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Pearce Museum Civil War Collection
the museum produced a fourvolume set containing many of the letters from their collection. Covering the Eastern, Western, and Trans-Mississippi Theaters of war, researchers may purchase
June 2022 the books ($25 each plus shipping) by contacting Museum Director Ann Zembala at 903875-7438 or ann.zembala@ navarrocollege.edu. Every book contains letters, in chronological order, for the years covered in each volume. An index lists the writers’ names, and an appendix provides a brief bio for each writer. Online, use the ‘keyword’search at https://pearcecollections. pastperfectonline.com to locate specific items. For example, a search for ‘Atlanta’ produced 241 hits. One archival record, 2003.L501, contains letters from Henry Henderson who was serving with the 7th Texas Infantry. Click on this record to view specific details, as shown below; volume four of the book set contains this Henderson
Pearce homepage.
Researchers will find a rich collection of Civil War letters and diaries in the archives of the Pearce Museum at Navarro College, Corsicana, Texas. Collectors Chuck and Peggy Pearce donated many of the documents to the museum in 1995, which now houses over 15,000 items. The Pearce letters offer views from 82 Northern writers and 57 Southern authors. Visit https://www.
Covers of the four volumes. 22
pearcemuseum.com/collections/ civil-war/ for an overview of the archives, and bookmark https://pearcecollections. pastperfectonline.com for use in searching this collection. One note, the letters, not yet digitized, will require researchers to request specific records using the form found at https://www. pearcemuseum.com/archives/ research-request-form. During the sesquicentennial,
Henderson letter at Pearce Museum.
letter. As noted in the introduction to volume one, “The letters were not chosen based solely on their military content. Instead, they were chosen based on the writers’ personal experiences, political opinions, emotional reactions, cultural differences, ethics, and patriotism.” Thanks to Holly Beasley Wait, previously one of the editors for the first three volumes and, current Director of the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga., for informing this writer of these books. Appreciation to Director Ann Zembala with the Pearce Museum for providing instructions on ordering the books!
Continued good luck in researching the American Civil War!
Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor, who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. Readers may contact him at mkscdr11@gmail.com or request speaking engagements at www.civilwarhistorian. net. Follow Michael on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ michael.k.shaffer, and on Twitter @michaelkshaffer.
Original letter image.
CivilWarNews.com
June 2022