Manuscript Collections

 This collection consists of letters written by Emery Crane, dating Jan. 20, 1862-Sept. 17, 1862; letters written by Alphonso Crane, dating May 14, 1861-July 3, 1863; letter to parents of Alphonso Crane on his death, dated July 11, 1863.

 This collection consists of papers relating to the Fifth Michigan Infantry and Hamilton Potter (ca. 1839-1919). Potter served in Company B of that regiment. He mustered into the regiment at Pontiac (January 19, 1864), was wounded in action (May 5, 1864), and discharged on a disability certificate (May 9, 1865). The collection includes Potter's pension certificate (1910) and that of his widow, Rosetta Potter (1919). The papers also include photographs of the Fifth Michigan reunions at Mount Clemens (1919) and Detroit (1920), and brochures documenting the 1907 reunion of the Fifth Michigan Infantry, the 1903 reunion of the Fifteenth Michigan Infantry, and the 1927 encampment of veterans from the Civil War, Spanish American War, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The few newspaper clippings, gathered by Harold Reichtmyer, detail the number of Civil War veterans still living in the late 1930s. The collection also includes an undated obituary of Rosetta Potter, who married Hamilton Potter in 1867, and lived to the age of 80.

 Civil War diaries, 1863-1865. Consists of three small pocket diaries with daily entries of a paragraph or less discussing the daily life of Henry Albert Potter, when he served with the Fourth Michigan Calvary. The 1865 diary also has a calendar, a list of eclipses, a list of Sundays, distances and time by railroad from New York, rates of postage for both domestic and foreign mail, the population of the United States-slave and free for 1860, the Rebellion record from 1861 through 1864, and an almanac for 1865.

 This collection contains various Civil War documents of George Benton Arnold of Company D, 20th Michigan Infantry, including an ambrotype of Benton, his dairies (Jan. 1, 1863-Feb. 3, 1864, 1864, 1865), a letter to his sister (Nov. 7, 1862), his various commissioning papers, his discharge papers (May 30, 1865), his certificates of service, Michigan Adjutant General's Office (1904 and 1912), and an application of officer for correction of muster (Jan. 24, 1899).

 This collection contains typescripts of Civil War letters of Arza Bartholomew, Jr. Company G, 21st Michigan Infantry, to his wife Frances, and typescripts of Civil war letters of Jacob M., George W., William G., and Clarence (Charles) L. Houseman.

 This collection consists of the Civil War diaries of George W. Myers, dating 1863 to 1864. The diaries document his life before enlisting in 1864 and his service in the 13th Michigan Infantry. He offers a brief, but stirring account of the Civil War. He details the many deaths due to disease and illness caused by the war. There are many references to his attendance at Bible studies and church services. He entitled this firsthand account, Penciling by the way. There is also two photographs from 1919 and 1920 of the 5th Michigan Infantry Reunions.

 Ann Harvey interviews her brother-in-law Gilbert VanderMale, who shares his experiences as a soldier during the World War II, such as being drafted into army and serving overseas in Europe in the 44th Infantry Division.

 This collection contains 17 letters from Daniel Halbert, Company H, Sixth Michigan Infantry, 1862-1866, to his cousin, Maria Halbert. Three of the letters were written upon his return to civilian life, and describe his attendance at Albion Commercial College.

 Contains correspondence of Soloman Kroll, of Company C, Eighth Michigan Infantry, to his family, Sept. 11, 1861 to June 6, 1862; Jerome Kroll, Company A, Twentieth Michigan Infantry, to his family, Jan. 12, 1862 to Aug. 23, 1872; Henry Bedlegram of Kipps Corners, Mich., to his uncle, Nov. 6, 1864 and Jan. 26, 1870; Francis Fuller, Company D, Fourteenth Michigan Infantry, July 29, 1864; and Monroe Loomis, of Victor, Mich., July 29, 1862.

 This is the second collection documenting the career of Henry Albert Potter. Both collections (see also MS 89-535) were donated by Mrs. Arthur H. (Elizabeth) Ruddy, a descendant of Potter. This collection is arranged according to the following series: Papers, 1862-1902. Consists of letters of Henry Albert Potter to his family in Ovid, Mich. Describes marches and camp life. Includes citations and correspondence with the United States War Dept. Also includes the diary of W.P. Simmons. Simmons is not a member of the Fourth Michigan Calvary, at the time of this writing, his regiment and company are unknown. The diary, written between Sept. 9, 1863 and Nov. 1, 1863, describes the Battle of Chickamauga and Wheeler's Raid.

 This collection contains a letter from Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan, requesting safe passage for Michael N. Armstrong, to Nashville, Tenn., to retrieve body of soldier, S.D. Armstrong, Feb. 16, 1865.

Discharge paper of George Vedder, private, Company B, Third Regiment of Michigan Infantry Volunteers, May 25, 1866. 

Letters from the Civil War, both from the battlefront and home, from families in Coldwater, Mich. and Campbell, N.Y.

 This collection contains This collection consists of a photostat letter from Henry Gilbert dated October 10, 1863, and a photostat letter from W.F. Jenkins dated June 22, 1905.

