Samuel Ledford Civil War Correspondence

Collection

Identifier: MSS-4236

Content Description

This collection consists of fifty letters written by North Carolina Private Samuel Ledford to his wife Lucinda from May 1862 to June 1863 while he served in US Civil War campaigns throughout North Carolina and Virginia. Three of the letters are incomplete. In his correspondence, Ledford discusses the movements of his regiment, gives his wife advice about running the family farm, and describes some of the battles he witnessed, including the Battle of Washington, North Carolina (September 1862) and the Siege of Suffolk, Virginia (April-May 1863).

Dates

1862-1863

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. 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. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are responsible for using the materials in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright claimants in collection materials. Copyright for official University records is held by The University of Alabama. The library claims only physical ownership of many manuscript collections. Anyone wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of literary property rights or copyrights. Please contact Special Collections (archives@ua.edu) with questions regarding specific manuscript collections. For more information about copyright policy, please visit: https://www.ua.edu/copyright/. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Biographical / Historical

Samuel Ledford was born in Cleveland County, North Carolina, in 1828. Around 1850, Samuel married Lucinda Green, also of Cleveland County. They ran a farm in the county and had at least three daughters, Christine, Roxanna, and Malena. Samuel Ledford enlisted in the North Carolina 55th Infantry Regiment on May 12, 1862. The regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. Ledford’s unit camped in various locations throughout North Carolina and Virginia. Ledford was killed on July 1, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Lucinda Ledford died in 1912. Both are buried in Poplar Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Shelby, North Carolina.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Overview

Samuel Ledford (1828-1863) served as a private for the Confederacy in the US Civil War as part of the North Carolina 55th Infantry Regiment. This collection consists of fifty letters Ledford wrote to his wife Lucinda from May 1862 to June 1863 while his regiment was engaged in campaigns throughout North Carolina and Virginia.