Inventory of the Horace K. Ford Papers, 1862-1863 and undated

Collection Number 5011-z

unc seal
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
block Descriptive Summary
block Administrative Information
block Online Catalog Headings
block Biographical Note
block Collection Overview
plus Detailed Description of the Collection
block Items Separated
Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
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Descriptive Summary

Repository
Southern Historical Collection
Creator
Ford, Horace K.
Title
Horace K. Ford Papers, 1862-1863 and undated
Call Number
5011-z
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Extent
Items: 11
Abstract
Horace K. Ford was an enlisted Union soldier from New Hampshire, stationed from 19 October 1862 to 15 April 1863 at New Bern, N.C. By 17 June 1863, Ford was at Hammond Hospital in Beaufort, N.C., where he was a patient and served as a nurse. Ford's wife and daughter Celia lived at Strafford Corner or Rye, N.H., during the war. Though he complained of bad health, Horace K. Ford survived the Civil War into old age.
The collection consists of seven letters, 19 October 1862-17 June 1863, written by Horace K. Ford from either New Bern or Beaufort, N.C., to his wife and daughter in either Strafford Corner or Rye, N.H. In the letters, Ford detailed his daily life as an enlisted soldier in the Union army. He commented on camp life and on his stay at Hammond Hospital in Beaufort, both as a patient and as a nurse. The collection includes a group photograph of four elderly men, apparently Ford and his brothers, all of whom were Civil War veterans. Also included are a black silk sash with "C. W. Sawyer Post, No. 17, Dover, New Hampshire" printed in silver; a metal Grand Army of the Republic pin; and small cream-colored card with an engraving labeled "General MacClellan."

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Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions.
Alternate Form of Material
Microfilm copy (filmed July 2005) available.
Reel 1: Entire collection
Acquisitions Information
Received from Charles Apfelbaum of Watchung, N.J., in January 2000 (Acc. 98546).
Processing Information
Processed by: Aletha Andrew, July 2000
Encoded by: Aletha Andrew, July 2000
Revisions: Finding aid updated in May 2005 by Nancy Kaiser.
Funding from the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc., supported the microfilming of this collection.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Horace K. Ford Papers #5011-z, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Beaufort (N.C.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Ford, Horace K.
New Bern (N.C.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
New Hampshire--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Soldiers--New Hampshire--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Soldiers--United States--Correspondence.
United States. Army--Military life--History.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Hospitals.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medical care.
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Biographical Note

According to his letters, Horace K. Ford was an enlisted Union soldier from New Hampshire, stationed from 19 October 1862 to 15 April 1863 at New Bern, N.C. By 17 June 1863, Ford was at Hammond Hospital in Beaufort, N.C., where he was a patient and served as a nurse. During this time, he addressed letters to his wife and daughter Celia either at Strafford Corner or Rye, N.H. Ford recorded that his health suffered constantly from exposure to the unfamiliar, damp climate of lowland North Carolina, and the generally poor health of his fellow soldiers. From the group photograph of four elderly men taken some time after the war, inscribed as "William Henry, Jacob, Noah, Horace Kimball Ford, all Civil War Veterans. Brothers," it appears that bad health notwithstanding, Horace K. Ford survived the Civil War into white-haired old age.

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Collection Overview

The collection consists of seven letters, 19 October 1862-17 June 1863, written by Horace K. Ford from either New Bern, N.C., or Beaufort, N.C., to his wife and daughter Celia in either Strafford Corner, N.H., or Rye, N.H. In the letters, Ford detailed his daily life as an enlisted soldier in the Union army. He commented on camp life, variations in uniforms, conduct during drills and parades, performing picket duty and guard duty, and and on his stay at Hammond Hospital in Beaufort, both as a patient and as a nurse. Ford recorded that his health suffered constantly from exposure to the damp climate of lowland North Carolina and the generally poor health of his fellow soldiers. He discussed the difficulties in obtaining a discharge or furlough and problems of traveling home and mailing food packages. Also included is a group photograph of four elderly men, apparently Ford and his brothers, all of whom were Civil War veterans; a black silk sash with "C. W. Sawyer Post, No. 17, Dover, New Hampshire" printed in silver; a metal Grand Army of the Republic pin; and small cream-colored card with an engraving labeled "General MacClellan."

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Items Separated

Photograph (P-5011/1)
Museum items (MU-5011/1-3) transferred to the North Carolina Collection Gallery
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Detailed Description of the Collection

Papers, 19 October 1862-17 June 1863 and undated.
11 items.
Folder 1
Letters, 19 October 1862-17 June 1863 and undated
Image P-5011/1
Photograph, undated
Museum Item MU-5011/1-3
Black silk sash with "C. W. Sawyer Post, No. 17, Dover, New Hampshire" printed in silver; a metal Grand Army of the Republic pin; and small cream-colored card with an engraving labeled "General MacClellan"

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