 This collection consists of a letter from Eugene Joseph Stocking, Camp Buford, Oct. 4, 1863, to his parents. The letter includes a list of battles in which Stocking participated.

 Narrative documents Fisher's experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany from December 1944 to April 1945. Fisher, a member of the Medical Detachment, 589th Field Artillery Battalion of the 106th Infantry Division, was injured and captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. He was caught in the town of Schoenberg, Belgium and served time in these prisoner of war camps located in Germany: Stalag IV-B (Muhlberg), Stalag VIII-A (Gorlitz), and Stalag XI-B (Fallingbostel). This 7-page document includes basic description of his capture, life in the POW camps, and liberation by the British on April 16, 1945. After a brief time in a British hospital (Oxford), he returned to the States convalesced and attended rehab in Miami (June-July, 1945). Fisher finished out his service in the surgical ward of Camp McCoy Station Hospital in Wisconsin. He was discharged from service on November 16, 1945.

 This collections consists of letters written to the Jackson family during the Civil War period. In addition, it also includes a verse that was presented at the laying of the cornerstone of the Soldiers' and Sailors Monument in Detroit. Most of the letters were written by a close friend of the family, Sergeant Sanford Douglass Payne of Company H, Eight Michigan Calvary. Payne's letters to Elizabeth Caroline Wilcox Jackson and her daughter, Elizabeth Prudence Jackson, describe life as a soldier serving in Kentucky and Tennessee. The letters often refer to Charles Jackson, son of Elizabeth Caroline and brother of Elizabeth Prudence. Charles served in the Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Company G. This collection includes letters that describe the leg injury (and amputation) suffered by Charles while on picket duty at Petersburg, Virginia in June of 1864. Charles never recovered from his wounds, dying on July 1, 1864.

This collection consists of photocopies of letters from Edson Conrad, Company G., 8th Regiment, Michigan Infantry Volunteers, to his family and dating 1862-1863. 

 This collection consists of twenty-three discreet items (18 folders), which are arranged chronologically. Most of the documents date from the Civil War period.

This collection consists of seventeen interviews of members of the Lake Huron coastal community of Rogers City, Michigan, as well as fisheries professionals, who experienced the buildup of Chinook salmon fishing in Rogers City in the late twentieth century and the Lake Huron Chinook salmon fishery crash in the mid-2000s.

This collection consists of a notebook, dating 1864, kept by Rev. James R. Gordon (1835-1876). Gordon was from Oak Grove, Livingston County, Mich. In Sept. of 1864, he joined the U.S. Chrisitian Commission and left for the east coast to look after Michigan soldiers at the Armory Hospital in Washington, D.C. The contents of this notebook are printed instructions to Commission members, a diary of daily activities, Latin exercises, and address list of ministers, and a record of Michigan soldiers encountered. The collection is arranged chronologically.

Part of the Bess Britton One-Room School House Collection (One-Room School House Memory Project) located at the Webster Memorial Library (Van Buren District Library System), Decatur, Michigan. Interviewer and Transcriber: Kenneth H. Baker. Includes transcript and audio compact disk. Interview conducted in a conference room located at the Allegan County Fairgrounds (c. 2011).

This collection consists of the 1864 Civil War diary of Sergeant James W. Howd of Duplain Township, Mich., who enlisted in the 1st Michigan Cavalry, Co. D. as a corporal, Aug. 12, 1861 at Ovid, Mich. at age 20. He mustered Sept. 7, 1861, and was discharged at the end of his 3 year enlistment, at Washington, D.C., on Aug. 24, 1864. Following the war, he lived in Ithaca, Mich.

This collection consists of one diary arranged as one series: 1. Diary, 1863. Bound diary kept by Jeffery W. Perry for the year 1863. Predominantly discusses the weather but with some brief comments about events in Perry's camp and the war in general. In the back of the diary is a list of dates on which he wrote letters and to whom he wrote, plus a brief ledger of expenses.

This collection contains letters to Hubert F. Miller from family as well as pension certificates for his time in service as a private in the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Co. C. The collection also contains a two dollar Confederate bill.

MS 91-58 consists of materials documenting John H. Starkweather and the Starkweather family, who were originally from New York. Some family members moved to Michigan in the 1840's (Detroit area) and after the Civil War, continued west into Kansas and Minnesota. This small, eclectic collection includes the New Testament bible carried by Starkweather during the Civil War, a letter written by him on the back of a cigar wrapper (1861), his pension papers (1892, 1907); and miscellaneous papers, such as an 1861 pass given to John during the War, and Marion County, Kansas fair ticket (1882). The collection also includes photographs or obituaries of Starkweather family members, all who were descendants of Hilus H. Starkweather. Identified photographs include Perry, Mary Jane (John's siblings) and Asa Starkweather. Obituaries include James, Christopher Columbus, Sophia (all John's siblings), Wiiliam Hilus (John's son), and Clifton C. Starkweather (Christopher Columus Starkweather's son).

This collection consists of the Civil War discharge papers of Walter Carr, 14th Michigan Infantry and a one volume record of the 14th Michigan Infantry Volunteers.