to 7-28-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:5
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Dates: 8-5-1863 to 11-6-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:6
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Dates: 11-18-1863 to 1-25-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:7
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Dates: 2-8-1864 to 9-9-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:8
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Dates: 12-22-1864 to 3-29-1865Container: Box/Folder 1:9
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Dates: 4-5-1865 to 6-17-1865Container: Box/Folder 1:10
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Description: Miscellaneous letter fragments9 itemsDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1:11
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Diary
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Dates: 11-26-1863 to 5-7-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:12
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Dates: 5-9-1864 to 7-31-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:13
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Dates: 8-1-1864 to 10-28-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:14
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Dates: 10-19-1864 to 11-21-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:15
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Description: Miscellaneous32 itemsDates: undatedContainer: Box/Folder 1:16-17
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Book: Typed Copies of Letters
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Dates: 8-30-1862 to 9-27-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:18
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Dates: 9-28-1862 to 10-20-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:19
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Dates: 10-25-1862 to 11-27-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:20
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Dates: 11-29-1862 to 12-21-1862Container: Box/Folder 1:21
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Dates: 12-28-1862 to 2-3-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:22
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Dates: 2-8-1863 to 3-20-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:23
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Dates: 3-25-1863 to 5-7-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:24
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Dates: 5-16-1863 to 6-21-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:25
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Dates: 6-23-1863 to 8-5-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:26
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Dates: 8-6-1863 to 9-19-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:27
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Dates: 9-28-1863 to 12-5-1863Container: Box/Folder 1:28
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Dates: 12-11-1863 to 1-25-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:29
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Dates: 2-8-1864 to 4-6-1864Container: Box/Folder 1:30
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Dates: 7-6-1864 to 2-13-1865Container: Box/Folder 1:31
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Dates: 2-19-1865 to 4-15-1865Container: Box/Folder 1:32
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Dates: 4-23-1865 to 8-6-1865Container: Box/Folder 1:33
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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)
