Henry Parks Garrison Letters

Collection

Identifier: A-0057

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Typescripts of correspondence between Garrison and family members during his Confederate military service. Includes material on politics, camp conditions, social life, combat, inflation, and family matters.

His letters encompass the years of 1860 to 1863 and relate to his family the details of army life, battles he fought during the Civil War, and the hardships suffered by the Confederate troops. The letters convey his hopes for a quick end to the rebellion and that the Confederacy would be ultimately victorious. As the conflict continued, however, Garrison’s letters reveal the darker undertones of a war weary soldier who wanted to go home and see his family.

Dates

Creation: 1860-1863

Creator

Garrison, Henry Parks (Person)

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Henry Parks Garrison, Jr. (1833-1863) was a newspaper editor and Confederate Army officer from Yazoo City, Mississippi. Garrison enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861 and served as a 2nd Lieutenant, Tenth Infantry, 18th Mississippi Regiment. His company, originally the Yazoo Rifles, changed their name to the McFarland Rifles in honor of a John McFarland of New Orleans. Garrison’s correspondence to his family began in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Through his letters, he described the various locations and circumstances where his company was stationed. These include: Camp Davis, near Barrancas, FL; Camp Phillips, FL; Richmond, VA; Malvern Hill, VA; Leesburg, VA; Martinsburg, VA; Winchester, VA; and Fredericksburg, VA. He was mortally wounded on May 3rd, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville and died on May 6th.