Papers belonging to American Civil War Union soldier Francis B. Harris of New Jersey.

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.

0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)

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.

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