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Downs family correspondence (Ms.79.8)

Brown University Library

Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Inventory

Series 1. Correspondence, 1861-1865
360.0 items

Correspondence of Albert and Edward Downs, 1861-1865
278.0 items

Box 1-2
Albert and Edward Downs were members of the 6th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, and served most of the war along the coast of South Carolina. Near the end of the war, their unit moved north and the brothers saw action in Wilmington, North Carolina, and in the Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia area.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Camp Wright / Camp Clover / Baltimore
4.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life and family matters are the main topics of conversation.
 1861 Oct
Box 1, Folder 2 Fort Wells / Camp Sherman (Hilton Head, SC)
6.0 items

Contents Note: An account of the Union naval attack on Port Royal, South Carolina is given, and the Union camp and fortifications on Hilton Head Island are described. The November 16th letter discusses slaves found on the island. The November 17th letter contains a drawing by Albert showing the Union fleet formation in the Port Royal attack.
 1861 Nov-Dec
Box 1, Folder 3 Hilton Head / Camp Wright / Beaufort, SC
6.0 items

Contents Note: Letters are about camp life, fortifications on Hilton Head, and the surrounding countryside.
 1862 Jan
Box 1, Folder 4 Steamer Cosmopolitan (Warsaw Sound, GA) / Camp Sand (Warsaw Island, GA)
3.0 items

Contents Note: Descriptions of their stay on a Union steamer.
 1862 Feb
Box 1, Folder 5 Hilton Head / Jones Island, SC
6.0 items

Contents Note: Letters deal mainly with an expedition on the Savannah River. Albert writes of Confederate prisoners in the March 18th letter.
 1862 Mar
Box 1, Folder 6 Jones Island / Daufuskie, SC
4.0 items

Contents Note: General Sherman is mentioned in Albert's letter of April 6th. The April 21st letter includes a few comments on Confederate deserters from Savannah.
 1862 Apr
Box 1, Folder 7 Daufuskie, SC
4.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life is the main topic of conversation. Both brothers also discuss the possibility of the war being over soon.
 1862 May
Box 1, Folder 8 James Island, SC
4.0 items

Contents Note: Vivid description of a skirmish with the Confederates.
 1862 Jun
Box 1, Folder 9 North Edisto, SC / Beaufort, SC
5.0 items

Contents Note: Most of the letters deal with camp life, but the letter of July 4th describes the Union evacuation of James Island, SC.
 1862 Jul-Aug
Box 1, Folder 10 Beaufort, SC / Rose's Plantation (Port Royal Island, SC)
8.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life and the general military situation are discussed. Letter of September 4th mentions relations between officers and enlisted men. Albert, in his September 17th letter, discusses Union military leadership and criticizes General Alexander Pope.
 1862 Sep
Box 1, Folder 11 Beaufort, SC / Port Royal Island, SC
7.0 items

Contents Note: Albert mentions General Pope in letter of October 17th. Letters of October 24th and 25th detail a Union expedition on the South Carolina mainland. Other letters deal with camp life and family matters.
 1862 Sep
Box 1, Folder 12 Beaufort, SC
5.0 items

Contents Note: Albert's letter of November 22nd speaks of "the ruthless hand of war" and "Northern Enterprise". Both men report a lull in the fighting.
 1862 Nov
Box 1, Folder 13 Beaufort, SC / Hilton Head, SC
5.0 items

Contents Note: All of the letters deal with camp life. Albert writes of his low opinion of politics in his December 19th letter.
 1862 Dec
Box 1, Folder 14 Beaufort, SC
5.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life on New Year's Day is described in January 2nd letter. Letter of January 15th contains a description of Confederate troops. Conversations between pickets are mentioned in January 26th letter.
 1863 Jan
Box 1, Folder 15 Beaufort, SC
7.0 items

Contents Note: Letters describe buildup of Union forces on Hilton Head Island, SC and possible attack on Savannah. Albert describes his feelings toward local Blacks in February 22nd letter.
 1863 Feb
Box 1, Folder 16 Beaufort, SC / Jacksonville, FL
4.0 items

Contents Note: Albert writes of a forthcoming Union expedition and of his trip to Jacksonville. Letter of March 27th describes the ragged appearance of several Confederate prisoners.
 1863 Mar-Apr
Box 1, Folder 17 Hilton Head, SC / Folly Island, SC
7.0 items

Contents Note: Letter of May 10th describes Albert's bitterness towards England's "neutrality". He also included a newspaper clipping with a brief verse about England.
 1863 May
Box 1, Folder 18 Hilton Head, SC / Folly Island, SC
9.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life is discussed. The "Savannah Ram," a Confederate gunboat, is mentioned passim.
 1863 Jun
Box 1, Folder 19 Folly Island, SC / Morris Island, SC
8.0 items

Contents Note: Both Edward and Albert write of the Union attack on Morris Island, SC.
 1863 Jul
Box 1, Folder 20 Hilton Head, SC
7.0 items

