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Guide to the Andrew F. Davis Papers

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Collection Overview
Date Span: 1879-1891
Creator: Davis, Andrew F. (1829-1891)
Extent: .50 linear feet.
Collection Number: MSC0454
Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Summary: Civil War soldier. Correspondence from Davis (an officer in Co.I, 15th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers) to his wife and daughters. Letters include information on troop morale, slavery, camp life, battles, Copperheads, etc.

Alternate Extent Statement: Photograph Box 1

Access: This collection is open for research.

Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

Acquisition: This collection was donated to the University of Iowa Libraries in 1986 by Andrew F. Davis' great-granddaughter, Mrs. Charles L. Grannon.

Preferred Citation: The Papers of Andrew F. Davis, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.

Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Address: Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-5921
Curator: Greg Prickman
Email: lib-spec@uiowa.edu
Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc

Andrew Foster Davis (1829 -1891) of Liberty, Union county, Indiana, enlisted in Company I, 15th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers on May 14, 1861. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant September 10, 1861, and as a first lieutenant November 1862. Davis was honorably discharged on October 23, 1863, in order to return to Indiana and serve as an elected official in Liberty. During his period of active service, Davis participated in major battles, such as those at Pittsburgh Landing and Perryville. He was also involved in the siege of Corinth, Mississippi, and battles near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Andrew F. Davis papers consist of one hundred and eight letters written by Davis to his wife Elizabeth Sarah McKee and daughters Orrilla (b. 1853) and Nancy (1856-1882). Arranged chronologically, these letters date from May 1861-October 1863. Davis wrote of such matters as troop morale, slavery, Copperheads, camp life, and battle. He was also concerned with his family's welfare in Indiana and often inquired about family and friends.
See also the Iowa Digital Library Civil War Diaries and Letters Collection for a digitized diary, received in 2012, which is believed to be the diary of Andrew F. Davis.

Browse by Series:
Series 1: GENERAL

  • Series 1: GENERAL
  • Box 1:
  • Correspondence - 1861
    28 items
  • Correspondence - 1862
    46 items
  • Correspondence - 1863
    32 items
  • Correspondence, including a photograph, business card, and funeral notice - 1879-1891
    20 items
  • Leather Pouch
    1 item

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.


Corporate Names:
United States. Army. Indiana Infantry Regiment, 15th (1861-1865)

Topics:
American Civil War, 1861-1865
Slavery

Genre/Form of Materials:
Personal narratives
Correspondence

Browse:
Civil War