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John M. Flinn papers

 Collection — Folder: S2569
Identifier: S2569

Scope and Contents

The collection includes correspondnece and papers from John M. Flinn in Indiana and the United States, ranging from 1861 to 1876, regarding his military service during the U.S. Civil War. There is also one letter to Margaret Flinn dated December 28, 1876.

Item Listing:

1861, Aug. 2 Discharge Papers, Indianapolis

1862, June 25 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Alabama

1862, July 27 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Stevenson, Ala.

1862, Dec. 31 ADS, Materials lost at Battle of Stone River, Tenn.

1863, Jan. 30 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

1863, Mar. 2 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

1863, April 8 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Nashville, Tenn.

1863, Sept. 11 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret and Zora Flinn, Libby Prison, Richmond, Va.

1864, Aug. 21 ALS, John Flinn to Chief of Ordinance, Chattanooga, Tenn. 1864, Aug. 22 ADS, Sworn Statement by John Flinn, Chattanooga, Tenn.

1864, Oct. 24 ADS, Special Orders, Indianapolis

1864, Nov. 10 ALS, John Flinn to Margaret Flinn, Pulaski, Tenn.

1865, Feb. 20 ADS, Ordinance Office, Property Returns Division, Washington D.C.

1866, Jan. 30 ADS, Treasury Department

1876, Dec. 28 ALS, John Greenawall to Margaret Flinn, South Bend

Dates

  • 1861-1876

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.

Biographical Note

John M. Flinn was born in Canada in 1834. He married Margaret A. (White) Flinn (1833-1913) on November 23, 1857 in Shelbyville, Indiana, and they had one daughter, Zora K. (1860-1888). In 1860, he worked as a cooper in Shelbyville. Flinn joined the U.S. Army on April 25, 1861 as a first lieutenant in Company V of the 7th Indiana Regiment. He then joined Company F of the 51st Indiana Regiment, serving as captain. Flinn was captured by Confederates in 1863 and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. He was to be hanged in retaliation for execution of Confederate spies, but after his situation became known to President Abraham Lincoln, the federal government arranged for his release in a prisoner exchange. He was mustered out on December 14, 1864. Flinn died on August 5, 1872 at the age of 38 and was buried in the City Cemetery in Shelbyville, Indiana.

Sources:

Items in the collection.

Ancestry.com. "John M. Flinn." 1860 United States Federal Census. Accessed November 3, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "John M. Flinn." 1870 United States Federal Census. Accessed November 3, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "John M. Flinn." Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001. Accessed November 3, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "John M. Flinn." U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865. Accessed November 3, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Findagrave.com. "Capt. John M. Flinn." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed November 3, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35094399/john-m-flinn

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed in 1998 by Andrea Bean Hough. EAD finding aid created in 1998 by Andrea Bean Hough. EAD finding aid revised 2025/11/03 by Brittany Kropf.

Subjects

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
John M. Flinn papers
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Physical Storage Information

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

http://www.in.gov/library/manuscripts.htm
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