Title: Sylvester Family. Papers, 1852-1877
Collection identifier: 307
Primary Creator: Sylvester Family
Extent: 53.0 items. More info below.
Subjects: Champaign County--Homer (Ill.), Confederate States of America, Copperhead Movement, Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885, Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879, Indiana, Military, Mississippi--Vicksburg, Sangamon County--Springfield (Ill.), Secession, Sherman, William T. (William Tecumsah), 1820-1891, Tennessee, United States--Civil War, 1861-1865, United States--Politics and government
Forms of Material: Family papers
This collection contains correspondence and records from the Sylvester family of Homer, Ill., and Attica, Ind. A large portion of the collection contains letters written by George W. Sylvester, Co. I (later Co. B), 51st Ill. Vol. Inf., to his wife, Amanda, and children, Alice and William H., between Sept. 1862 and Nov. 1864. George was killed at the Battle of Franklin, Nov. 1864, and after Amanda died in Nov. 1865, their children were raised by William B. Sylvester, George's father.
George Sylvester's Civil War correspondence describes his experiences from Camp Yates, Springfield, Ill., up until two weeks before his death. Spending most of the war in Tennessee, he reports on the advance on Chattanooga, the capture of Atlanta, and several smaller skirmishes. In addition, he describes camp life, drill practice, food, geographical and social differences between the North and the South, and his opinions on various Union and Confederate generals.
The collection also contains Sylvester family correspondence both before and after the war, dealing mainly with family matters. Also included are financial records, printed songs, and photocopies of George W. Sylvester's army pension documents.
Troy Rodman of Wheaton, Ill., donated the collection to the Library in 2005. The collection also includes scans and typescripts of the documents prepared by Ray Cunningham and Molly Shoaf, historians of Homer, Ill.
Champaign County--Homer (Ill.)
Confederate States of America
Copperhead Movement
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879
Indiana
Military
Mississippi--Vicksburg
Sangamon County--Springfield (Ill.)
Secession
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumsah), 1820-1891
Tennessee
United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--Politics and government
Repository: Illinois History and Lincoln Collections
Alternate Extent Statement: 5 folders, 2 disks
URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/ihlcsfa/sylvester.pdf
PDF finding aid for Sylvester Family. Papers
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