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Hardy, William (Civil War correspondence)
2017.466.wc.r
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Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: William Hardy Search Civil War correspondence
source:
Goss, Della
Creator:
Search, William Hardy
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.466.wc.r
Physical Description:
0.08 Linear feet
(1 folder)
Date: 1861 June 5
Abstract: This collection contains a photocopied letter, photographs, a timeline and a transcription from Pvt. William Hardy Search
during the Civil War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Civil War 1
Container: 21
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Della Goss
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
Private William Hardy Search, Army of the Potomac (12/8/1840 - 1/2/1880) was born in Ohio to Lot V. Search and Eleanor A.
Plews. At age 18, Search enlisted in the Union Army on March 8, 1861 in Lafayette, Indiana. He was a Private of Company A,
15th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a Teamster or a driver of a supply train of horses or mules. One June 22, 1863
Search was medically discharged due to partial anaurosis of both eyes in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Search married Mary A. L.
McIlherin (1856-1878) on November 22, 1874 in Christian County, Illinois. Soon after, they had a son, William F. Search on
February 16, 1876. On April 10, 1878 Mary died of puerperal fever leading to Search marrying Mary's sister, Cynthia McIlherin
on November 11, 1878. In December of 1879 Search was run over by a train, resulting in his foot being amputated on December
21, 1879. A few days later on December 29, Search had to have his entire leg amputated. Search died January 2, 1880.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], William Hardy Search Civil War correspondence (2017.466.wc.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains one letter from Pvt. William H. Search to his sister during the Civil War. Also included are two
photographs of Search, a donor-made transcription of the letter and timeline of Search's life, and a transcribed obituary.
This letter is riddled with misspellings making it slightly difficult to read. In this letter dated June 5, 1861 at Camp Tippecanoe,
Indiana, Search says that he left under the illusion that he was going to stay at a Mr. Gurm's for three months but instead
enlisted in the Army "to gow to fite the Southerns Son of bitches…" He apologizes to his sister that he did not get to see
her before he left. He mentions that he left his "miniature" which the donor states might be the photo of young Search included
in this collection. He also states that there are approximately eleven hundred men at this camp and that it takes one hundred
men to guard it. He mentions that he was put on guard duty and that "I got very wet it raind very hard and our men wil come
around about once an hour and bring us some think to drink and if they find any one of us a sleep they will take them to the
guard house and keep us there till morning and the next day they will make us grub stumps all next day." He ends his letter
saying "If there is any pretty girls give them my best Respects and tell them to write and I will answer."
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. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence -- American Civil War
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- letters and diaries
Indiana -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
American Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Teamsters
Goss, Della