William Marton Gable correspondence, 1852-1886

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Summary

Creators:
Gable, William Marton, 1835-1864
Abstract:
William Marton Gable was a plasterer and served in the Union Army during the United States Civil War. This collection consists primarily of letters from Gable to his mother Martha Gable and his sister.
Extent:
1.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William Marton Gable correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The William Marton Gable correspondence consists primarily of letters from Gable to his mother, Martha Gable and his sister from 1852 to 1886. The letters cover the entire period of Gable's service in the Union Army and contain descriptions of the camp life, hospitals, the military actions, including the bombardment of Fort Pulaski and the Battle of South Mountain. Also included are two prewar promissory notes, Gable's disability discharge, and letters from Gable's chaplain and commanding officers regarding the circumstances of his death and pension rights.

Biographical / historical:

William Marton Gable was a plasterer from Allenville, Pennsylvania. In September 1861, at the age of twenty-six, Gable enlisted in Company C of the 45th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. From December 1861 to July 1862, his company's regiment was stationed at Bay Point, Seabrook and Pope's Plantation on Hilton Head Island, and then in Elliot's Plantation on Broad River, South Carolina. During the Antietam Campaign, Gable took part in the battle of South Mountain on October 9, 1862. In November and December, he worked as a nurse at a makeshift hospital in Middletown, Maryland, tending to the soldiers wounded in that battle. On April 20, 1863, Gable injured his ankle and was discharged according to a surgeon's certificate. In March 1864, he re-enlisted and served as Corporal of Company K of the 22nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was mortally wounded in a skirmish near Berryville, West Virginia, and died on August 21, 1864.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from William H. Allen, January 1983.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington staff, circa mid-20th century. In 2020, Gina C Giang created a finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

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]. William Marton Gable correspondence, 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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