Richard G. Lay letters 1860-1869

ArchivalResource

Richard G. Lay letters, 1860-1869

Richard G. Lay letters 1860-1869

http://archives.nypl.org/mss/6093

Richard Gregory Lay was a lieutenant in the U.S. Regulars at the start of the Civil War. He was promoted to captain in 1862, brevet major in 1863 and lieutenant colonel in 1865. He resigned from the Army in 1870. His family apparently resided in the New York City area; the letters include mention of Flatlands (Brooklyn). The collection consists of 24 letters (3 are fragments), most of them written by Lay to his wife Carrie in 1863 and 1865 from locations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania describing his service as an officer in the 3rd U.S. Infantry. Letters concern army life, his health, and family matters. Letters from 1863 mention the battle of Chancellorsville and Lee's retreat from Gettysburg. Letters from 1865 concern his regiment's service guarding General Meade's headquarters; the pursuit of Lee's army towards Lynchburg, Virginia; Lincoln's assassination and the reaction of Southerners to the end of the war. The collection also includes an undated wartime letter from his father, a letter addressed to his father regarding Lay, and a postwar letter from Lay to his wife.

24 items (1 folder)

New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division