Oliver T. Reilly papers
Collection
Identifier: W-0158
Scope and Contents
Oliver T. Reilly was a small boy in Keedysville, Maryland, just miles from the Battle of Antietam. The memory of the retreat of the Confederate troops and the advance of the Union armies from nearby Elk Ridge shaped his entire life. He began giving tours of the battlefield at age fifteen and continued for sixty-five years. The collection includes brochures, maps, and a calling card, as well as seven prints of various scenes of the area of the battlefield, all written and produced by Reilly.
Dates
- 1906-1930
Creator
- Williams, A. S., III (Collector, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
none
Biographical / Historical
Oliver Thomas Reilly, son of Edward and Mariah Lantz Reilly, was born on March 11, 1857, in Keedysville, Maryland. At the age of five, Reilly was an eye-witness to both the Confederate and Union armies' movement during and after the Battle of Antietam. He became a tour guide of the battlefield at age fifteen and began writing a weekly column for the Antietam Wavelet in 1887. He mainly wrote about such battle-related topics as relics found and sold, veterans and their reunions, and planned monuments. He ran a small shop selling groceries and novelties, and he offered guided tours of the battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, for many years.
He married Annie Kate Spong on October 13, 1884. The couple had four daughters: Eva Golden, Maude Laruna, Martha Washington, and Anna Caroline. He died on June 17, 1945.
He married Annie Kate Spong on October 13, 1884. The couple had four daughters: Eva Golden, Maude Laruna, Martha Washington, and Anna Caroline. He died on June 17, 1945.
Extent
0.05 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Overview
Papers and guidebook covering the Battle of Antietam, created by this childhood witness
Physical Location
A. S. Williams III Americana Collection, Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, The University of Alabama
Provenance
gift of A. S. Williams III, 2010
General
Title on box: A. S. Williams III Americana Collection - Small Collections
Processed by
Martha Bace, 2014
Creator
- Williams, A. S., III (Collector, Person)
- Reilly, Oliver T. (Author, Person)
Source
- Williams, A. S., III (Donor, Person)
- Title
- Guide to Oliver T. Reilly papers
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository