Manuscript Database
Creator/Title
Wilson, Henry Schneider, 1839-1873. Letters, 1862. 11 items.
Call No.
Mss. C W
Content
Written to his brother, Lt. (future Gen.) James Harrison "Harry" Wilson, the letters of Capt. Henry S. Wilson describe his service with the 18th Illinois Infantry in Tennessee and Mississippi in 1862. Wilson pens vivid accounts of the combat he experienced at Ft. Donelson, Tennessee and the Battle of Shiloh. He also describes numerous scouts in the vicinity of Jackson, Tennessee in the summer of 1862. He frequently expresses his frustration over regimental "politics" and the difficulty of obtaining a promotion. He strongly condemns the Lincoln administration's policy toward slavery and the arming of ex-slaves. He also makes frequent references to high ranking officers in the Western Theater including Generals Ulysses S. Grant, John A. McClernand, John A. Logan, and Michael Lawler.