This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 0.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 56 items) |
Abstract | The collection contains papers of the white Samonds family of Mecklenburg County, N.C., including correspondence, chiefly written during the American Civil War, between T. K. Samonds and his wife Mary Brown. Civil War letters written from camps in Virginia and North Carolina describe Samonds's duties in the Confederate army, regiment movements, the aftermath of battles such as Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, illnesses, daily routines, and household duties. Other letters describe work and courting opportunities in antebellum Arkansas and Mississippi and postbellum travel to the North Carolina mountains. Transcriptions are available for all letters. |
Creator | Samonds (Family : Mecklenburg County, N.C.) |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
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Husband and wife Thomas K. Samonds (1828-1906) and Mary Brown lived in Mecklenburg County, N.C., though in 1852 "T. K." apparently worked in Arkansas and Mississippi. During the Civil War, T. K. Samonds served in Company I, 37th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry of the Confederate army and attained the rank of first lieutenant. He was captured after the battle of Gettysburg by Union soldiers, but managed to escape. After the war, Samonds owned a plantation in Sharon township in Mecklenburg County and was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for sheriff. He was forced to mortgage the plantation due to debts. Samonds died a widower in 1906.
Back to TopThe collection contains correspondence, mostly written during the Civil War, between T. K. Samonds and his wife Mary Brown in Mecklenburg County, N.C. There are also letters from family and friends such as T. M. Kirkpatrick, Emma Adams, W. H. Brown, William L. Simpson and O. S. P. Alexander. Early letters, 1852-1853, were written when T. K. Samonds and J. C. Brown found work and courting opportunities in Arkansas and Mississippi. Civil War letters describe duties in the Confederate army, regiment movements, the aftermath of battles such as Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, illnesses, daily routines, and household duties. Letters were written from camps near Staunton, Richmond, Yorktown, Petersburg, Kinston, New Bern, Orange Court House, and other locations in Virginia and North Carolina. Letters, 1879, describe travel to the North Carolina mountains. Transcriptions are available for all letters.
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