Contents Note: The Union siege of Morris Island is discussed.
 1863 Aug
Box 1, Folder 21 Hilton Head, SC
11.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life is discussed. General Rosecrans is briefly mentioned in Albert's letter of September 29th.
 1863 Sep
Box 1, Folder 22 Hilton Head, SC
6.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life, family matters, and general military news are discussed.
 1863 Oct
Box 2, Folder 1 Hilton Head, SC
8.0 items

Contents Note: Albert's letters of November 10th and November 15th mention Confederate deserters. Edward's letter of November 15th contains a scribbled drawing of a smoking pipe. Letter of November 25th describes Thanksgiving Day for the soldiers.
 1863 Nov
Box 2, Folder 2 Hilton Head, SC
9.0 items

Contents Note: Camp life and new enlistments are the main topics mentioned throughout the letters.
 1863 Dec
Box 2, Folder 3 Hilton Head, SC / Federal Point, NC
4.0 items

Contents Note: New Year's Day is described in letter of January 1st. Letter of January 18th describes an expedition into North Carolina.
 1864 Jan
Box 2, Folder 4 Federal Point, NC / Wilmington, NC / Hilton Head, SC
4.0 items

Contents Note: The letters describe the Union advance on Wilmington, NC. Albert, in February 28th letter, also mentions his brief trip home.
 1864 Feb
Box 2, Folder 5 Hilton Head, SC / Wilmington, NC
8.0 items

Contents Note: Other than camp life, the letters of March 1st and 13th mention the Union campaign in Florida. Edward's letter of March 17th mentions General Sherman and also the local Blacks around Wilmington, North Carolina.
 1864 Mar
Box 2, Folder 6 Hilton Head, SC
8.0 items

Contents Note: Animosity between white and black troops is mentioned in letters of April 13th and 16th. Letter of April 16th also describes the execution of two Union deserters. A poem and a photograph are also included in this folder, sent by Albert sometime in late April. The poem is about the recent death of one of Albert's commanding officers. (It is assumed the photograph is of the same officer.)
 1864 Apr
Box 2, Folder 7 Near Richmond and Petersburg, VA
8.0 items

Contents Note: The letters all deal with the heavy fighting taking place in Virginia. Letters of May 17th deal specifically with Edward's part in the fighting. The situation around Petersburg and Richmond is discussed througout the letters.
 1864 May
Box 2, Folder 8 Bermuda Hundred, VA
6.0 items

Contents Note: The Union position around Petersburg is discussed. The letters of June 13th, 23rd, and 24th mention Abraham Lincoln and his visit to the Petersburg camp.
 1864 Jun
Box 2, Folder 9 Bermuda Hundred, VA
11.0 items

Contents Note: Albert and Edward write of Confederate deserters, the Petersburg siege, and camp life during the siege.
 1864 Jul
Box 2, Folder 10 Bermuda Hundred, VA
6.0 items

Contents Note: The fighting around Petersburg is the main topic of the letters.
 1864 Aug
Box 2, Folder 11 (near) Petersburg, VA
6.0 items

Contents Note: Both brothers speak of their unit leaving Petersburg for an unknown destination. Letters of September 9th and 17th give a description of a Union fortification.
 1864 Sep
Box 2, Folder 12 (near) Richmond, VA / Annapolis
10.0 items

Contents Note: Albert writes of his stay in a nearby hospital, while Edward speaks of the fighting around Richmond.
 1864 Oct
Box 2, Folder 13 (near) Richmond, VA
4.0 items

Contents Note: The letters deal with camp life and the situation around Richmond.
 1864 Nov
Box 2, Folder 14 (near) Richmond, VA
6.0 items

Contents Note: Fresh recruits, camp life, and family matters are topics mentioned in the letters. General Sherman is mentioned passim. in this folder.
 1864 Dec
Box 2, Folder 15 Bermuda Hundred, VA / Wilmington, NC
5.0 items

Contents Note: The Union attack on Wilmington, North Carolina is described. Albert mentions General Robert E. Lee in his letter of January 4th.
 1865 Jan
Box 2, Folder 16 (near) Wilmington, NC
5.0 items

Contents Note: Albert's letter of February 7th discusses Union troops from the West. Remaining letters discuss the Wilmington campaign and the eventual capture of the city.
 1865 Feb
Box 2, Folder 17 Wilmington, NC
7.0 items

Contents Note: Letters deal with local military operations and camp life. The March 1st letter deals with the appearance of Union prisoners upon their release.
 1865 Mar
Box 2, Folder 18 Wilmington, NC
5.0 items

Contents Note: The end of the war is discussed. Albert writes of the sadness felt around camp after Lincoln's assassination.
 1865 Apr
Box 2, Folder 19 Wilmington, NC
5.0 items

Contents Note: Albert and Edward write anxiously of going home. Camp life is discussed. Jeff Davis is mentioned in Albert's letter of May 22nd.
 1865 May
Box 2, Folder 20 Wilmington, NC / Goldsboro, NC
5.0 items

Contents Note: The letters reflect the brothers' frustration at not being discharged. Discontent among the soldiers is discussed.
 1865 Jun
Box 2, Folder 21 Goldsboro, NC
3.0 items

Contents Note: Edward writes of Albert's discharge and departure, and waits eagerly for his turn.
 1865 Jul
Box 2, Folder 22 Undated letters
14.0 items

Contents Note: This folder contains twelve undated letters, a cloth fragment from a flag, and a letter from Albert explaining the significance of the fragment. See C.E.H. Whitlock letter of March 1, 1955, in Collection File for purchase information.

