Inventory of the George Deal Papers, 1862-1975,bulk 1862-1864


The Newberry Library
Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610-7324
USA
Phone: 312-255-3506
Fax: 312-255-3646
E-Mail: specialcolls@newberry.org
URL: http://www.newberry.org

Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Lisa Janssen, 2005.

©2005.


Descriptive Summary of the Collection

Creator

Deal, George, ca. 1825-1864

Title

George Deal Papers

Dates

1862-1975,

Dates

bulk 1862-1864

Extent

0.5 cubic ft. (1 box)

Abstract

Fifty-five letters and fragments of letters from George Deal, Ohio Union soldier in the Civil War, to his wife Sarah Cole Deal. Also, photographs of Sarah and George Deal, photocopies of army service records, three Confederate bills, and a few genealogical notes made by Deal's grandson.

Language

Materials are in English.

Repository

Newberry Library, Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections

Collection Call Number

Case MS 10030

Collection Stack Location

Vault 35 3


Administrative Information

Cite As

George Deal Papers, Midwest Manuscript Collection, The Newberry Library, Chicago.

Provenance

Gift of Carolyn Young, 2004.

Processed by

Virginia H. Smith, 2005.

Access

The George Deal Papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 5 folders at a time maximum (Priority II).

Ownership and Literary Rights

The George Deal Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.


Biography of George Deal

Ohio farmer and Civil War soldier.

According to a copy of his volunteer enlistment form, in October, 1862, George Deal was thirty-eight when he went into the Union army in Sidney, Ohio. However, since Deal was illiterate, signing the enlistment form with his "mark," it is possible he was younger than he stated. He joined Company K, 20th Regiment Ohio Infantry as a private, and served until he was killed at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864. Deal's regiment was stationed at Camp Dennison, Ohio, Lake Providence, La., Memphis, Tenn., Vicksburg, Miss, and Atlanta, Ga.

George Deal was born in Pennsylvania, but lived as a farmer in Ohio. His letters to his wife, Sarah Cole Deal, are addressed to the town of Montra, Shelby County, some miles southwest of Toledo. He had several children, one of whom was Emaline Deal (Young).

The government casualty sheet states "missing in action" July 22, 1864 near Atlanta, Georgia.


Scope and Content of the Collection

Fifty-five letters and fragments of letters from George Deal to his wife Sarah Cole Deal, written for apparently illiterate Deal by several individuals.

Written from Camp Dennison, Ohio, Lake Providence, La., Memphis, Tenn., Vicksburg, Miss., and Atlanta, Ga., the letters briefly describe camp life, the scenery as his regiment moves south, his health and his concerns about army pay and his family's welfare. The letters show the low level of literacy among those Deal depended on to write for him. Some lettersheets contain printed vignettes and many are accompanied by envelopes. Also, portrait photographs of Sarah and George Deal, photocopies of army service records requested in 1975 by Deal's grandson, James L. Young in 1975, three Confederate bills and few genealogical notes regarding the Young family.


The papers are arranged in the following order: correspondence, photographs, army records, Confederate bills, genealogical notes.


Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Newberry Library's public catalog. Researchers desiring additional materials on a particular topic should search the catalog using these headings.

Names

Subjects


Container List

Box Folder Contents
1 1 Letter, Camp Dennison, Ohio, Oct. 23, 1862
1 2 Letter, Camp Dennison, Ohio, Nov. 9, 1862
1 3 Letter, Camp Dennison, Ohio, Dec. 5, 1862
1 4 Letter, South of Cincinnati, Dec. 14, 1862
1 5 Letter, Steamer to Columbus, Ky., Dec. 20, 1862
1 6 Letter, Columbus, Ky., Jan. 2, 1863
1 7 Letter, Lafayette, Tenn., Jan. 14, 1862
1 8 Letter, Near Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 23, 1863
1 9 Letter, Near Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 30, 1863
1 10 Letter, Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 10, 1863
1 11 Letter, Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 16, 1863
1 12 Letter, Memphis (fragment), Feb., 1863
1 13 Letter, Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 17, 1863
1 14 Letter, Lake Providence, La., Feb. 24, 1863
1 15 Letter, Lake Providence, La., March 19, 1863
1 16 Letter, Lake Providence, La., March 31, 1863
1 17 Letter, Lake Providence, La., Apr. 8, 1863
1 18 Letter, Near Lake Providence, La., Apr. 12, 1963
1 19 Letter, Louisiana, bank of the Mississippi, north of Vicksburg, Apr. 20, 1863
1 20 Letter, Hanes Bluff, north of Vicksburg, Miss., June 2, 1863
1 21 Letter, Near Vicksburg, June 7, 1863
1 22 Letter, Near Vicksburg, June 16, 1863
1 23 Letter, Near Vicksburg, [June, 1863]. (2 fragments)
1 24 Letter Near Vicksburg, June 24, 1863
1 25 Letter, Near Vicksburg, July 4, 1863
1 26 Letter, Near Vicksburg, July 6, 1863
1 27 Letter, Bovina, Miss., east of Vicksburg, July 11, 1863
1 28 Letter, Camp Vicksburg, July 30, 1863
1 29 Letter, Vicksburg, Miss., Aug. 3, 1863
1 30 Letter, Vicksburg, Aug. 6, 1863
1 31 Letter, Vicksburg, Aug. 17, 1863
1 32 Letter, Vicksburg, Sept. 13, 1863
1 33 Letter, Vicksburg, Sept. 26, 1863
1 34 Letter, Vicksburg, Sept. 27, 1863
1 35 Letter, Vicksburg, Oct. 21, 1863
1 36 Letter, Vicksburg, Oct. 28, 1863
1 37 Letter, Vicksburg, Nov. 11, 1863
1 38 Letter, Vicksburg, Nov. 15, 1863
1 39 Letter, Vicksburg, Nov. 20, 1863
1 40 Letter, Vicksburg, Nov. 28, 1863
1 41 Letter, Vicksburg, Dec. 12, 1863
1 42 Letter, Vicksburg, Dec. 21, 1863
1 43 Letter, Vicksburg, Dec. 25, 1863
1 44 Letter, Vicksburg, Jan. 3, 1864
1 45 Letter, Vicksburg, Jan. 8, 1864
1 46 Letter, Vicksburg, Jan. 19, 1864
1 47 Letter, Vicksburg, Jan. 25, 1864
1 48 Letter, Near Vicksburg, Mar. 10, 1864
1 49 Letter, Cairo, Ill., May 8, 1864
1 50 Letter, Huntsville, Ala., May 24, 1864
1 51 Letter, Near Atlanta, Ga., June 9, 1864
1 52 Letter, Near Atlanta, June 13, 1864
1 53 Letter, Near Atlanta, June 15, 1864
1 54 Letter, Near Atlanta, July 11, 1864
1 55 Photograph -- George Deal, n.d.
1 56 Photograph -- Sarah Cole Deal, n.d.
1 57 Army service records (photocopies), 1862-1975
1 58 Confederate bills, n.d.
1 59 Genealogical notes relating to the Young family, n.d.