First Post: I found an original letter from B. Gen. Zollicoffer in an estate sale....

DNADave

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Joined
May 26, 2017
Hi everybody !

I joined up to post about a recent estate sale find, to learn if this is historically significant.

I purchased a large lot of letters from the estate of the Davenport family, here in Charleston, WV. He was apparently a lawyer, and kept every letter ever written to him since the late 1800's. One of the envelopes contained a letter written by Brig. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer on Dec. 24, 1861, to Lt. Co. McClellan. Also inside of the Zollicoffer letter, was a Five dollar note from a broken bank in Alexandria, Virginia. I really don't know that it is related, but it was folded in with the letter.

The letter was written about three weeks before Zollicoffer was killed at Mills Springs.

Also, I don't know how much weight to put on the note that was added at the bottom of the letter. It looks to be in an old hand, but I don't know if Lt. Col. McClellan was captured or killed that day too, at Mills Springs.

I'll let these documents speak for themselves, and look forward to hearing what you think.

...OK, I'll have to figure out how to add pictures and get back with them. FWIW, these are totally original and have been in storage since about 1930's the best I can tell.
 
Hi everybody !

I joined up to post about a recent estate sale find, to learn if this is historically significant.

I purchased a large lot of letters from the estate of the Davenport family, here in Charleston, WV. He was apparently a lawyer, and kept every letter ever written to him since the late 1800's. One of the envelopes contained a letter written by Brig. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer on Dec. 24, 1861, to Lt. Co. McClellan. Also inside of the Zollicoffer letter, was a Five dollar note from a broken bank in Alexandria, Virginia. I really don't know that it is related, but it was folded in with the letter.

The letter was written about three weeks before Zollicoffer was killed at Mills Springs.

Also, I don't know how much weight to put on the note that was added at the bottom of the letter. It looks to be in an old hand, but I don't know if Lt. Col. McClellan was captured or killed that day too, at Mills Springs.

I'll let these documents speak for themselves, and look forward to hearing what you think.

...OK, I'll have to figure out how to add pictures and get back with them. FWIW, these are totally original and have been in storage since about 1930's the best I can tell.
Howdy, DNADave. Welcome aboard.
 
What a remarkable find! Congratulations :smile: We've had a couple of threads on his story here lately...the Zollie tree...so this seems really topical, too. Hope you get the information you need. I'm guessing someone here will have some ideas :wink:
 
There we go....
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The recipient is probably Lt. Col. George McClellan (not that one), 5th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, who operated with Zollicoffer's brigade in Kentucky. I'm not aware if he was killed or captured at Mill Springs, though his command was merged into the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry (Asbhy's) later in 1862.
 
I'm not aware if he was killed or captured at Mill Springs, though his command was merged into the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry (Asbhy's) later in 1862.
George Rutledge McClellan (b. Sept 3, 1816; d. Jan 11, 1904) Also, no POW record in his cards at Fold3 - that doesnt mean he wasnt captured there, as there are others who were who have no cards to indicate same.
7825752_136936771046.jpg

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https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7825752

O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME IV [S# 4] CHAPTER XII.
Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating Specially To Operations In Kentucky And Tennessee From July 1 To November 19, 1861.
CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.--#4
JAMESTOWN, November 4, 1861--1 p.m.
General ZOLLICOFFER:
SIR: I have information that is entirely reliable that the enemy is approaching this point 6,000 strong--1,500 cavalry and the balance artillery and infantry. The infantry and artillery camped last night 5 miles east of Monticello, a portion of the cavalry in town, their pickets 7 miles below. Colonel Murray is at Camp Zollicoffer, in Overton County. I dispatched him yesterday, urging him to move to this place. Colonel Stanton, I understand, is at Celina. I forwarded your dispatch to Colonel Murray last night, requesting him to forward to Colonel Stanton. Have heard nothing from either since we were at Albany. Captain Bledsoe, with his company, is at Camp Myers. I have with me not more than 500 effective men, and I have determined to retire, with the commissary stores, in direction of Pikeville, which is 15 miles from Brison's Landing, on the Tennessee River.

