John H. Marshall Civil War letters

Collection

Identifier: MSS-406

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Twenty-three letters of John H. Marshall, 1862-1865, of the 41st Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Company L (Okolona Guards) to his wife, Ellen Jane Sanders Marshall, living near Nettleton (Monroe County), Mississippi describing campaigns in Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. Photoprints and transcriptions available.

Dates

1862 - 1865

Creator

Marshall, John H. (Creator, 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 Manuscripts Librarian for Special Collections. 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 Information

Born January 7, 1829, Georgia, son of Nahor Marshall and Amelia L. Hargroves. Grew up about four miles south of Nettleton in Monroe County.

Married three times:

1. Married Ursula Pamela Benson (1833-1857)

2. Married second wife, Frances “Fannie” Barbee Gibson (1830-ca. 1861) and had two children:

a. Margaret (Mag, mentioned often in the letters), 1858-1886

b. Martha Ann, who apparently died young

3. Married Ellen Jane Sanders, March 9, 1862. Ellen Jane was born 14 November, 1833 in Tennessee, the daughter of Lorenzo Drew and Sarah (Sally) Spivey. The Sanders family relocated from Tennessee to Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Two children:

a. David Clifton (1868-1936)

b. George Edgar (1870-1963)

Owned about 200 acres near Shannon, Mississippi. Owned several enslaved persons, including Reuben (Rube), mentioned often in the letters. Rueben (Ruben), wife Margaret, and children Ella, Mack, Willis and Sarah worked as freedmen for John H. Marshall, as documented on an August 22, 1865 freedman’s contract.

Member of 41st Mississippi Infantry. Fought Sherman on Sherman’s march to sea. Carried an enslaved person as messenger. Returned after war to find that home had not been found by Yankees.

John H. Marshall died of pneumonia, September 14, 1874. Buried Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Ellen Jane Sanders Marshall died September 10, 1916.

Sources:

1. Statement of donor John Robbins.

2. Marge Stockton research:

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgibin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mls%5Fmarshall1&id=I1383

3. U.S. census, Mississippi, 1850-1880.

4. Freedman’s Bureau Records. Freedman’s contracts index on Mississippi Dept. of History WEB site.

Extent

0.014 Cubic Feet (: 1 reel microfilm)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Calendar

Oct. 25, 1862. John H. Marshall, Knoxville, Tenn., to wife, Mrs. E.J. Marshall

Dec. 24, 1862. John H. Marshall, Murfreesburro, Tenn., to wife, Jane.

Feb. 7, 1863. John H. Marshall, Shelbyville, Tenn., to wife.

Feb. 11, 1863. Same to same

Mar. 19-21, 1863. Same to same

Apr. 17-21, 1863. Same to same

Dec. 1, 1863. John H. Marshall, Camp near Dalton, Ga., to wife.

Apr. 25, 1864. John H. Marshall, Camp Cleburne near Dalton, Ga., to wife.

Apr. 31, 1864. Same to Same

July 28, 1864. John H. Marshall, Atlanta, Ga., to wife

Aug. 11, 1864. John H. Marshall, “In line of Battle near Atlanta,” Ga., to wife

Aug. 19, 1864. Same to same

Sept. 5, 1864. John H. Marshall, near Lovejoy Station, Ga., to wife

n.d. Same to same. First part of letter is missing.

Sept. 9, 1864. Same to same

Sept. 16, 1864. Same to same

Sept. 23, 1864. John H. Marshall, “Near palmetto station on the West Point rail road 40 miles north of Lagrange,” Ga., to wife.

Sept. 29, 1864. Same to same

Nov. 1, 1864. John H. Marshall, Florence Ala., to wife

Feb. 9, 1865. John H. Marshall, Meridian, Miss., to wife

Feb. 12, 1865. Same to same (2 pages)

Feb. 17, 1865. Same to same (4 pages)

Feb. 23, 1865. John H. Marshall, Montgomery, Ala., to wife (2 pages)

n.d. Certificate of membership of John H. Marshall in Patrons of Husbandry, Liberty Hall Grange, Lee County, Miss. (1 page)

May 1884. J.T. Montgomery, n.p., to J. H. Montgomery. (1 page)