GEORGE ELLIOT SLY:

George Sly was born on March 2, 1846 in Addison (Steuben County), New York, the son of Charles and Elizabeth Sly. At some time during George's childhood, the family moved to Belle Plaine, Minnesota, where his father worked as a merchant. On September 30, 1861, Eliot enlisted in Company A of the Fourth Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. Since he was too young to join as a soldier, he was mustered in as the company drummer. Sly had been a member of the Belle Plaine Guards, which unit joined with the Carver Greys to form Company A. Sly re-enlisted on January 1, 1864 and was mustered out with the regiment at the end of the war.

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The diary contains brief entries that describe the unit's marches, its camp sites, skirmishes, the weather, and troop movements by rail and steamer, while serving in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. There are mentions of the major battles in which the unit was involved: Corinth, Yazoo Pass, and Vicksburg (Miss.); Helena (Ark.); Huntsville (Ala.); and Chattanooga (Tenn.).

Sly also describes a furlough home to Minnesota (March 5-21, 1864) from Nashville, Tennessee. The diary is accompanied by a 1901 letter from Sly, as well as by some photocopied and transcribed information from other sources giving information about Sly.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. George Sly Diary and Letter. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 1775A5

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, January 1998

Catalog ID number: 990017350150104294

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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.

Places:

Alabama -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Arkansas -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Minnesota -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Mississippi -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Scott County (Minn.)

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Participation, Juvenile.

Organizations:

United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 4th (1861-1865).

Types of Documents:

Diaries.

Occupations:

Soldiers -- Minnesota.

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