Henry Smith Adams diary

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: USGPL-HSA

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Henry Smith Adams collection consist of his diary during the war, a diary of his life before the war, and a genealogical history of his family. The collection also contains a transcript of his diary, letters, and the family’s genealogical history. Inside his diary, Adams wrote about his daily life in the army, his thoughts on contemporary politics, his general health, daily events, his interactions with Union and Confederate soldiers, and his wounding at Champions Hill. The collection also contains his book about his life before the war.

Dates

1670 - 1926
Majority of material found within 1861 - 1864

Creator

Adams, Henry Smith (Person)

Access Restrictions

Open to all researchers.

Use Restrictions

Any requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce materials from this collection must be submitted in writing to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Mississippi State University as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical Note

Henry Smith Adams was born on May 2, 1836 in Parke County Indiana. He was the son of Daniel Adams and Mary Beauchamp Adams. He lived in Antioch, Indiana and married Mary Louise Small Adams in 1861. They had their first child on June 2, 1861. Before the Civil War, and his marriage, he worked as a cattle driver and a teamster hauling goods around the west and mid-west. During his time as a cattle driver, he assisted the army during the Utah War. He enlisted as a Corporal in Company E, 47th Indiana on December 13, 1861. The 47th Indiana served in the Army of the Ohio, the Army of Mississippi, and the Army of the Tennessee. On May 16, 1863 he was wounded in the eye at the battle of Champions Hill. Confederates pardoned Adams on May 27, 1863, while he was recovering in Mississippi. After his pardon, the government sent him to a medical hospital in Saint Louis. On December 29, 1863 Adams was transferred to the Second Battalion of the Invalid Corps, and on May 1, 1864 Adams was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. He applied for an invalid pension on November 14, 1864. In 1878, Adams and his wife had moved to Brown county Kansas. Henry and Mary had seven children between 1861-1878, Martin Luther (1861), Olive May (1865), Mary Matilda (1867), Daniel Livingston (1870), Anna "Annie" Florence (1876), Alvin Lawrence (1876), and James Harvey (1878). He applied for a pension in 1915. His wife died on December 27, 1917 and Henry Adams died on March 3, 1925.