Inventory of the John P. and Sallie Ecklin Thurman Papers, 1844-1896

Collection Number 5107


Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Online Catalog Headings
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
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
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Creator
Thurman, John P.
Thurman, Sallie Ecklin.
Title
John P. and Sallie Ecklin Thurman Papers, 1844-1896
Call Number
5107
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Extent
Items: About 75
Linear Feet: 0.5
Abstract
The Thurman and Ecklin families lived in Shelby and Fayette counties in west Tennessee during the Civil War era. Sallie Ecklin married John P. Thurman in 1856.
The collection consists of letters chiefly received by Sallie Ecklin Thurman, most of them from John P. Thurman, but also from family members and school friends from the Macon Female Institute. Before the Civil War, topics chiefly reflect Sallie Ecklin's life as a young woman. Her letters concern everyday family affairs; her experiences at the Macon Institute, including a description of a student who had to leave school because the two slaves sent with her to work in lieu of tuition ran away; and the beginning of her romance with John P. Thurman. After 1861, letters focus almost exclusively on how the Civil War affected family members. In addition to reporting on the local news from Hickory Withe, Tenn., Sallie Ecklin Thurman's letters to her husband describe raising three small children and running a farm in his absence. On several occasions, she made reference to difficulties with slaves. John P. Thurman's letters home document his military service with the Third Tennessee Cavalry Regiment (Forrest's), and, although he was a firm southern partisan, contain criticisms of the southern war effort and of the Confederacy. They describe taking part in many battles and raids along the Mississippi River and its environs, including the Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. Beverly S. Thurman, John P. Thurman's brother, wrote of his military service with the Fourth Tennessee Calvary Regiment (Neely's). Also included are six portrait photographs taken from a federal vessel that was captured by Forrest's cavalry on the Mississippi River. The Addition of 2007 is a letter to John P. Thurman from his sister Kate in which she discusses family affairs and the economy.

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Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions.
Alternate Form of Material
Microfilm copy (filmed 2005-2006) available.
Reel 1: Entire collection
Note: The Addition of 2007 has not been microfilmed.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Joan Cannon of Morganton, N.C., in October 2002 (Acc. 99358) and in October 2007 (Acc. 100799).
Processing Information
Processed by: Matthew Turi, February 2003
Encoded by: Matthew Turi, February 2003
Revisions: Finding aid updated in June 2005 by Nancy Kaiser and in July 2008 by Kathryn Roth.
Funding from the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc., supported the microfilming of this collection.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the John P. and Sallie Ecklin Thurman Papers #5107, 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.

Confederate States of America--Social conditions.
Confederate States of America. Army--Military life.
Confederate States of America. Army--Officers--Correspondence.
Confederate States of America. Army. Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, 3rd.
Confederate States of America. Army. Tennessee Infantry Regiment, 4th.
Ecklund family.
Family--Tennessee--Social life and customs.
Fayette County (Tenn.)--History.
Hickory Withe (Tenn.)--History.
Love-letters--History--19th century.
Macon Female Institute (Macon County, Tenn.)--Students--History.
Shelby County (Tenn.)--History.
Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862.
Slavery--Tennessee.
Soldiers--Confederate States of America--Correspondence.
Tennessee--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Tennessee--Social conditions.
Thurman family.
Thurman, Beverly S.
Thurman, John P.
Thurman, Sallie Ecklin.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Cavalry operations.
Women--Confederate States of America--Correspondence.
Women--Confederate States of America--Social conditions.
Women--Education--Tennessee--History--19th century.
Women--Tennessee--Correspondence.
Women--Tennessee--Social life and customs.
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Biographical Note

The Thurman and Ecklin families resided in western Tennessee near Memphis in Shelby and Fayette counties during the Civil War era. The Ecklins were from Morning Sun and their daughters, including Sallie Ecklin, were educated at a residential school called the Macon Female Institute, Macon County, Tenn. In the autumn of 1856, Sallie Ecklin and John P. Thurman were married. They lived on a farm in Hickory Withe and raised three children, two of whom were Royster and Berta.

John P. Thurman enlisted in the Confederate Army no later than March 1862. The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 lists him as having served as a sergeant in Company B of the Tennessee 3rd (Forrest's) Cavalry Regiment until at least April 1865. He seems to have served also with McDonald's Battalion. He fought in many battles and raids along the Mississippi River and its environs, including the Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. He survived the war.

Beverly S. Thurman, John P. Thurman's brother, served in Company A of the Tennessee 4th (Neely's) Infantry rising to the rank of 2nd lieutenant. He was killed in Georgia in 1864.

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Collection Overview

The vast majority of the letters in this collection were written by members of the Ecklin and Thurman families of Shelby County, Tenn., and Fayette County, Tenn. Sallie Ecklin Thurman was the recipient of most of these letters and her most frequent correspondent was her husband, John P. Thurman. However, her family and school friends from the Macon Female Institute also wrote to her.

