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Pay voucher for Isaac Nichols,, May 30, 1866.

 Item — Box: 1, Folder: 4

Scope and Content

From the Collection: This collection combines three collections of Civil War material. The material dates from 1858 to 1926. Virginia Langham Olmsted donated the original collection of 98 patriotic envelopes to the University of New Mexico in 1975. These patriotic envelopes depict Civil War cartoons from a Union viewpoint. Included in this group is an envelope decorated with a popular caricature of the early war period drawn in 1860 by Frank Beard, called "Why Don't You Take It?" The drawing is General Winfield Scott as a bulldog guarding a rib of beef (Washington, D.C.) from Jefferson Davis who appears as a greyhound. The cartoon sold over 100,000 copies, and was distributed widely in the North. A simplified version of the cartoon was also circulated on envelopes. Other images on the envelopes are American flags, eagles, and various designs of stars and the Liberty Bell. A number of the envelopes contain various images of Jefferson Davis as the devil, the fox from Aesop's grape fable, and a traitor being hung.

Material in folders 3 and 4 are two later additions to the original collection. They contain correspondence of Union soldiers to family members; military papers; orders; Quartermaster invoices; receipts; inventory and inspection reports for the New York Cavalry, 16th Regiment; pay vouchers for Union soldiers; requisitions from 1859 for Fort Adams, R. I.; and power of attorney documents dated May-June 1864, for Charles F. Blattan, an attorney in Missouri, to receive pay of various Union soldiers in Company C in the German Regiment, Missouri Volunteers (Benton County Home Guards). There are also orders and bonds of Confederate States of America, dating to 1864 and 1865.

In November 1999, two additional small collections were merged into this collection. The first consists of a single handwritten letter, dated Fort Craig, New Mexico, September 30, 1861. The letter was from W. Ayrs, a New Mexico volunteer, to William Borchert. At the end of his letter, W. Ayers asks to be sent more envelopes since he "can not get them for love nor money." This collection was originally MSS 204 SC, "W. Ayrs Letter."

The other small collection incorporated into this collection, formerly MSS 270 SC, "U.S. Civil War Maps" contains maps of Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson; a plate from Harper's Weekly of eastern Virginia; article typescripts about Richmond, Va., Shiloh National Military Park, Chichmauga and Chattanooga National Military Park; and brochures on the Petersburg National Military Park, and Richmond, Va.

A fourth collection, Thomas I. Jones letter (MSS 155 SC) was incorporated into this collection in June 2000 (Folder 7).

A fifth collection, W. J. Stephens manuscript (MSS 135 SC) was incorporated into this collection in August 2000 (Folder 8). This collection consists of a letter written by Stephens, a Union soldier stationed at Camp Wilcox, Alexandria, VA, to his father. The letter is dated June 11, 1861.

Dates

  • May 30, 1866.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 1 box

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451