American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

Letters and documents associated with the Smith family of Orange, Massachusetts, ca. 1825-early 1900s (bulk 1870s-1890s), highlighted by approx. 47 Civil War-date letters dated August 1862 through December 1864 written by William N. Smith, 36th Massachusetts Infantry. Of the war-date letters, 34 were written from the field and approximately 13 were written between May and October 1864 while Smith was in the hospital recuperating from a wound received at the Battle of the Wilderness on 6 May 1864. Most letters addressed to his sister Maria Smith (1839-1912) as well as to his parents Sullivan and Laura Smith. Letters include references to the Battles of Fredericksburg, the fall of Vicksburg, and other skirmishes and events, but primarily reflect the daily activities and challenges of a soldier's life.

As soldiers often did, Smith appears to have numbered his letters sequentially so that recipients would be aware if one letter had not yet been received. Smith's numbering system is somewhat inconsistent. His initial letters from mustering camp are not numbered. His letters while in the field are numbered, though he seemingly restarts his sequence when in the hospital in Philadelphia in 1864. Based on the numbering system, it appears that this grouping represents a small portion of Smith's overall correspondence, yet at nearly fifty war-date letters is still a substantive Civil War letter archive.

Accompanying Smith's war-date correspondence are several related documents: a "List of Orange boys in the 36th Mass Vols Enlisted Aug 4th/62," undated by handwritten sometime between Smith's discharge and the end of the war; Smith's 23 December 1864 discharge from the 36th regiment; a 22 February 1866 letter from the Department of the Interior Pension Office notifying Smith that his claim for a pension was approved at $6/month; and a manuscript "Questions to Determine Father's Right to a Pension" which appears to have been prepared for Sullivan Smith after the death of his son William Smith in 1867, likely from lingering effects of wounds received during battle.

[With:] A group of four unidentified images, believed to be William N. Smith: sixth plate tintype seated portrait of Smith in uniform with lightly blue tinted sleeve chevrons indicating rank of corporal. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles indicate that Smith was promoted to the rank of corporal, date unrecorded. -- Ninth plate ambrotype of Smith holding a violin or fiddle. -- Ninth pate ruby ambrotype of Smith in civilian clothing. -- Sixteenth plate loose tintype of Smith in uniform.

[Also with:] Camp mug and plate. -- In addition to war-date letters, archive includes approximately 200+ papers of various kinds, most post-Civil War, including bills, receipts, general family correspondence, and papers associated with "Worcester Lunatic Asylum" where Sylvester S. Smith, older brother of William N. Smith, was housed in the 1890s.

Consignor relates that the Smith family papers were acquired housed in miniature "trunk," approx. 15 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 6 1/2 in., which accompanies the lot. Trunk features handle and decorative tack pattern, and is inscribed on interior lid "Sullivan Smith Esq. / Orange Mass."

William N. Smith was the son of Sullivan Smith (1807-1891) and Laura Cheney Smith (1812-1900). HDS indicates that William Nelson Smith (1843-1867) was a 20-year-old mechanic and a resident of Orange, Massachusetts, when he enlisted as a private on 8/4/1862. On 8/27/1862, he mustered into "H" Co. Massachusetts 36th Infantry, and was listed as wounded 5/6/1864 at Wilderness, VA after receiving a bullet wound to the hip. He was discharged on 12/23/1864 (as of Co. C). Smith never married, and died less than three years later.