Contents and Arrangement Expanded View
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Collection Overview

Creator:
Comfort, John W. (1844-1893)
Title:
John W. Comfort Papers
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/np193919p
Dates:
circa 1875-1895
Size:
1 box and 1.6 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

The John W. Comfort Papers consists of a letter, hand-drawn map, detailed narrative, military service history, and photograph of the career soldier John W. Comfort (1844-1893). The map and narrative document Comfort's experience fighting Big Foot's Sioux band at the Battle of Wounded Knee, 29 December 1890.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of a letter by Comfort to his brother, Winchester ["Chess"], a hand-drawn map of the "Battle Ground of Wounded Knee Creek," a first-hand narrative of the Battle of Wounded Knee, the "Military History of John W. Comfort. U.S. Army," and a photograph of Comfort wearing his Medal of Honor.

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged in the following order: letter, map, narrative, military history, and photograph.

Collection Creator Biography:

Comfort

John W. Comfort was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1844. He was a career soldier, reenlisting continually in the Army from 1861 to 1890, and still serving in 1892. He participated in many battles during the Civil War, particularly in Georgia, including the sieges of Atlanta and Savannah. On 13 October 1875 Comfort received a Medal of Honor for his bravery associated with a battle against the Kiowa and Comanche in Staked Plains, Texas, on 5 November 1874. The citation for the medal plainly states, "Ran down and killed an Indian." As the materials in this collection demonstrate, he was a keen observer of his experiences at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Comfort died on 29 November 1893 in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Gift of Joseph R. Harbeson '1974.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Karla J. Vecchia in 2004. Finding aid written by Karla J. Vecchia in 2004.

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:

John W. Comfort Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/np193919p
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1