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Francis Welch Crowninshield Papers, 1861-1874, undated

 Collection
Identifier: MH 70

Scope and Content Note

The Francis Welch Crowninshield papers contain correspondence from 1861 to 1874 relating to Crowninshield's Civil War experiences and postwar trip to Europe, primarily in the form of letters to his mother and older brother Edward. There are also two short diaries and a sketch of a scene in a railroad car. Of special note are his descriptions of army routine and his experiences with General Sherman in the South. He wrote frequently about his perceptions of commanders, recruitment problems, and the state of the army.

Each folder contains original letters, followed by a folder of typewritten transcriptions. The transcriptions are occasionally inaccurate, but can be used in place of the originals to gain a general idea about the content of the letters. It is not known who made the transcriptions. Also included in this collection is Francis Crowninshield's 1865 passport.
Scope and Contents

Phillips Library Stacks

Dates

  • Creation: 1861-1874, undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1861-1866

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Biographical Sketch

Francis Welch Crowninshield was born in on May 12, 1843, to Edward Augustus and Caroline (Welch) Crowninshield, near Boston, Massachusetts. He was the second son born to the Crowninshields. He attended Harvard College but left during his sophomore year, volunteering for the Civil War. Crowninshield obtained an appointment as Second Lieutenant in the Second Massachusetts Infantry, which was part of the renowned 12th Corps. He took part in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, among others. In 1864, he was with Sherman in the Atlanta, Savannah, and Carolinas campaigns. He was wounded three times in battle: at Winchester, Antietam, and Gettysburg, and was also shot by a guerrilla near Chattanooga while off duty.

Crowninshield was mustered out with the rank of Major in July 1865, after which he traveled to Europe with friends to celebrate. While in Rome he became seriously ill from complications from his many injuries. He died on May 21, 1866. His older brother, Edward, survived him by only a year, leaving his widowed mother only her third son, Frederick, who went on to become a noted painter and figure in the art world.

Extent

0.5 linear feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Francis Welch Crowninshield papers contain correspondence from 1861 to 1874 relating to Crowninshield's Civil War experiences and postwar trip to Europe, primarily in the form of letters to his mother and older brother Edward.

Provenance

This material was donated by Carl A. de Gersdorft on October 15, 1941 (acc. #10,878). The passport was donated by Mrs. Davis Percy Morgan on May 11, 1973 (acc. #20,137).

Bibliography and Related Collections

Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, ed. Harvard Memorial Biographies. vol. II. Cambridge: University Press, 1867

Processing Information

Collection processed by Christopher Carden, August 1998. Updated by Hilary Streifer, March 2015.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
FRANCIS WELCH CROWNINSHIELD PAPERS, 1861-1874
Author
Processed by: Christopher Carden; Updated by: Hilary Streifer; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Phillips Library Repository

https://www.pem.org/visit/library
Contact:
Peabody Essex Museum
306 Newburyport Turnpike
Rowley MA 01969 USA

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