Scope and Contents:
Sgt. Tighlman H. Jones, 59th Ill. Vol. Inf., was mortally wounded in the fighting around Nashville late in 1864. The collection contains letters and two diaries kept by Jones during the war.
The letters in this collection were exchanged between Jones and his family in 1861, 1862, and 1864. There are about 45 letters available on microfilm as well as paper transcriptions of 9 letters (4 of which are also available on microfilm). Writing from Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia, Jones described the countryside and cities that he saw, the nature of his regiment's marches, and the battles of Murfreesboro and Atlanta. He comments on political matters, such as the Copperheads, and reports on the politics and occasional drunkenness of Union officers. The two diaries contain entries from October 1863-December 1864 in which Jones reported on fighting and camp life, inventoried his equipment and clothing, sketched fortifications and artillery, and kept track of the letters he sent and received.
Delcie Harper of Yale, Jasper County, Ill., gave the collection to the University of Illinois in 1955.
Subjects (links to similar collections)
Submit request (Aeon)