Fine road from here to Pikeville. Bad road and great danger of being cut off by way of Montgomery has determined me to take former route. We will defend them the best we can until re-enforced. I am informed that the enemy understands that we have a large amount of stores here, and they wish to capture them by surprise. I have brought all my command up to this place, except our pickets back on the different roads, and we are felling timber in the strong passes behind us to obstruct their advance. Let me hear from you without delay.
Yours, truly,
GEO. R. McCLELLAN
Lieutenant-Colonel.
 
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George Rutledge McClellan (b. Sept 3, 1816; d. Jan 11, 1904) Also, no POW record in his cards at Fold3 - that doesnt mean he wasnt captured there, as there are others who were who have no cards to indicate same.
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View attachment 139833
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7825752

O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME IV [S# 4] CHAPTER XII.
Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating Specially To Operations In Kentucky And Tennessee From July 1 To November 19, 1861.
CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.--#4
JAMESTOWN, November 4, 1861--1 p.m.
General ZOLLICOFFER:
SIR: I have information that is entirely reliable that the enemy is approaching this point 6,000 strong--1,500 cavalry and the balance artillery and infantry. The infantry and artillery camped last night 5 miles east of Monticello, a portion of the cavalry in town, their pickets 7 miles below. Colonel Murray is at Camp Zollicoffer, in Overton County. I dispatched him yesterday, urging him to move to this place. Colonel Stanton, I understand, is at Celina. I forwarded your dispatch to Colonel Murray last night, requesting him to forward to Colonel Stanton. Have heard nothing from either since we were at Albany. Captain Bledsoe, with his company, is at Camp Myers. I have with me not more than 500 effective men, and I have determined to retire, with the commissary stores, in direction of Pikeville, which is 15 miles from Brison's Landing, on the Tennessee River.

Fine road from here to Pikeville. Bad road and great danger of being cut off by way of Montgomery has determined me to take former route. We will defend them the best we can until re-enforced. I am informed that the enemy understands that we have a large amount of stores here, and they wish to capture them by surprise. I have brought all my command up to this place, except our pickets back on the different roads, and we are felling timber in the strong passes behind us to obstruct their advance. Let me hear from you without delay.
Yours, truly,
GEO. R. McCLELLAN
Lieutenant-Colonel.


http://tngenweb.org/civilwar/5th-tennessee-cavalry-battalion/
 
I read the town names as "Carthage" and "Olympus." Any other ideas?
Welcome to the forum.
Brigade Headquarters
Beech Grove, Ky Dec 24/61
Lt Col McClellan;
Sir -
News from Carthage satisfies me the train started three days later than I supposed. Your order to March tomorrow morning toward Olympus is therefore countermanded.
Very Respectfully,
F K Zollicoffer
Brig Genl


"An order from Gen Zollicoffer - "
This document was found on the person of Lt Col McClellan at Mills Spring-

Assuming Carthage KY? which is just South of Cincinnati?
And Olympus meaning Mount Olympus KY? which is 55 miles due East of Lexington?
 
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What a great find, you just never know what's floating around out there.

Assuming Carthage KY? which is just South of Cincinnati?
And Olympus meaning Mount Olympus KY? which is 55 miles due East of Lexington?

I think that these locations might be too far away from Zollicoffer's entrenched camp at Beech Grove?
After consulting Mitchell's "Tennessee State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1860-1861" and the O.R. atlas, the only suitable candidates I could find were in Smith County Tennessee (Carthage, on the Cumberland about 75 miles southwest of Beech Grove) and in Overton County Tennessee (Olympus, on Obey's River about 35 miles southwest of Beech Grove).
I have to admit that both of these locations are also quite a distance away from Zollicoffer, but considering that most of his troops were from Tennessee maybe it's not too much of a stretch.
I'm going to have a look in the relevant volume of the O.R. though and see if I can find any supporting information.

Dave
 
Brigade Headquarters
Beech Grove, Ky Dec 24/61
Lt Col McClellan;
Sir -
News from Carthage satisfies me the train started three days later than I supposed. Your order to March tomorrow morning toward Olympus is therefore countermanded.
Very Respectfully,
F K Zollicoffer
Brig Genl


"An order from Gen Zollicoffer - "
This document was found on the person of Lt Col McClellan at Mills Spring-

Assuming Carthage KY? which is just South of Cincinnati?
And Olympus meaning Mount Olympus KY? which is 55 miles due East of Lexington?
There is also a Carthage, Tenn., 50 or so miles east of Nashville.
 
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