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Inventory

Smith Family Letters
Dates:  1838-1863
Accession Number:  900424F
Donor: Vigo County Historical Society
Description:  Ten file folders in a flat storage box

 Content and Scope of Collection

This collection primarily contains correspondence of the Smith family from 1857-1863.  Correspondents include John W. Smith (husband), Margaret Smith (wife), Martha Jane Smith (daughter), and Benjamin W. Smith (son).  A few letters are from the Smith family's cousins (surnames include McClure, Garr, Hardin, and McCalment).  All letters have been transcribed and these typewritten copies are arranged in chronological order at the end of the collection.

Although there are some random letters, most correspondence can be grouped into one of two categories or time periods.  The first series of letters reflects the summer of 1859 when wife Margaret Smith was ill and went to Dr. Shepard's Water Cure Establishment in Columbus, Ohio, to restore her health.

The second series of letters involves correspondence between Benjamin W. Smith and his family during the Civil War.  Benjamin was mustered into the Union Army on August 19, 1862 and served in the 99th Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Company H, while stationed in Mississippi and Tennessee.  The letters include detailed descriptions of the regiment's activities and the conditions of army life as well as personal news from home.  Eventually, Benjamin became ill and was hospitalized in Lagrange, Tennessee.  His father travelled south to bring him home; Benjamin W. Smith was discharged March 14, 1863.

Collection contains:  43 letters; 43 typewritten copies; 3 bills; 1 advertisement flyer

Flat Storage Box

 

 

 

Folder 1

Smith family bills

1838-1851

 

 

 

Folder 2

Letter, from Martha A. McClure and
  Nancy A. McClure to Martha J. Smith:
  Missouri, Putnam County

March 29, 1857

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret M. Garr
  to cousin:  Mount Calvary, Davis
  County, Iowa

Jan. 18, 1859

 

 

 

 

Advertisement flyer:  Dr. Shepard's
  Water Cure Establishment,
  Columbus, Ohio

n.d.

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to John W. Smith
  Water Cure, [Columbus, Ohio]

June 3, [1859]

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to  John W. Smith
  Water Cure, [Columbus, Ohio]

June 17? [1859]

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Margaret Smith

July 6, 1859

 

 

 

 

Letter, from D. Wilson
  to Margaret Smith:  “At David Faucets”

July 17, 1859

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Margaret Smith

July 25, 1859

 

 

 

Folder 3

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to John W. Smith:  Water Cure,
  [Columbus, Ohio]

Aug. 9, 1859

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to John W. Smith:  [Water Cure,
  Columbus, Ohio]

Aug. 23, 1859

 

 

 

 

Letter, from C.E.R. Shepard
  to Margaret Smith:  Water Cure,
  Columbus, Ohio

Aug. 13, 1860

 

 

 

 

Letter, from E. J. Hardin
  to Martha Jane Smith:
  Moravia, Iowa

Jan. 11, 1861

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret M. Garr
  to cousin

Feb. 10, 1861

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to parents:  Danville [Ind.?]

Feb. 23, 1861

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Mollie Warner
  to Martha Jane Smith:
  Thorntown, Indiana

March 5, 1861

 

 

 

Folder 4

Letter, from James McCalment
  to cousin:  Grand Junction, Tenn.

July 14, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter fragment

July 26, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from William F. Adams
  to Benjamin W. Smith:
  Helena, Arkansas

Sept. 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to Martha Jane Smith:
  Camp Jewett [Kentucky]

Oct. 31, [1862]

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith:
  White Lick, Pleasant View

Nov. 9, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith: [Kentucky]

Nov. 10, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Nov. 16, 1862

 

 

 

Folder 5

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:
  Memphis, Tenn.

Nov. 20, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Nov. 22, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:
  Camp Readbank, Mississippi

Nov. 29, [1862]

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Dec. 25, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:
  Holly Springs, Mississippi

Dec. 30, 1862

 

 

 

 

Letter fragment, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Jan. 3, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:  Lagrange, Tenn.

Jan. 11, 1863

 

 

 

Folder 6

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:  Tennessee

Jan. 13, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Martha Jane Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Jan. 18, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from I. W. Thompson
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Jan. 19, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to Martha Jane Smith

Jan. 22, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Jan. 23, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to Benjamin W. Smith

Feb. 6, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Margaret Smith:  Lagrange, Tenn.

Feb. 17, 1863

 

 

 

Folder 7

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Margaret Smith:  [Lagrange, Tenn.]

Feb. 25, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Margaret Smith:  [Lagrange, Tenn.]

March 2, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Margaret Smith
  to John W. Smith

March 7, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from John W. Smith
  to Margaret Smith:  Lagrange, Tenn.

March 10, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith:  [Lagrange, Tenn.]

March 22, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter fragment, from [Wilson
  McCalment?]  to [Martha Jane
  Smith?]:  Fort Hieman, Kentucky

April 7, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Wilson McCalment
  to Benjamin W. Smith: 
  Fort Hieman, Kentucky

May 26, 1863

 

 

 

 

Letter, from Benjamin W. Smith
  to John W. Smith

n.d.

 

 

 

Folder 8

Letters (typewritten copies)

March 1857-
July 1862

 

 

 

Folder 9

Letters (typewritten copies)

Sept. 1862-
Jan. 1863

 

 

 

Folder 10

Letters (typewritten copies)

Feb. 1863-
May 1863