Henry Leighton Morrill papers, 1864-1950 (bulk 1864-1868).

ArchivalResource

Morrill, Henry Leighton, 1836-1904. Henry Leighton Morrill papers, 1864-1950 (bulk 1864-1868).

Henry Leighton Morrill papers, 1864-1950 (bulk 1864-1868).

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/702179095

Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Henry Leighton Morrill and his friend, C. Henry Albers (36 letters dated between 1864-1866, with 27 post-war letters dated between 1866-1868). Morrill and Albers enlisted together in the First Iowa Calvary in 1861. Albers became quartermaster for the regiment but resigned in July 1864. The correspondence between the two friends begins shortly before Albers's resignation, in May 1864, and continues throughout the remainder of the Civil War, tracing Morrill's and the First Iowa Calvary's deployment in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and in Texas under General George Armstrong Custer. Morrill's letters describe conditions for soldiers and pass on regimental and personal news along with descriptions of regional affairs. Morrill's letters note, among other events, encounters with bushwhackers in Missouri, initial astonishment at Lincoln's assassination, and tension among his regiment under Custer and other military leaders. Morrill's correspondence with Albers continues after the regiment's dissolution, documenting his return to Iowa and his subsequent life there, including a brief trip to New Hampshire and "the East." Other materials present in the collection include Morrill family genealogical material, newspaper clippings, typescript copies of letters of recommendation for Morrill relating to his career in railroad administration, a certificate for the Missouri Society of Sons of the American Revolution, Morrill's 1886 application to the Missouri branch of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and papers related to the settlement of Morrill's estate. Additional materials include Morrill's promotion certificate to First lieutenant and Adjutant, dated 1864 Dec 26; Charles H. Morrill's 1906 passport; an American flag and a First Iowa Calvary ribbon; and a 1950 letter to Henry Morrill's daughter, Edith, from a publisher interested in printing a biographical entry for her father.

1.55 linear ft. (2 boxes)

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library