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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries offer access to the full text of "A Boy's Experience in the Civil War, 1860-1865," written by Thomas Hughes (1850-?). The libraries provide the text as part of the Documenting the American South (DAS) collection on Southern history.
Thomas's memoir, A Boy's Experience in the Civil War: 1860-1865, was published in 1904 and records his memory of the war. It begins with Hughes's father's release from Federal custody in Ohio and describes the time his family spent in Richmond. Hughes emphasizes that he did not live a typical life during that time. Because his father was a physician who treated many of the leaders of the Confederacy in addition to his roles as a newspaperman and legislator, Hughes had access to many of the luxuries others were forced to abandon. His father's position also enabled him to meet most of the key Confederate military and political figures. Hughes devotes a portion of the narrative to descriptions of his encounters with these various leaders, including Robert E. Lee, Jeb Stuart, Robert Morgan, and Jefferson Davis. Hughes also discusses his experiences at VMI. He tells of a typical day at the school and discusses the character of the cadets and their behavior. The final portion of his narrative covers the state of the South before and after the Civil War. He takes special aim at the northern "opportunists," who came south to rebuild a region destroyed by war. Hughes prefers the antebellum plantation life. He describes each plantation as "a perfect community in itself," and the slave experience as "an almost ideal life." Harris Henderson
An incident illustrative of a poltical canvass among soldiers was one of the occurrences that soon attracted my attention An election for Confederate congressman for the District of Virginia, which now comprises a part of the State of West Virginia was under way; the candidates were Charles W. Russell formerly of Wheeling and a Dr. Kidwell of, I believe, Clarksburg. The district was entirely in the Union lines and hence the only voters were Confederate soldiers and refugees. Dr. Kidwell had headquarters at the Ballard House in a room opening immediately on the ladies' entrance on Franklin Street at the corner of Thirteenth and it was an occasion to make one cheerful to see the Doctor who was tall and slender smilingly dispense good cheer from numerous decanters to the many refugees and a few soldiers who sought him. Mr. Russell also boarded at the same hotel, but he evidently felt pretty secure, as he made no effort to entertain and his room was on the upper floor. This canvass was in marked contrast with another that went on near the same time at the Powhatan. An election for the State Legislature was near and the candidates from the legislative districts in what is now West Virginia met the same conditions, namely, their territory was exclusively in the Union lines and the voters were refugees and soldiers. Several of the candidates boarded at the Powhatan and the meetings in the Congressional candidates room that were more formal by reasons of the callers being from divers sections, now in the case of the Legislative candidates became more sociable and nightly refugees and soldiers from the same local section assembled and intensely enjoyed the gossip that went on in a dense cloud of smoke from tobacco pipes. My father was a candidate for some medical position in the gift of the President and by appointment he was taken accompanied by me to call upon Mr. Davis. The President's office was on the second floor of the post office building entering from Bank Street, the street in the rear of Main Street, and on the right side of the hall. My father took with him for presentation to the President a curiously carved cane that had been constructed by one of the prisoners at Camp Chase. Constructing articles of this sort being the way prisoners passed their time. This particular cane was made of pine wood, had winding serpents carved along it and was varnished a dark, brown bright color. In the entree room was only the President's secretary and no others.
Originally published in 1947, this book presents the text of a journal kept by Thomas Hughes from 1778-9. It includes an account of his experiences as a British officer during the American War of Independence, including a period in captivity. The manuscript of the journal, which had been in possession of his family, was previously unprinted at the time of publication. Detailed notes are incorporated throughout. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the American War of Independence and eighteenth-century history.
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