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Walter S. Burns civil war correspondence

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS603f

Scope and Contents of the Records

This collection contains 11 letters from Walter S. Burns to his parents living in Findlay, Ohio. He writes about living conditions in the army camps, the needs of a soldier, his business matters at home, and news such as deaths of friends and family. Burns’ letters begin in Nashville, Tennessee in 1862 and continue through 1864 from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Ringgold and Atlanta, Georgia. He records fighting outside of Atlanta and the shelling of the city in his letter written on August 20, 1864. He explains that soldiers of the Union Army had been throwing shells in the city for at least a week and had successfully turned some of its citizens away from the Confederate cause.

Dates

  • 1862 – 1864

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research.

Restrictions on Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Administrative History

Walter S. Burns (1842-1864) was born to James Burns and Frances Burns in Findlay, Ohio. He was the only son and the youngest of their five children. On August 22, 1861 Walter enlisted as a private in Company B, 21st Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The unit was organized in Findlay, Ohio on September 19, 1861. In September of 1864 he was made Post Master of Brigade 1, Division 14 of the Army Corps, Department of the Cumberland. Walter S. Burns was killed in Jacksonboro, Georgia during the siege of Savannah on December 11, 1864.1 Additional information about Walter S. Burns has not been determined.

Extent

1 folder(s)

Language

English

General Physical Description note

Extent: 11 Letters

General

America's Turning Point: Documenting the Civil War Experience in Georgia received support from a Digitizing Historical Records grant awarded to the Atlanta History Center, Georgia Historical Society, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Digital Library of Georgia by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Processing Information

Collection reprocessed in 2009

Title
Walter S. Burns civil war correspondence
Author
Inventory prepared by Paul Crater
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040