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Finding aid for the June and Gilbert Krueger collection of Civil War letters
0167
0167
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Title: June and Gilbert Krueger collection of Civil War letters
Collection number: 0167
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.42 Linear feet
1 box
Date: 1861-1886, undated (bulk 1861-1865)
Abstract: The collection consists chiefly of letters addressed to Lovina Obriham of Freeport, Winneshiek County, Iowa, from her brothers,
Edwin C., Charles J., Frank W., and Harlow H. Obriham, her cousin and future husband, Chales L. Beebe, and other Union soldiers
serving with the 9th Iowa Volunteers and other units; written from Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia,
and South Carolina, the letters deal largely with camp life, troop movements, and military engagements, with some mention
of the siege of Vicksburg and the march on Savannah.
creator:
Beebe, Charles L.
creator:
Drake, Zachary L.
creator:
Obriham, Charles J.
creator:
Obriham, Edwin C.
creator:
Obriham, Frank W.
creator:
Obriham, Harlow H.
[Box/folder# or item name], June and Gilbert Krueger collection of Civil War letters, Collection no. 0167, Special Collections,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Advance notice required for access.
The June and Gilbert Krueger collection of Civil War letters consists of 86 letters, 2 postcards, 1 note, 4 clippings, and
one program, dated 1861-1886. The letters were written by members of the Obriham extended family--brothers Charles J., Edwin
C., Frank W., and Harlow H., cousin Charles L. Beebe, and friend Zachary L. Drake. The majority are addressed to Lovina Obriham,
sister of Charles, Edwin, Frank, and Harlow. The letters were written from Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama,
Georgia, South Carolina, and deal largely with camp life, troop movements, and military engagements, with some mention of
the siege of Vicksburg and the march on Savannah. Of particular interest are the letters from Edwin Obriham and Charles Beebe;
they are the most numerous and thus give the most comprehensive picture of these soldiers' experiences in the Civil War. Almost
all of them were present at the Battle of Vicksburg, and Edwin's letters describe the scene in some detail. Charles's letters
are more detailed than any of the others, describing in more personal terms the food, marches, and general conditions of soldiers
in the Union Army. The collection also includes letters to Lovina from female relatives, and letters to and from other cousins
and friends.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
The Obriham [Oberham] family resided in Freeport, Winneshiek County, Iowa. Charles, Frank, and Henry served in the 38th Iowa
Infantry, mustered into service on November 4, 1862 in Dubuque, and mustered out of service August 15, 1865 in Houston, Texas.
Charles seems to have been born in 1821 in Vermont. He entered the army on August 9, 1862 in Dubuque, Iowa and was a private
when discharged. Records, now deemed incorrect, indicate that he died on June 20, 1863 in Decorah, Iowa; Henry on June 13,
1863 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Edwin Obriham served in the 9th Iowa Infantry, mustered into service on June 10, 1861 at Keokuk,
Iowa and mustered out of service at Louisville, Kentucky on July 12, 1865. Charles L. Beebe was born in New York State on
October 4, 1834 and married Lovina Oberham in 1866. He entered the army in 1861, was discharged in 1865 having served in both
Company G of the 46th and Company I of the 40th Illinois Infantry and at time of discharge had risen to the rank of corporal.
Gift of June Krueger, 1960, 1966; Philip Gray, 2013.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Beebe, Charles L. -- Correspondence
Drake, Zachary L. -- Correspondence
Krueger, June -- Archives
Obriham, Charles J. -- Correspondence
Obriham, Edwin C. -- Correspondence
Obriham, Frank W. -- Correspondence
Obriham, Harlow H. -- Correspondence
Obriham, Lovina -- Correspondence
Clippings
Letters
Postcards
Soldiers--United States--19th century--Archival resources
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Archival resources