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Subseries 1A: Personal Letters and Documents, 1859-1864

4 boxes
SOME ONLINE CONTENT
Collection Creator:
Plumb family
Dates:
1859-1864
Extent:
4 boxes
Languages:
English
Scope and Contents

The bulk of "Personal Letters and Documents" is correspondence written to and from Captain Plumb from 1859 to his death in July 1864, with correspondents almost exclusively including his parents, Isaac and Catherine Eliza Plumb; his brother, Henry Grant Plumb; his sister, Anna Smith Plumb; his uncles, David Henry Plumb and Henry L. Grant; and his cousin's husband William J. Pell. As a group, provide a full view of Captain Plumb's experiences as a Union soldier; his family's political perspectives; issues of the home front, including family, rising prices, the ever growing gap of differing opinions between soldiers and civilians, and the riots in New York City following the institution of the draft; and issues of slavery and race. One folder of correspondence contains letters written at the time of and shortly following Captain Plumb's wound and subsequent death, and these are largely family letters written about Captain Plumb and their loss at his death. Other material within this subseries includes lists of soldiers, information regarding memorials erected by his family, his obituaries, his wallet and its contents at the time of his death, and songs and ephemera related to the Civil War.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

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.

Credit this material:

Subseries 1A: Personal Letters and Documents; Isaac Plumb, Jr. Family Papers, C1432, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (mss): Boxes 1-2; 7-8
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.

The three swords require special handling. Please consult with Public Services staff.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Holly Mengel in 2012. Finding aid written by Holly Mengel in 2012.

During 2022, restrictions on three swords were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The bulk of "Personal Letters and Documents" is correspondence written to and from Captain Plumb from 1859 to his death in July 1864, with correspondents almost exclusively including his parents, Isaac and Catherine Eliza Plumb; his brother, Henry Grant Plumb; his sister, Anna Smith Plumb; his uncles, David Henry Plumb and Henry L. Grant; and his cousin's husband William J. Pell. As a group, provide a full view of Captain Plumb's experiences as a Union soldier; his family's political perspectives; issues of the home front, including family, rising prices, the ever growing gap of differing opinions between soldiers and civilians, and the riots in New York City following the institution of the draft; and issues of slavery and race. One folder of correspondence contains letters written at the time of and shortly following Captain Plumb's wound and subsequent death, and these are largely family letters written about Captain Plumb and their loss at his death. Other material within this subseries includes lists of soldiers, information regarding memorials erected by his family, his obituaries, his wallet and its contents at the time of his death, and songs and ephemera related to the Civil War.

Arrangement

These letters are arranged chronologically. As a group, provide a full view of Captain Plumb's experiences as a Union soldier; his family's political perspectives; issues of the home front, including family, rising prices, the ever growing gap of differing opinions between soldiers and civilians, and the riots in New York City following the institution of the draft; and issues of slavery and race.

Collection History

Appraisal

No material was separated during 2012 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Holly Mengel in 2012. Finding aid written by Holly Mengel in 2012.

During 2022, restrictions on three swords were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

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.

The three swords require special handling. Please consult with Public Services staff.

Credit this material:

Subseries 1A: Personal Letters and Documents; Isaac Plumb, Jr. Family Papers, C1432, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
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Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (mss): Boxes 1-2; 7-8