Correspondence of Frederick Downs, 1861-1869
39.0 items

Box 3, Folder 1-9
Frederick joined the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers and saw action in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. His letters contain accounts of fighting at Corinth and Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Lookout Mountain, Tennessee

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 1 Missouri
4.0 items

Contents Note: Frederick writes of camp life after joining the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers.
 1861 Oct-Dec
Box 3, Folder 2 Missouri / Tennessee
6.0 items

Contents Note: Local military operations and the surrounding countryside are the main subjects.
 1862 Jan-May
Box 3, Folder 3 Mississippi / Tennessee
6.0 items

Contents Note: The fighting around Corinth, Mississippi and the Confederate evacuation of Corinth are mentioned in several letters. Frederick also discusses the general military activity in the West.
 1862 Jun-Dec
Box 3, Folder 4 Tennessee / Louisiana
5.0 items

Contents Note: Frederick writes of the strong Confederate position at Vicksburg, and in his letters of January 7th and March 29th, complains of the lack of good military leadership.
 1863 Jan-May
Box 3, Folder 5 Mississippi / Alabama
6.0 items

Contents Note: "Copperhead" are mentioned in letter of September 2nd. Letter of October 17th mentions Confederate guerillas. Frederick writes of fighting at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee in December 17th letter.
 1863 Jun-Dec
Box 3, Folder 6 Alabama / Tennessee
7.0 items

Contents Note: Local Union strategy and fortifications are discussed throughout the letters. Frederick mentions local Union supporters in Cleveland, Tennessee in letter of February 25th.
 1864 Jan-May
Box 3, Folder 7 Georgia
2.0 items

Contents Note: Frederick mentions "copperheads" in August 1st letter. General Grant is discussed in both letters.
 1864 Jun-Dec
Box 3, Folder 8 Georgia / Iowa
2.0 items

Contents Note: Frederick describes Savannah, Georgia and mentions General Sherman's march across the state in letter of January 15th, 1865. The 1869 letter concerns family matters.
 1865-1869
Box 3, Folder 9 Undated letter
1.0 item

Contents Note: This folder contains an undated letter from Frederick, written from the vicinity of Corinth, Mississippi. He mentions his recent illness and local military operations.

Correspondence of Willie Downs, 1862-1871
43.0 items

Box 3, Folder 10-17
Willie first enlisted in the 27th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers and saw action in Virginia, notably in the fighting around Fredericksburg in 1862. Apparently receiving a medical discharge in 1863, Willie later joined the United States Navy and participated in the Union blockade of the South, serving aboard the "Vermont" and the "Grand Gulf."

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 10 Brooklyn, NY / Washington DC
10.0 items

Contents Note: Willie writes mainly about camp life and family matters. Letters of December 17th, 1862 and January 20th, 1863 mention a battle at Fredericksburg, Virginia.
 1862-1863
Box 3, Folder 11 U.S. Ship "Vermont", Brooklyn, NY
5.0 items

Contents Note: Willie, now in the Navy, writes from the U.S. Ship "Vermont" and describes a sailor's life in port.
 1864
Box 3, Folder 12 U.S. Ship "Vermont", Brooklyn, NY
4.0 items

Contents Note: While the "Vermont" is in dock for repairs, Willie describes life aboard ship and mentions various ships coming and going from the naval yard in New York.
 1865 Jan
Box 3, Folder 13 U.S. Ship "Vermont" / U.S. Ship "Grand Gulf"
5.0 items

Contents Note: The letters are chiefly about family matters and life aboard the "Vermont." Willie writes anxiously of going out to sea on board the "Grand Gulf."
 1865 Feb
Box 3, Folder 14 U.S. Ship "Grand Gulf" off Texas, Alabama, and New York coasts
4.0 items

Contents Note: Willie writes of the Union blockade off the Southern coast.
 1865 Mar-May
Box 3, Folder 15 U.S. Ship "Grand Gulf", New Orleans
5.0 items

Contents Note: New Orleans and the surrounding countryside are described. Letter of July 16th includes a small drawing of a steam ship.
 1865 Jun-Jul
Box 3, Folder 16 Memphis
1.0 item

Contents Note: Willie writes of family business.
 1871
Box 3, Folder 17 Undated letters
9.0 items

Contents Note: This folder contains nine undated letters written by Willie.

Series 2. Miscellaneous manuscripts
156.0 items

Miscellaneous items
7.0 items

Box 3, Folder 18
Contents of this folder include four undated letters, a receipt, an advertisement card, and a drawing of a fort.

Unattached envelopes
149.0 items

Box 4, Folder 1
A collection of 149 envelopes are included in the Downs family correspondence in one large envelope. Other envelopes can be found throughout the correspondence with their letters. Several envelopes have Civil War patriotic covers.