ELIJAH EVAN EDWARDS:

Elijah Edwards was a teacher, professor, or administrator in several schools, colleges, and universities; a clergyman in two protestant denominations; a writer, poet, speaker, and artist; and chaplain of the Seventh Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 1864-1865, serving in several southern states.

Chronology

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The collection consists principally of three volumes: Volume 1 is a 1910 typed compilation based on Edwards’ diaries and other sources detailing his Civil War experiences (June 29-November 30, 1864); volumes 2 and 3 are photocopies of his handwritten journal (December 1, 1864-October 6, 1865).

According to Edwards' own introductory note, volume 1 "is based on the brief pencilings of a pocket diary, from descriptive letters sent home . . . or from letters published in the home papers," and its accuracy of dates and locations depended upon his original diaries. An 1865 diary went missing prior to the 1910 typescript, so "Many of these missing dates have been verified or corrected by the aid of small pocket diary written by Sergeant D. E. Williams of Co. K, kindly loaned me for the purpose."

Volume 1's couple dozen sketches (in pencil or ink, some embellished with color) "were taken in generally from hasty outlines finished from memory when I had leisure." These generally skillful drawings illustrate the countryside, buildings, people, and military activities described in the text. Volume 1 also contains tables of contents for illustrations and text, as well as Captain Theodore G. Carter's explanatory note on and account of the Battle of Tupelo.

While the formats differ between volume 1 and volumes 2-3, subject content and writing style remain consistent throughout them. Observant and articulate descriptions of the life and war surrounding Edwards fill each volume. Much commentary is devoted to the natural scenery, cities and villages, buildings, and industries found in the South; portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama are variously described. Edwards also pictures army camp life and marches, recounts news and rumors, and provides descriptions of some of his comrades.

Edwards’ duties as chaplain are not related in any detail; there is more data regarding military and civilian religious services he attended as a visitor. There is also information concerning his auxiliary service on ambulance and burial details. Edwards saw few battles, but his removal from the center of conflict at such times permitted him to set down observant accounts of the activity. Included are descriptions of the Battles of Tupelo, Mississippi (July 14-15, 1864); Nashville, Tennessee (December 12-13, 1864); Mobile Bay, Alabama (April 1865); and a few incidental skirmishes throughout the period. Edwards also spent two months in military hospitals with malaria and other climate-related diseases (September-October 1864; March 1865).

The journals also contain Edwards’ observations on the attitudes, behavior, and morality of the people involved in the war: Union and Confederate soldiers, southern white civilians (including clergy), and southern Blacks. The journals contain many reflections on the ugliness and brutality resulting from the war, especially burning and plundering by Union soldiers, atrocities committed by southern whites upon Black freedmen, and the hate and anarchy pervading the southern citizenry.

In a separate folder is a photocopy of an article by an unidentified author entitled “McArthur’s Division at Nashville as Seen by a Regimental Commander,” February 4, 1906. The article is incomplete and consists of the first four pages of the original.

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Access Restrictions:

Access to and use of reserve materials requires the curator's permission.

Use Restrictions:

The Minnesota Historical Society does not hold copyright to the collection's material.

Permission to copy, quote, or publish from volumes 2-3 must be obtained from Depauw University Archives, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana 46135.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Elijah E. Edwards Civil War Journals. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Originals:

Volumes 2-3 Depauw University Archives, Roy O. West Library; Greencastle, IN 46135

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 1781J; 11,979; 13,506

Processing Information:

Processed by: Dennis E. Meissner, January 1977; Rich Arpi, April 2007

Digitized by: Christopher G. Welter, November 2010.

Digitization of reserve material was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.

Catalog ID number: 990017154160104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Military chaplains.

Soldiers -- United States.

Persons:

Carter, Theodore George, 1832-1914.

Edwards, Elijah Evan, 1831-1915 -- Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.

Organizations:

United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 7th (1864-1965).

Places:

Southern States -- Description and travel.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Hospitals.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.

Document Types:

Journals.

Sketches.

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