Processed by
Paul Brockman
January, 2007
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
3 manuscript folders |
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COLLECTION |
1862–1863 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Harriet L. Webb, Beaverton, Oregon, November 1999 |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
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RELATED |
Webb, Harriet Liston. Write to Me Often: The Story of a
Union Foot Soldier. Beaverton, OR : Webco Press, c1996. |
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ACCESSION |
2000.0090 |
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NOTES: |
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Isaac McCoy Liston (1824–1863) of Lewis, Vigo County, Indiana was mustered into Company K of the 85th Indiana Regiment on 12 August 1862. The 85th was part of the brigade commanded by Colonel John Coburn that engaged five brigades of Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest at Thompson’s Station Tennessee in March 1863. The regiment made several charges at Forrest’s troops and suffered severe losses. Liston was one of the casualties, dieing on 5 March 1863. The regiment surrendered and was marched to Tullahoma, Tennessee where many more men died from lack of food, exhaustion and exposure to the elements. The survivors were then transported to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. What remained of the regiment were released on 31 March as part of an exchange.
Sources:
Terrell, W.H.H., Report of the Adjutant General, Indiana, Volume 6, p. 387 and Volume 3, pp. 69-71 (E 506.2 .I39 T4 18650.
The collection contains 27 letters, from Isaac Liston to his wife Merica, his sister, and other family members in Coffee, Clay County, Indiana. The letters were written from Kentucky and Tennessee while he served with the 85th Indiana Regiment, September 1862–February 1863. They contain concerns for the family at home and some details of his activities. In most of his letters Liston writes of the weather, his health, and some details of the regiment and a few descriptions of military engagements and camp life. Also included in the collection are three letters to Merica Liston after Isaac’s death from her brother, William Crist, who was also with the 85th at Franklin, Tennessee, in which he tells of the regiment’s battle in his letter of 13 March. The other two letters, one from Crist in May and another from an unidentified correspondent in June, also involves accounts of Liston and offers words of encouragement. The June letter is also introduced as “Dear Sister” and may be from Crist as well but the handwriting does not match and could be attributed to illness.
Also included in the collection are several envelopes from Liston’s letters and a reproduction of his army portrait.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Letters, Sept.–Dec. 1862 |
Folder 1 |
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Letters, Jan.–June 1862 |
Folder 2 |
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Photograph (copy) and Envelopes from Letters |
Folder 3 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, SC 2802).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.