TABLE OF CONTENTS
Descriptive Summary of the Collection
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Inventory of the Theodore Watson Letters, 1861 April 27-July 7
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Lisa Janssen, 2004. ©2004. |
Descriptive Summary of the Collection |
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| Creator | Watson, Theodore |
| Title | Theodore Watson Letters |
| Dates | 1861 April 27-July 7 |
| Extent | 0.2 linear feet (9 items in 1 box) |
| Abstract | Letters from Theodore Watson to his brother John in Hillsboro, Illinois, during the early months of the Civil War. Correspondence describes his life as a three-month enlistee in the Illinois 3rd Company (later the Illinois 9th Regiment) stationed at Camp Defiance to defend Cairo, Illinois. |
| Language | Materials are in English. |
| Repository | Newberry Library, Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections |
| Collection Call Number | Vault Case MS 10023 |
| Collection Stack Location | Vault 35 3 |
Administrative Information
Cite As
Theodore Watson Letters, Midwest Manuscript Collection, The Newberry Library, Chicago.
Provenance
Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, Rare Manuscripts & Archives, April, 2003.
Processed by
Virginia H. Smith, 2004
Access
The Theodore Watson Letters are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 5 folders at a time maximum, and items in each folder will be counted before and after delivery to the patron (Priority I).
Ownership and Literary Rights
The Theodore Watson Letters 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.
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Biography of Theodore Watson
Illinois Civil War Soldier
Theodore Watson, a young man from Hillsboro, Montgomery County, Illinois, was mustered into H Company, 3rd Illinois Volunteers in Springfield, Illinois, on April 26, 1861. The 3rd was moved to Cairo, Illinois, for garrison duty at Camp Defiance, attached to Captain Prentiss's Brigade. Originally a ninety-day unit, the 3rd became the 9th Illinois Regiment under Prentiss, with a three-year enlistment period. Watson chose not to re-enlist and was mustered out July 26, 1861.
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Scope and Content of the Collection
The collection consists of nine letters from Theodore Watson to his brother John Watson, describing his life in the army, written from April 27 to July 7, 1961. The early letters are full of enthusiasm for daily army life, with everyone in high spirits, getting plenty of food and sleep. When the company settles in Camp Defiance in Cairo, Watson is feeling well, ready for action, still having an easy time of it - singing, playing games, swimming and enjoying camp life. However, though he's proud of the drilling skills of his group, by early July he has grown tired and bored, and feels ill. Watson advises his brother John not to enlist and he himself is not going to sign on for the three-year enlistment period.
The purchase documentation lists eleven letters. However, two were parts of other letters, so there are actually only nine letters. It is also possible that two other sheets are also separated parts of a single letter. A transcription, on acid-free paper, is filed with each letter.
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Arrangement
Materials arranged chronologically.
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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
- United States. Army. Illinois Infantry Regiment, 9th (1861-1865)
- Watson, Theodore
Subjects
- Cairo (Ill.) -- History -- Sources
- Correspondence -- Illinois -- Cairo -- 1861
- Illinois -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
- Manuscripts, American -- Illinois
- Soldiers -- Illinois -- Hillsboro -- Correspondence
- Soldiers' writings, American
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Military life
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
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Container List |
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| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Springfield, IL (weather, camp life, food), April 27, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Cairo, IL (capture of supply ship, camp life, illness, supplies), May 3, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Cairo, IL (false alarm, guard duty, camp life, girls), May 12, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defiance, Cairo, IL (plans for defending camp, drilling, detaining boats), includes small map of Camp Defiance, May 15, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defiance, Cairo, IL (officer elections, visiting town, religion, Missouri expedition), May 19, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defance, Cairo, IL (refugees, shooting of citizen, prospects of fighting), May 23, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defiance, Cairo, IL (election of officers, cannon, remaining in army, flags, girls), May 26, 1861. | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defiance, Cairo, IL (building barracks, drill review, guns, drowning, speculation on troop movement), Patriotic vignette, June 9, 1961 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Letter, Watson, Theodore to John Watson, Camp Defiance, Cairo, IL (getting discharged, weariness with camp, advice against joining army, fourth of July), July 7, 1861. | |||||||||