Archive Record
Metadata
Accession number |
2001.284 |
Catalog Number |
2001.284.00 |
Collection |
Pearce Civil War Collection |
Object Name |
Collection |
Title |
Hayward (Albert) Papers, 1862-1863 |
Creator |
Hayward, Albert |
Date |
1862-1863 |
Dates of Creation |
1862-1863 |
Scope & Content |
Sixteen letters document Albert Morton Hayward's experiences as a soldier with the 7th Massachusetts Volunteers from 1862 to 1864. Morton's correspondence to his family conveys sentiments common to soldiers on both sides: descriptions of the monotony and loneliness of camp life and frustration of having to deal with the army's bureaucratic red tape contrast with the thrill and terror of battle, grief over the deaths of friends, and longing to return home. (In August 1863 he briefly visits home on "French leave," unable to obtain a furlough.) Morton is interested in news from home and how many of his civilian acquaintances have been drafted. He spends considerable time in a Union hospital (McClellan U.S.A. General Hospital near Philadelphia), works as a nurse, and suffers from diarrhea, a near-universal complaint among Civil War soldiers. While Morton seems confident that the Union will win the war, he occasionally expresses doubts that the actions of his own Regiment are worth the cost in human life. Morton's letters include detailed descriptions of his Regiment's activity during the Battles of Chancellorsville (May 2 and 20, 1863); Spotsylvania Court House (May 16-17, 1864); and Cold Harbor (June 6, 1864). The collection also includes three loose covers (envelopes) from November 1862, all postmarked Washington, D.C. Two are addressed to Morton's mother, Mrs. Albert Hayward, and one addressed to his brother, Mr. Josiah F. Hayward. Each envelope is affixed with a three-cent U.S. postage stamp featuring George Washington's profile. |
Finding Aids |
Available in the archives or online at www.pearcecollections.us |
People |
Hayward, Albert Morton |
Search Terms |
7th Massachusetts Infantry Virginia Stationery Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Cold Harbor Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse |
Credit line |
Pearce Civil War Collection |
Copyrights |
The copyright of these materials is managed by the Navarro College Archives on behalf of the Navarro College Foundation, 3100 W. Collin St., Corsicana, Texas 75110 Phone: 903-875-7438. Internet: archives@navarrocollege.edu. Reproductions of original materials and transcriptions may be available. Please contact the archivist for further information. |