Correspondence and other related manuscripts pertaining to Walter C. Persons, a Kildare, Wisconsin resident who served with Company F, 16th Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War. The collection is primarily comprised of letters written by Persons to his parents and siblings while serving during the war. Early letters were written while he was training at Camp Randall. He describes the conditions in the camp and elaborates on disease among the troops, uncertainty as to receiving payments, and distribution of uniforms and food. One letter (February 9, 1862) also mentions that his captain was out of camp and that most of the soldiers do not wish his return. Another letter (December 15, 1861) includes a short note written by his brother, Wallace, who served as a sergeant in the same company. Other letters were written while his regiment was serving in Tennessee and Mississippi. Persons describes the weather and terrain in the South, rumors of Rebel troop movements in the area, and complains about eating hardtack. One letter (April 22, 1862) describes the aftermath from the Battle of Shiloh. Persons states he was appointed hospital steward and was helping to take care of wounded soldiers, including his brother, Wallace, who eventually recovered. He also mentions the death of Governor Louis P. Harvey, who drowned after falling into the Tennessee River while visiting wounded Wisconsin soldiers. Persons states that the governor's body had yet to be found and that a reward had been issued for the recovery of the body. His last letter (May 16, 1862) was written near Corinth, Mississippi and describes his anxiety about an approaching battle, and writes how the company only had twenty combat-ready men and that low moral was rampant. Also included in the correspondence is a letter to Persons from Angus S. Northrop. The letter (July 24, 1862) was written after Persons was discharged for disability and had returned home. Northrop was acting company commander at the time and he updates Persons on the health of fellow soldiers and that he was unsure as to the future of the company. Northrop was killed in action the following October during the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi. The personal bible was given to Persons by the citizens of Mauston, Wisconsin when he enlisted, and includes photographs in the front cover of Persons and fellow soldiers from Company F. Other manuscripts include an obituary for Persons and a decorative roster for Company F. The roster, titled "Northern Lights of the Sixteenth Regiment," names the original members and includes very small photographs of the officers next to their name. Persons, originally from Vermont, moved with his family to Wisconsin sometime before 1850. Persons enlisted in 1861 and was promoted to corporal before being discharged in 1862. After the war, Persons moved to Sherburne, Minnesota where he worked in railroad construction. He later moved to Holyoke, Minnesota before his death at age ninety-two.
