John Shuman family letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- John Shuman family letters
- Date
- 1862 August-1866 September (inclusive)
- Creator
- Shuman, John, d. 1863
- Extent
- 0.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Soldiers -- Correspondence
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2020ms092: [identification of item], John Shuman family letters, 1862 August-1866 September, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John Shuman lived in Wolcottvile, Indiana, and served as a soldier in the 88th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers during the Civil War. The 88th Indiana was primarily stationed at Louisville, Kentucky, with the body of Union troops, and later at Camp Carrington, in Indianapolis, after it had been converted to a prisoner of war camp. Shuman died on August 14, 1863, of dysentery at Camp Dechord, Tennessee.
- Scope and Content
- The John Shuman family letters (dated 1863 August-1866 September; 0.1 cubic feet; 34 items) comprise letters to and from John Shuman and his family in Wolcottvile, Indiana during the Civil War. The collection contains 24 letters from John Shuman to his family; two letters to John; six letters to and from Barney Shuman, John's father; and two letters from Eliza Watson to Jacob Shuman, John's brother. The correspondence is primarily from John Shuman, a soldier in the 88th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, to various members of his family, detailing his experiences in Kentucky and Indiana during the Civil War. In his letters, John described the shooting death of General Nelson by General Davis on September 15, 1862; the ensuing fistfight between Indiana's Governor Morton and General Jeremiah Boyle; his role as a guard at Camp Carrington; the constant threat of disease to the troops; and the Battle of Pogue's Run. While stationed in Louisville, he wrote on the expectation of battle in camp, as well as the hoped for and successful quick arrival of General Buell from Alabama. Later correspondence in the collection describes his father's visit to the Camp Dechord hospital during John's final days and later attempts to locate John's body to bring him home for burial.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
John Shuman family letters, 1862 August-1866 September
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
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If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
