Tag Archives: disease

28 March 1863: “I drop you a few lines to give you the sad news that brother Calvin is dead.”

Item Description: Letter, dated 28 March 1863, from Corporal William H. Proffit during his service in the Wilkes Valley Guards (Company B, 1st North Carolina Regiment).  In this letter Cpl. Proffit informs his family of the death of his brother, … Continue reading

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1 February 1863: “I have had the itch – and feared to write lest it should be imparted to you from the paper…”

Item description: Letter, 1 February 1863, from Leonard Henderson to his mother Mary Henderson. The letter describes Henderson’s affliction with what many historians colloquially call “camp itch,” a mysterious skin disease that plagued countless soldiers during the war. Many now … Continue reading

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12 January 1863: “…the pony is very nearly starved into death.”

Item Description: Letter, dated 12 January 1863 from Charles Lockhart Pettigrew to his wife, Jane Caroline North Pettigrew.  The letter describes his visit to the area near Winston, NC where his slaves have been hired out to work on the … Continue reading

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1 November 1862: “Nine States in the Black Confederacy will hold elections on the 4th of this month…”

Item description: A broadside printed on 1 November 1862 by the Wilmington (N.C.) Daily Journal. The document reports on an outbreak of yellow fever in the Wilmington area, Halloween, elections and other news from the North, reports of England’s and … Continue reading

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5 October 1862: “Colonel Shaw’s body servant says the troops have left, and are in the vicinity of Wilmington, on account of yellow fever. The conscripts are from 14 to 50 years old. Many of them ran away.”

Item description: “Report of Acting Rear-Admiral Lee, U. S. Navy, regarding affairs in and about Wilmington, N. C., and the inefficiency of the blockade.” The report discusses naval actions near Wilmington, North Carolina, including reports of contraband, blockade activities, a … Continue reading

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15 December 1861: “Sunday In Hospital came down with measles”

Item description: Entry, dated 15 December 1861, from diary of Newton Wallace, Company I, 27th Massachusetts Volunteers. Wallace was born in Holland, Massachusetts, and was twenty years old at the time of his enlistment. [Editorial Note: Wallace and his regiment … Continue reading

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