Harris (Francis B.) Papers, 1862-1913, 2000, bulk 1862-1864

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Summary

Title:
Francis B. Harris papers
Dates:
1862-1913, 2000, bulk 1862-1864
Creators:
Harris, Francis B., 1831-1915
Abstract:
Papers belonging to American Civil War Union soldier Francis B. Harris of New Jersey.
Extent:
0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Francis B. Harris papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The small collection contains diaries, letters, documents, and a cabinet photograph of Francis B. and Margaret Harris, taken in Long Beach before 1908. Harris's diaries and letters, mostly written to his wife, Margaret, cover the entire period of his military service in Maryland and Virginia, including accounts of the battles of Chancellorsville, Bristoe Station, Mine Run Campaign, and the 1864 Overland Virginia campaign, as well as his extended stay at Lincoln Hospital in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1863. The documents include Harris's military and pension records, a certificate of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a list of soldiers in Upper Pittsgrove, New Jersey, written by Harris in June 1866. Accompanying the collection are some transcripts of parts of the collection done by various historians and national park employees that had access to the original material. Much of the material is in fragile condition.

Biographical / historical:

Francis B. Harris was born in January 1831 in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey, the eldest child of John Bunyon Harris (1808-1887), a farmer, and Sarah Ann Shriner Harris (1806-1894). The family later moved to Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey. In 1856, Harris married Margaret H. Gibson (1828-1908), a German-born widow with a son, Henry. The couple had five children together, with three sons surviving to adulthood: Brenner M. Harris (1859-1936), Wilbur J. Harris, and Elwood Harris. In August 1862 Harris enlisted into the 12th Regiment of New Jersey Infantry, as a private of Company A. Attached to the Defenses of Baltimore, the regiment left the state in September for Ellicott's Mills, where it remained until December 1862. Harris' regiment then joined the Army of the Potomac and was on duty at Falmouth, Virginia, to April 1863. Harris was wounded on his left arm on June 3, 1862, in the Battle of Chancellorsville. He spent four months at Lincoln General Hospital in Washington, D.C., going home on a forty-day furlough in early June. He was discharged in September 1863 and rejoined his company for the Bristoe campaign, October 1863. In the summer of 1864, Harris fought in the battles of the Wilderness, Laurel Hill, Spotsylvania, Po River, Spotsylvania Court House, "Bloody Angle," North Anna River, and Totopotomoy Creek. Harris was again wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor and transferred to the army hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and remained hospitalized until the end of the war. He was discharged in May 1865, still in the hospital. After the war, the family moved to Kansas, and in 1902, the family moved to Long Beach, California, where Harris died in January 1915.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Thomas R. Harris, M.D., and Kimhuor Tieng, November 2019.
Processing information:

Processed by Brooke M. Black in April 2024.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-04-16 08:57:45 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Francis B. Harris papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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