Downs family correspondence (Ms.79.8)

Biographical note

The four brothers of the Downs family of Westville, Connecticut served in the Union Army during the Civil War. At the start of the war, two of the four Downs brothers, Edward and Albert, joined the 6th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers and were sent to South Carolina. Frederick, living in Iowa at the time, enlisted with the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers and served in the Western Theater. Willie began his service with the 27th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, but apparently returned home in 1863 after a medical discharge. Joining the United States Navy in 1864, Willie participated in the Union blockade of the South. Unfortunately, the letters give no indication of what happened to the brothers after the war.