Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Frank Lee Letter, Ms1988-073, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Frank Lee Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1988.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Frank Lee Letter commenced and was completed in April, 2021.

Biographical Note

A Francis H. Lee, born ca. 1837, enlisted in Company F, 23rd Massachusetts, on October 1, 1861. He received a disability discharge at New Berne, North Carolina, on July 19, 1864. The record provides "gentleman" as his occupation and notes that he was a resident of Salem. The 1850 census lists a 13-year-old Francis H. Lee living in the Salem, Massachusetts, home John C. and Harriet Lee. He continues to be listed among the members of the household through 1860 and again in the Massachusetts state census of 1865, with no occupation recorded. By 1870, according that year's census, he was employed as the secretary of a trust company. By 1880, Lee had married, he and his wife Sophia, 35, living with him in his mother's Salem home. Francis Henry Lee died February 1, 1930, and was buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a single letter from Frank Lee, sergeant in Company F, 23rd Massachusetts Infantry, during the American Civil War. Writing to "My Dear George" from Salem, Massachusetts, Lee recounts the regiment's activities beginning with its organization from the former "Union Drill Club." Lee provides some details regarding camp life, names other members of the regiment, and expresses a desire to leave for Washington and fight "in the defence of free institutions." He notes that recent news from the war is not good, mentioning the recent Battle of Ball's Bluff and his fear that further Union losses could lead England and France to recognize the Confederate government.

Related Material

The Phillips Library of the Peabody Essex Museum holds a sizeable collection of Francis Henry Lee Papers .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Frank Lee Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).