- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
Sherman, James L., Civil War Letter and Other Correspondence to Mary Pearl, 1854-1864
Collection Overview
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
Consists of a set of letters to "Grandma" (Mary Pearl of Guilderland, New York) from her daughter, Elmira Sherman, and her grandchildren, Fannie A. Sherman, Mary P. Sherman, and James L. Sherman, dating from 1854 to 1864. Of particular note is the 1864 Civil War letter written from the front in Memphis, Tennessee, from James L. Sherman, a white officer leading Company A of the 68th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment (USCT). His letter details his re-entry into the army, his appointment as lieutenant of the 68th USCT, reporting for duty at Benton Barracks in Missouri, and being sent to Memphis. He writes of the bravery and capabilities of African American soldiers in the war, and that many of them were formerly enslaved in Missouri but now are "men acting for themselves, handling their own earnings & enjoying the fruits of their labors." Sherman strongly identifies with the men under his command; emphasizing the solidarity he feels with them he writes: "We as Colored Soldiers are pleased with such laudatory accounts of our Brothers, & we too expect to send forth as bright a record when our turn comes."
- Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by the name of the creator or by the date of acquisition.
Collection History
- Acquisition:
Purchased from Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC in 2021 (AM 2022-064).
- Appraisal
No material was separated during processing.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Lisa Yankowitz during the summer and fall of 2010 . The finding aid was written by Lisa Yankowitz in January 2011 and was regularly updated with new acquisitions by Faith Charlton, Kelly Bolding, Armando Suárez, Amy C. Vo, Kalliopi Balatsouka, and Lauren Williams.
Collection-level notes were revised by Faith Charlton in 2024 to more accurately describe the nature of this collection.
No additions will be made to this collection. Single item acquisitions will be added to Princeton University Library Single Item Acquisitions (C1771).
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Sherman, James L., Civil War Letter and Other Correspondence to Mary Pearl; General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (mss): Box B-001748
Find More
- Existence and Location of Copies
Parts of this collection are available on microfilm, cataloged separately as RCPXM-7497696.
- Genre Terms:
- Correspondence -- 19th century
- Places:
- United States -- History -- Civil war, 1861-1865. -- Correspondence