Letter regarding 54th Massachusetts, U.S. Colored Troops
date: label: Date
content: December 12, 1866
name: label: Written by
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, American, 1863 - 1865
notes: label: Description
content: A handwritten letter concerning the actions of the 54th Massachusetts during the Civil War, written on both sides of a single sheet of paper, folded to form four pages. This letter is addressed to "cousin" but remains unsigned. The writer gives a brief description of his circumstances after his recent arrival in Darien, GA with his regiment, claiming he's gotten "fat and sassy" since joining the army. He discusses the actions of the 54th Massachusetts, U.S. Colored troops in the town, describing a scene of general destruction and absent town dwellers. The first three pages are written in a steady, consistent hand; the last page is written by the same author but in a very cramped, tiny script. Near the top of the center fold separating the pages is an embossed, slightly raised symbol of an American shield.
place: label: Place made
content: Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Correspondence
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: United States Colored Troops
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.37.4
objectType: label: Type
content: letters (correspondence)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Open): 8 × 9 15/16 in. (20.3 × 25.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Closed): 8 × 5 in. (20.3 × 12.7 cm)