Weddell family papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-0484

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Weddell family papers consist of a series of Civil War era letters, written by a variety of people, to William Weddell of Scotch Ridge, Webster Township, Wood County, Ohio.

Dates

Creation: 1855-1864

Extent

1 Reels (1 microfilm reel)

Creator

Weddell family (Family)

Scope and Contents

The Weddell family papers consist of correspondence written to William Weddell during the Civil War.

The young men of Webster Township, Wood County, Ohio were close in age to each other and many were related. When William Weddell was mustered out of the 21st O.V.I. his relatives and comrades still serving kept him informed of general events and their own situations by mail. The fates of these men in service is typical of the war experience.

The campaigns undertaken by the 21st Regiment O.V.I. included Stone River, Tenn., Chickamauga (where two of the Shanks brothers were killed), and Atlanta, Georgia (where James Inman died). The 86th O.V.I. assisted in the capture of Morgan's Raiders in July of 1863 (recounted in a letter fragment by George Weddell), and fought at Cumberland Gap through the fall of that year. The 144th O.V.I. saw duty at Baltimore, Annapolis, Monocacy Junction, and Berryville, Va. (where the detachment had sixty men captured, including George Weddell and John Dunipace.)

This collection is a valuable source for its glimpses into the activities of the men serving in the Civil War from Wood County units. While the people involved were all from a core group of families from Webster Township, the collection has interest aside from the personalities of the individual participants, with descriptions of camp life, battles, and general views of the war.

Biographical / Historical

William Weddell (1839-1895) is the central figure in this collection of correspondence. His father, also named William, was an early settler of Webster Township, Wood County, Ohio. William, Jr. joined Company K, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861, but was discharged on Jan. 8, 1862 on surgeon's certificate.

The authors of the letters to William were either comrades from Company K, or relatives:

George W. Hathaway was a first sergeant in Company K. He served through the Civil War and was mustered out in 1865.

James T. Inman was also a sergeant in Company K. He died of wounds received in action at Atlanta, Ga., in 1864.

George Shanks was a first cousin of William Weddell (his mother was Jeannette Weddell, sister of the senior William). A corporal in Company K, George was killed at Chickamauga, Ga., in September 1863.

William Shanks, the brother of George, served in Company K. He was killed at Chickamauga within ten minutes of his brother. His diary is available in the collection as MMS 1172.

George Weddell was William's older brother. He served as a sergeant from 1863-1864 with Company D, 86th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, then rejoined in 1864 with Company I, 144th O.V.I. as a first lieutenant.

John Dunipace was a first cousin of the Weddells (Margaret Dunipace was the mother of George and William Weddell). He served as a corporal in Company I, 144th O.V.I.

David Shanks, brother of George and William Shanks, served as a private in Company I, 144th O.V.I.

Tommy Shanks, another of the Shanks brothers to serve in the war, was a private in Company F, 144th O.V.I.

John D. Muir, was a first cousin of the Weddells (his mother Margaret, was another sister of the elder William Weddell). He served as a lieutenant in Company E, 144th O.V.I.

William W. Dunipace, a cousin, was a private in Company D, 86th O.V.I., serving under George Weddell.

Other correspondents include William's sister Margaret; a friend of hers, Amy Snyder; Samuel Burke, who served with William in the 21st O.V.I. and was killed at Stone River, Tenn.; David Main and John Smith, who served in the 144th O.V.I.; and a few unidentified persons.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is in the public domain.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was loaned to the Center for Archival Collections for microfilming in February 1987, with the cooperation of Richard Sheets of Pemberville, Ohio.