Inventory of the James Gifford Papers, 1863-1865
Collection Number 4493-z
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
- 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
- Gifford, James E., b. 1832.
- Title
- James Gifford Papers, 1863-1865
- Call Number
- 4493-z
- Language of Materials
- Materials in English
- Extent
-
- Items: 38
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Administrative Information
- Processing Information
- Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom, October 1987
- Encoded by: Linda Sellars, August 2004
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], in the James Gifford Papers #4493-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.
Online Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
- Gifford, James, b. 1832.
- North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations.
- Release (Ship).
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades.
- United States. Navy--Officers--Correspondence.
- United States. Navy--Sea life.
- United States. Navy--Supplies and stores.
- Yellow fever--North Carolina--History--19th century.
Biographical Note
James Gifford, United States Navy paymaster steward, served on the United States Bark Release during the Civil War. Gifford's parents lived in New Bedford, Mass.
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection includes letters, 7 December 1863-29 January 1865, from James Gifford on the United States Bark Release, anchored near Beaufort, N.C., to his parents in New Bedford, Mass. The letters discuss ship and troop movements during the Civil War, the capture of blockade runners, and yellow fever on and off the coast of eastern North Carolina; Gifford's shipboard duties; and his financial problems relating to fluctuating food prices and the scarcity of clothing items.
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Detailed Description of the Collection
Papers, 7 December 1863-29 January 1865.
38 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
This collection consists of 38 letters that James Gifford, who apparently joined the United States Navy in September 1863, wrote to his parents in New Bedford, Mass., while he was aboard the United States Bark Release anchored off Beaufort, N.C. All of the letters are addressed to his father Elihu H. Gifford 39 Smith Street and begin "Dear Parents."
Letters from 1863 provide little information about Gifford's naval responsibilities and say little about what he did in civilian
life. At the time these letters were written, Gifford was apparently working as an assistant to the ship's doctor, who was,
according to Gifford, a very unpopular character among the ship's crew. In early 1864, Gifford became paymaster steward, a position that gave him access to information about the prices and availability of goods both on board ship and on land. Many of the letters describe how far Gifford's salary could be
stretched relative to prices that fluctuated considerably. In the same vein, there is much talk about Gifford's sending lengths
of fabric to his parents and their returning finished articles of clothing to him. There is also considerable traffic in local newspapers and other reading matter requested by Gifford, who, until late 1864, seems to have had a great deal of time on his hands.
While the letters contain a good deal of personal griping, in almost every letter, Gifford also reported on events of larger
significance that were taking shape all around him. In many of his letters, he wrote of troop and ship movements and the pursuit and capture of blockade runners. He also reported rumors of Union victories in Kinston, N.C., and Goldsboro, N.C. (12 March 1864); the burning of the Cape Lookout Light (3 April 1864) and of Washington, N.C. (2 May 1864); the outbreak of yellow fever in Beaufort and New Bern (September-October 1864); and the assembling in Beaufort of a large fleet in preparation for an attack on Wilmington, N.C.
During the period in which these letters were written, Gifford appears to have had few occasions to leave the Release. Aside from infrequent shore leaves, he made one journey home in September 1864 (21 September 1864) and two training missions
with the paymaster of the steamship Lillian.
Coverage of Gifford's activities and the news he reports may appear to be spotty. One of the reasons for this is that mail
delivery was not reliable, a fact bemoaned frequently by Gifford in these letters, especially when a long awaited item never
arrives because the request was never received in New Bedford.
Folder
11863
Folder
21864 January-June
Folder
31864 July-December
Folder
41865
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