Special Collections Research Center
spcoll@wm.eduFinding Aid Authors: Special Collections Staff.
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use:
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Conditions Governing Access:
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation:
Edwin Y. Brown Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Acquisition Information:
Purchase. Acc. No. 82-45, October 8, 1982.
Scope and Contents
Letters of Edwin Y. Brown, Union officer, to his family describing the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia., with a later manuscript reminiscence of the Peninsular Campaign.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Correspondence
- Peninsular Campaign, 1862
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
- Williamsburg, Battle of, Williamsburg, Va., 1862
Container List
The collection contains the following three items:
1862 May 7. Edwin Y. Brown, near Williamsburg, Virginia, to "mother". Detailed description from a Union officer's point of view on the Battle of Williamsburg; gives casualty and wounded statistics, and comments that "the Rebels... have lost many.... and fought well." Includes typescript.
1862 May 10. Edwin Y. Brown, Headquarters, First Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, Williamsburg, Virginia, to "brother". Detailed account of the Battle of Williamsburg, describing the maneuvers of the Union troops, the Rebel cry of "Bull Run, Bull Run" when Union troops began to run out of ammunition, and the Union forces' eventual victory when fresh troops under General Kearney [sic] [Kearny] arrived; mention of the battlefield being "a horrible sight" the next day. Includes typescript.
Undated. Manuscript by Edwin Y. Brown detailing the Peninsular Campaign, especially the Battle of Williamsburg, and mentioning Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Generals McClellan, Magruder, and Johnston.