Subjects addressed in these letters may be broadly divided into two distinct categories. Before the Civil War, topics are varied and chiefly reflect Sallie Ecklin's life as a young woman. Her letters concern everyday family affairs; her experiences at the Macon Institute, including a description of a student who had to leave school because the two slaves sent with her to work in lieu of tuition had run away; and the beginning of her romance with John P. Thurman. After 1861, letters focus almost exclusively on how the Civil War was affecting members of the Ecklin and Thurman families. In addition to reporting on the local news from Hickory Withe, Tenn., Sallie Ecklin Thurman's letters to her husband describe raising three small children and running a farm in his absence. On several occasions, she made reference to difficulties with slaves. John P. Thurman's letters home provide an outline of his military service with Forrest's Cavalry, and, although he was a firm southern partisan, his letters contain criticisms of the southern war effort and of the Confederacy. His letters describe taking part in many battles and raids along the Mississippi River and its environs, including the Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. Letters written by Beverly S. Thurman, who served in the infantry, address military matters, but also describe his romantic problems and his commitment to live a more religious life.

Also included are six portrait photographs, an explanatory note, and a copy of the 8 April 1862 edition of The New York Times. The note by Berta Thurman LaPrade, a daughter of Sallie and John P. Thurman, states that the photographs were taken from a federal vessel that was captured by Forrest's cavalry on the Mississippi River.

The Addition of 2007 is a letter to John P. Thurman from his sister Kate in which she discusses family affairs and the economy.

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Arrangement of Collection

1. Correspondence
2. Photographs and Newspaper
Additions
Addition of 2007
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Items Separated

Oversize papers (OP-5107/1)
Photographs (P-5107/1-6)

Detailed Description of the Collection

1. Correspondence, 1844-1896.

About 70 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
The vast majority of the letters were written by members of the Ecklin and Thurman families of west Tennessee. Sallie Ecklin Thurman was the recipient of most of these letters, and her most frequent correspondent was her husband, John P. Thurman. However, her parents, S. C. Ecklin and Robert Ecklin; her brother, Joshua Ecklin; her sister, Emma Ecklin; her brother-in-law, Beverly S. Thurman; and various school friends from the Macon Female Institute also wrote to her.
Subjects discussed in these letters may be broadly divided into two distinct categories. Before the Civil War, the subject matter addressed is topically varied and reflects Sallie Ecklin's life as a young woman. Her letters concern everyday family affairs, her experiences at the Macon Institute, and the beginning of her romance with John P. Thurman. Included is a description of a student at the Macon Institute who had to leave school because the two slaves that were sent with her to work in lieu of tuition had run away.
After 1861, letters focus almost exclusively on how the Civil War affected members of the Ecklin and Thurman families. In addition to reporting on the local news from Hickory Withe, Tenn., Sallie Ecklin Thurman's letters to her husband describe raising three small children and running a farm in his absence. On several occasions, she made reference to having difficulties with their slaves.
John P. Thurman's letters home provide an outline of his military service with Forrest's Cavalry along the Mississippi River and its environs. He enlisted no later than March 1862 and served until the end of the war, rising to the rank of sergeant. He described taking part in numerous battles, including the Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. Although Thurman was a southern patriot, his letters contain criticisms of the southern war effort and the government of the Confederacy. Beverly S. Thurman, John P. Thurman's brother, served in the infantry of the Army of Tennessee and was killed in Georgia in 1864. He had risen to the rank of second lieutenant. His letters home address military matters, but also concern social and romantic affairs and religious life, including his confirmation by Bishop Lay of Alabama.
A few envelopes have been retained because of annotations.
Folder 1
Correspondence, 1844-1846
Folder 2
Correspondence, 1850
Folder 3
Correspondence, 1851
Folder 4
Correspondence, 1852-1854
Folder 5
Correspondence, 1855-1856
Folder 6
Correspondence, undated (pre war)
Folder 7
Correspondence, 1861
Folder 8-11
Correspondence, 1862: March-May, July
Folder 12
Correspondence, 1863
Folder 13-15
Correspondence, 1864: March-June, August-October
Folder 16-17
Correspondence, 1865: January-April
Folder 18
Correspondence, 1861-1865: undated
Folder 19
Postcard and miscellaneous, 1856-1896
Folder 20
Envelopes, 1860s
Folder 21
Ephemera, 1856-1896 and undated

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2. Photographs and Newspaper, 1860s.

8 items.
Six portrait photographs, an explanatory note, and a copy of the 8 April 1862 edition of The New York Times. The note by Berta Thurman LaPrade, a daughter of Sallie and John P. Thurman, states that the photographs were taken from a federal vessel that was captured by Forrest's cavalry on the Mississippi River.
Folder 22
Photographs and note
Folder 23
The New York Times, 8 April 1862

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Additions.

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Addition of 2007 (Acc. 100799), 1856.
1 item.
Letter to John P. Thurman from his sister Kate in which she discusses family affairs and the economy. This letter was not microfilmed.
Folder 24
Letter, 1856

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