Michael Guinan letters, 1862,1864.

ArchivalResource

Guinan, Michael. Michael Guinan letters, 1862,1864.

Michael Guinan letters, 1862,1864.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/760314615

This collection features the correspondence of Michael Guinan to his sister, a friend, and an aunt, from November 1862 through October 1864. There are no letters from 1863, while Guinan was posted in New Orleans. The single letter in the collection that was written in Louisiana was posted from Washington, DC. The letters provide insight into life aboard a ship, the prejudices, and the movement of a Union private in wartime. In his series of letters dating from November to December 1862, Guinan was stationed on board the USS Arago off of Newport News. Through his letters, he describes the Federal ironclad US Steam Battery Monitor, the remains of the USS Cumberland, and the area around Fortress Monroe. He writes of shore leave at Fortress Monroe and presents a vivid description of the ruins of the city of Hampton, Virginia. In his second series of letters, dating from 1864, Guinan writes of Independence Day activities in Louisiana, his visit to Washington, DC, and the movements of his unit. Guinan recounts his participation in combat with Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley, the capture of the 8th South Carolina Infantry regiment, and the destruction of agricultural and commercial enterprises around Staunton, Virginia.

17 items.

The Mariners' Museum Library