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John Sipe and A.H. Phillips letters

 Collection — Folder: S1651
Identifier: S1651

Scope and Contents

This collection includes copies of 23 letters written by John Sipe to Sallie Phillips while he was serving with the 38th Indiana Infantry Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War. The letters are dated from September 9, 1861 to December 24, 1862 and covers a vareity of subjects. The collection also includes one letter written from A. H. Phillips to his sister Sallie on July 6, 1864. This letter concerns his own daily experiences serving in the Civil War.

Some of the places Sipe writes from are Camp Sherman near Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Camp Nevin near Louisville, Kentucky; Camp Wood near the Green River, Kentucky; Shelbyville, Tennessee; Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Some of the topics he discusses are his feelings for Sallie and friends or family back home; daily life in the camp including drills, food, picket duty, and disease; the weather; his opinions and observations of the war and Confederate soldiers or civilians; skirmishes and battles; movements of his regiment; the aftermath of battles.

Dates

  • 1861-1864

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Historical Note

The 38th Indiana Infantry Regiment mustered in New Albany, Indiana on September 18, 1861and remained in service until July 15, 1865. Some of the major engagements the regiment participated in include the Battle of Peryville October 8, 1862; Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862; Battle of Chickamauga September 19-21, 1863; Battle of Resaca May 14-15, 1864; Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25, 1864; Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1, 1864; Battle of Bentonville March 19-21, 1865.

The Battle of Stone's River was part of the Stone's Rive campaign and also known as the Battle of Murfreesboro. It was a major engagement between the Union Army of the Cumberland led by Major General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of the Mississippi led by Major General Braxton Bragg. The engagement ended with a Union victory and 23,000 total casualties.

Sources:

"Battle Detail: Stones River." National Park Service. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=tn010.

"Battle Unit Details: 38th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers." National Park Service. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UIN0038RI.

Biographical Note

Corporal John A. Sipe was born on July 24, 1838 to William J. Sipe and Mary Jane Wasson. He enlisted with the 38th Indiana Infantry Volunteer Regiment Company C during the Civil War on September 18, 1861 and died on December 31, 1862 of wounds he received at the Battle of Stone's River, Tennessee. He is buried at the Carmel Associate United Presbyterian Cemetery in Hanover, Indiana.

Sources:

"Corp John A. Sipe in the U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current." Ancestry.com. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://search.ancestrylibrary.com.

"Public Member Tree Results for John Sipe." Ancestry.com. Accessed May 31, 2018. https://search.ancestrylibrary.com.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as donation from [Donald S. Kennedy] on 1980/06/03.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2018/05/31 by Julia Deros. EAD finding aid created 2018/05/31 by Julia Deros. EAD finding aid revised 2018/06/07 by Brittany Kropf.

Creator

Title
John Sipe and A.H. Phillips letters
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671