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.

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Major General G.H. Steuart Letter, Ms2010-014, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Major General G.H. Steuart Letter was donated to Special Collections in 1999.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Major General G.H. Steuart Letter was commenced and completed in March 2010.

Biographical Note

Major Commanding General Kenton Harper, the first letter's recipient, was born in 1801, and died on December 25, 1861. He was in command of the 5th Virginia Infantry during the American Civil War, and he participated in the first Battle of Bull Run and the takeover of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Prior to the Civil War, he fought in the Mexican-American War. In his lifetime, Harper was also a printer of the Staunton Spectator, a Virginia State Legislator, Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Major of Staunton, Virginia.

The unexpected movements of Union troops in Annapolis, MD, mentioned by Major General G.H. Steuart refer to those of New York's 7th Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts's Volunteer Militia, and Massachusetts's 8th Infantry Regiment. These units descended into Maryland to stop the state's succession from the Union. They had a hard time traveling because Confederate supporters had damaged many of the railroads. Thus, on April 22nd, 1861, these troops arrived in Annapolis to size the railroad so that they could travel to Washington D.C.

External sources:

Allardice, Bruce S. More Generals in Gray . Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006. Print.

Oneill, Bill. "The Union Responds-April-June 1861." Hubpages. Hubpages Inc. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20100805215005/hubpages.com/hub/The-Union-Responds-April-June-1861 .

Scope and Content

This collection consists of one American Civil War letter from Major General G.H. Steuart to Major Commanding General Kenton Harper, and his reply on the same piece of paper. The first letter is dated April 23rd, 1861 and details unexpected Union troop movements in Annapolis Maryland. It also expresses the desire for the union of Maryland and Virginia.

Related Material

See the Guy Di Carlo, Jr., Civil War Research Papers, Ms1995-015 , also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

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

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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