Finding Aid for the James W. Murray Civil War correspondence 2019.187.w.r

Wendy Gonaver

Center for American War Letters Archives

2/5/2020

Leatherby Libraries

Chapman University

Orange, CA 92866

speccoll@chapman.edu

URL: http://www1.chapman.edu/library/archives/

Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives

Title: James W. Murray Civil War correspondence

Creator: Murray, James W., Private, 1827-1904

Identifier/Call Number: 2019.187.w.r

Physical Description: .25 Linear Feet (10 folders)

Date (inclusive): 1863 March 3 - 1874 July 11

Abstract: This collection contains approximately 100 letters from Pvt. James W. Murray, USA to his wife during the Civil War. Also included are transcriptions for each letter as well as a personal history and historical footnotes written by the donor.

Language of Material: English .

Container: Civil War 7

Container: 1-10

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of George E. Murray

Arrangement

This collection is organized chronologically.

Biographical / Historical

Private James W. Murray, United States Army (1827 - 1904) was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He emigrated as a child with his family to Oswego, New York, and then to Canada. He married Ann Murray, with whom he had five children, before enlisting in the US Army with Company H of the New York 12th Infantry Regiment.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], James W. Murray Civil War correspondence (2019.187.w.r), Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Content Description

This collection contains approximately 100 letters from Pvt. James W. Murray, USA to his wife while serving with the Union Army during the Civil War. Murray joined Company H of the New York 12th Infantry, a regiment that fought in Virginia. Murray wrote from camp near Petersburg, City Point Hospital, Richmond, Fort Monroe, and, eventually Washington D.C. Most of his letters are brief. Many include descriptions of camp life and sickness, and express concern about pay and the welfare of his family members at home. There is also some correspondence from contemporaries, including relatives, to James and Ann Murray.

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Correspondence -- American Civil War