Written by
Stagenwalt, John, American, 1843 - 1885
Received by
Sheaffer, John, American, born 1802
Subject of
United States Army, American, founded 1775
Date
March 19, 1869
Medium
ink on wove paper
Dimensions
H x W (a (open)): 7 7/8 × 9 13/16 in. (20 × 25 cm)
H x W (a (closed)): 7 7/8 × 4 15/16 in. (20 × 12.5 cm)
H x W (b): 3 1/16 × 5 7/16 in. (7.8 × 13.8 cm)
Description
A letter (a) with envelope (b) written by John Stagenwalt, a 1st U.S. Infantry soldier stationed at New Orleans during its occupation by the Union Army. Written in brown ink on one sheet of wove paper folded to form four pages, the letter is addressed to John B. Sheaffer, of Bareville, Leacock Township, Pennsylvania, with the salutation [My Dear Father]. At top right is [Greenville Barracks / March the 19, A.D., 1869 / New Orleans, La]. In the letter, Stagenwalt asks why Sheaffer doesn't write, tells him that he'll be going to Fort Leavenworth for a bit, and discusses what he'll do after his duty is up in June. The last page of the letter has Stagenwalt's return address and along the bottom the note [Written By / Michael J W Hawk / Co. K]. The envelope (b) features a red three cents George Washington stamp on the front, is postmarked March 20, addressed to Mr. John Sheaffer, and has no markings on the reverse.
Transcription Center Status
Transcription Available
Place made
New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
Place used
Bareville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
Type
envelopes
letters (correspondence)
Topic
Correspondence
Families
Military
Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2021.16.22.2ab
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5de759103-b70d-44b9-a627-a3bfd985c51d

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

Share this page