Assistance with a Source

[wtexas]

I have a series of letters (type written) from "John," or "JWW" to his wife "Irene." The letters are from 1863 and 1864. Many of the letters are written from the Headquarters of the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers so I know "John" or "JWW" served under Tom Green.

The problem I have is I don't know where these letters are from. Can anyone tell me the source of these letters (Book? Collections?)

Thank you for any help with this!

 

[Fairfield]

I have a series of letters (type written) from "John," or "JWW" to his wife "Irene." The letters are from 1863 and 1864. Many of the letters are written from the Headquarters of the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers so I know "John" or "JWW" served under Tom Green.

The problem I have is I don't know where these letters are from. Can anyone tell me the source of these letters (Book? Collections?)

Thank you for any help with this!

Wow! That is a problem!

Col. Thomas Green of the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers was killed on the 12th of April, 1864. He is one of those in that unit for whom there is a residence--Travis County. In Maine, regiments were usually geographical so, if this is true in Texas as well, it may be that your JWW came from Travis County. I'd start with the largest public or university library in Travis County and present them with your problem and ask for guidance. If there is a county historical society, ditto.

If you know that JWW and Irene were married at the time of the 1860 census, that would be a good place to start--on Irene with an estimated birth year.

I found that there are several websites dedicated to Texas history (some specifically to ACW Texas). It might be worth contacting them as well. Google will take you in.

Do you have originals or are they copies. If the latter, your task is easier.

 

[wtexas]

I do not have the originals and I'm fairly embarrassed to admit that I generally are pretty tight with my sources but not this one. And I may have used the letters in my Master's Thesis 25+ years ago except I can't find that.

This is very unusual for me but here I am nonetheless.

 

[RedRover]

 

[Fairfield]

I do not have the originals and I'm fairly embarrassed to admit that I generally are pretty tight with my sources but not this one. And I may have used the letters in my Master's Thesis 25+ years ago except I can't find that.

This is very unusual for me but here I am nonetheless.

Many universities keep dissertations on file. Perhaps yours is one of these. It mightn't hurt to check.

Do their letters make them sound like an old married couple--or newly weds?

 

[wtexas]

Many universities keep dissertations on file. Perhaps yours is one of these. It mightn't hurt to check.

Do their letters make them sound like an old married couple--or newly weds?

Not an older couple, if I had to guess.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

I'm a bit confused.

You have transcripts of letters - but don't know where you got them?

Or you are trying to find where the originals are in repository?

 

[Fairfield]

I'm rather out of my depth because I don't know anything about Texan Civil War sources. So, failing the suggestions above, I'd go back to the tried-and-true....and very tedious: get a roster of the unit and hone in on anyone with the first name John (or J), the middle initial W. and a surname that begins with a W. Then do genealogical research to determine which of them lived in or near Travis County and had a wife named Irene. Oh dear! I'd try the libraries and historical societies first. Good luck with it!

 

[Bryce]

I have a series of letters (type written) from "John," or "JWW" to his wife "Irene." The letters are from 1863 and 1864. Many of the letters are written from the Headquarters of the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers so I know "John" or "JWW" served under Tom Green.

The problem I have is I don't know where these letters are from. Can anyone tell me the source of these letters (Book? Collections?)

Thank you for any help with this!

The guy who's done the most research is Wilson Greene.. he wrote a book on the closing battle of the Civil War sometime ago. And he recently published the first volume on the opening days of the siege up to July 30.

 

[Stryker65]

The guy who's done the most research is Wilson Greene.. he wrote a book on the closing battle of the Civil War sometime ago. And he recently published the first volume on the opening days of the siege up to July 30.

I think you're in the wrong thread...

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

@wtexas,

If you don't mind sending me scanned copies of the letters via email - I'll help you with the research legwork.

Sibley's Brigade is my focus area… I just may have the most complete all-in-one-place resource library pertaining to the brigade/AoNM throughout the war…

 

[wtexas]

I found the source. It's from The Marlin Compound: Letters from a Singular Family by Frank Calvert Oltorf.

I'm recommending it if you don't already have it.