This undated letter was written by John R. Beaty from Camp Marion, located on North Island, Georgetown District, South Carolina to his wife (Melvina) in Conwayborough, South Carolina.
Caption: 'The new batteries erected on Morris Island for the defence of Charleston Harbor and the reduction of Fort Sumpter (sic).--from a sketch by our Special Artist in Charleston, S.C.--see page 295.' Identified with additional captions are: 1.The Iron-clad Steven's Battery on Cumming's Point. 2. Encampment on Morris Island. 3.Star of the West Battery. 4.Columbia Battery. [full date March 30, 1861.]
Caption: 'The Floating Battery at Charleston, S.C., intended to assist in the capture of Fort Sumpter (sic), with Dr. De Vega's hospital attached.--from a sketch by our Special Artist in Charleston.--see page 289.' [full date March 30, 1861.]
Caption: 'Colonel William Wilson and his staff (Wilson's Fighting Brigade)--[see page 311].' Identified in image: Quartermaster Bradley, Lieutenant Colonel Creighton, Adjutant James J. Hearey, Paymaster Peter Duffy, Col. William Wilson, Surgeon D.C. Pease. [full date May 18, 1861.]
Caption: 'Firing on the "Star of the West" from the South Carolina battery on Morris Island, January 10, 1861.--[see page 54.]' [full date January 26, 1861]
A letter from H. Tilman to his father Alfred Wardlaw during the first year of the Civil War. The letter discusses directions on what to do with the writer's belongings should something happen to him.
A letter from H. Tilman to his father Alfred Wardlaw written during the first year of the Civil War. Makes notations regarding aspects of the war including the mention of "the Yankees."
A fragment of a plantation journal listing enslaved persons at Murry Hill Plantation. The pages include a list of enslaved men, women and children, notes on clothes for enslaved persons and births and deaths.
A document with a testimony stating that the last will and testament of Peter Desvernay is authentic. The reverse page is the actual oath and it also discusses the appraisement of his items. Makes notation that Peter Desvernay is "a free man of color."
The Newton Plantation Slave Lists and Blanket Distribution Book, 1854-1861, is a bound book recording the names of enslaved persons at Newton Plantation (thought to be in Georgetown County, South Carolina). The lists include information concerning births, deaths, marriages, and purchasers of slaves. The blanket list includes names of the slaves, and the years blankets were distributed.
A medical receipt from Dr. T. J. Goodwin to James P. Adams recording the patients treated and their fees. Makes notation of the medical treatment of "little negroes" and includes associated figures. The reverse side of the receipt includes the notation "Mr. Jas P. Adams $64.00."
A detailed account of the Battle of Fort Sumter from the Confederate perspective, including the lead-up to the battle and the eventual surrender. The pamphlet also describes the battle from an alternate viewpoint on Cummings' Point and an account of an attempt to intercept Union steamer ships.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Charles Alston to his sister, Mary Pringle, in which he defends his son, John Julius Alston, against claims made by his brother-in-law, William Bull Pringle, regarding John Julius excluding Charles Alston Pringle from a new Company of Artillery.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Charles Alston to his nephew, Charles Alston Pringle, in which he clarifies John Julius Alston's meeting with Governor Pickens and the Secretary of War, explaining why Charles Alston Pringle did not receive a commission in their new Company of Artillery.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Charles Alston to his sister, Mary Pringle, in which he clarifies the misunderstanding surrounding John Julius Alston applying to Governor Pickens for his and Charles Alston Pringle's commissions in the new Company of Artillery.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Mary Pringle to her brother, Charles Alston, in which she expresses her wish to move on from the family dispute surrounding John Julius Alston and Charles Alston Pringle's commissions in the new Company of Artillery.
A handwritten, one-page letter from L. P. Walker to General Anderson in which he approves the raising of John Julius Alston and William Peronneau's Company of Artillery.
A handwritten, one-page letter from Charles Alston to his sister, Mary Pringle, in which he defends his son, John Julius Alston, against insults from his brother-in-law, William Bull Pringle.
A handwritten, four-page letter from William Alston Hayne to his uncle, Charles Alston, in which he requests Peruvian Guano or Rhodes Supplemental Phosphate of Lime to use as fertilizer. He also mentions the possibility of the Civil War dragging on for years and suggests that the Alston family build a cottage near his home in case of a sea invasion.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Charles Alston to his sister, Mary Pringle, in which he explains John Julius Alston's journey to Richmond to see Governor Pickens and the Secretary of War about starting a new Company of Artillery. He presents this story to disprove claims made by William Bull Pringle.
The Robert F.W Allston Account Book, 1860-1861, documents payments, a recipe to help cure rabies, stocks for Nightingale Hall and Chicora Wood Plantations and the names, births and deaths of enslaved people. The book also includes diary entries for when Robert Allston visited Manassas, Virginia at the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War, recording conversations he had about the battle, the atmosphere of the army camps and the death of General Barnard E. Bee.
Letter from Ann Barnwell Mazyck to mother, Catherine Osborn Barnwell, informing her of her safe arrival in Columbia. Attached is a short note from her brother, Stephen Elliott Barnwell. ca. 1861.