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Jacob Hampton Civil War Letter

 Item — Folder: 1 of 1
Identifier: RH-A-4351

Scope and Contents

The collection contains one letter dated November 13, 1864 by Civil War soldier Jacob Hampton (1847-1929) from Pavilion, Michigan while enlisted in the First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics and addressed to his sister while stationed in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the letter, he discusses daily life and reports on Confederate troop movements.

Dates

  • Creation: November 13, 1864

Creator

Jacob Hampton Biography

Jacob Hampton was born in Pavilion, Michigan in 1847. He enlisted on August 23, 1864 at age 18 in the First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics and mustered out on June 24, 1865. He returned to Wakeshma and married Clarissa Reed Hampton in 1867 and they had a son and daughter. He worked as a woodworker, cooper and wagon maker. The letter does not indicate which of his six sisters Jacob addressed the letter.

First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics Biography

The First Regiment Michigan Engineers and Mechanics was formed in 1861. The regiment initially was outfitted as regular infantry but later would take on tasks relating to infrastructure maintenance. By the time the regiment was in Chattanooga where Hampton wrote this letter, their mission had changed to destroying infrastructure deemed significant to the Confederacy’s war effort.

Extent

.10 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This letter was purchased through funds from the Starring Endowment.

Physical Description

The letter amounts to .10 cubic feet and is composed of a single piece of paper measuring 10” x 8”. The page had been folded lengthwise with writing on all sides of the paper. The first two pages are cross-written on two of the pages. The contents of the materials were written in black ink. The paper has yellowed and has numerous brown stains on the pages. The bottom of the third and fourth page has been lost and repaired with another piece of paper. There is also tape on the along the fold to keep the pages together.

Title
Jacob Hampton Civil War Letter finding aid
Status
Completed
Author
Stephanie Chapman
Date
2023-04-06
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository

Contact:
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490