Inventory

Box 1

Folder 4

1. January 27, 1864 Nashville, Tennessee
   Christmas Day 1863 ordered to march to Maysville, Tennessee, 16 miles from Woodville, Alabama; next march to Huntsville, Alabama, and back to Pulaski, Tennessee; reenlisted day before wife's letter arrives saying not to; whole regiment reenlists January 5, 1864.
2. April 25, 1864 Camp near Columbia, Tennessee
   Birthday and is now 30; took a cold in his arm on picket duty; left Nashville 16th April and 3 days later arrived Columbia, 45 miles distance; Colonel Sidel commander at Columbia; 3rd OVC on Provost Duty guarding railroad bridge over Duck River
3. May 3, 1864 Camp near Columbia, Tennessee
   100 men including George have abscesses under their arms; camp has been moved and is now one and a half miles from Columbia with 2000 rebels in the woods nearby; details of a train wreck due to a cow; $100 of local bounty due to wife from Hancock County.
4. May 11, 1864 Columbia, Tennessee
   Tincture of iodine reduced swelling on arm; mentions an uncle in Illinois already planting crops; rumors of Virginia Army whipping rebels and that Richmond is falling; Ezra's (George's brother) unit (1st Indiana Artillery) heavily defeated at Grand Ecore, Louisiana, losing all cannon and ambulances; short paragraph from Henry Sweetland to his sister Elizabeth Sweetland Kryder, mentioning good health and humorous comments on army life.
5. May 21, 1864 Columbia, Tennessee
   Tomorrow marching to Ringgold, Georgia; difficult to ride because of constant diarrhea; wife eligible for $100 reenlistment bonus (credited to Hancock County); lost 18 pounds since in Nashville; sent $80 to wife.
6. June 5, 1864 Camp near Rome, Georgia
   Rode through Athens and Decatur, Georgia; chase rebels 7 miles while foraging on Courtland road taking 9 prisoners and 3 loads of corn; details of skirmish all the way to Courtland involving the 1st, 3rd, and 4th OVC, against 5 regiments of rebels; included are the casualties and booty captured; following the battle, continue on a 32 mile ride to Summerville on the same day.
7. June 7, 1864 Camp at the Front, 10 pm
   Positioned 20 miles south of Kingston, Georgia, with large rebel army 4 miles from Atlanta; the siege of Richmond has begun; pay raise due in next payroll; marched 20 miles to the front and mare is now lame. June 9--(in same letter)--horse recovered; details of combat with entire division of rebels and 5 local men wounded (names mentioned).
8. June 14, 1864 Marietta, Georgia
   Met rebels while on reconnaissance and battled; pickets constantly firing at each other; lost his hat in battle.
9. June 28, 1864 Shanty Station, Georgia
   George chosen as one of 20 men to go on special picket; heavy cannon fire at the front; one mile from the front on Sunday building breastworks; General Hooker crossed the river and the evacuation of Lost Mountain has begun; Atlanta is now open to Union attack; 30 new Spencer carbines issued.
10. July 15, 1864 Camp near Rossville, Georgia
    Alert sounded on evening of July 2nd and by 10:00 the whole of the army in pursuit of Confederates evacuating Kennesaw Mountain; Wilder's Brigade in heavy combat with rebels; complete details of Battle of Kennesaw Mountain involving the 3rd OVC, including thunderstorm and lightning destroying artillery caisson.
11. July 18, 1864 Camp near Macafee's Bridge, Georgia
    The camp is moved eight miles across the Chattahoochee River; weather conditions; rebels have fallen back; prices of local produce.
12. July 25, 1864 Camp near Atlanta, Georgia
    Very short letter mentioning a raid and a little "action" involved.
13. August 2, 1864 Marietta, Georgia
    Hospitalized because of flux, or severe diarrhea; details of a railroad raid; meets a new stepbrother named Solomon Bucher along with two schoolmates; detail of a heavy attack by rebels on the 3rd OVC near Atlanta with negative results.
14. August 14, 1864 Hospital No. 1 near Columbia, Tennessee
    Details of an improved diet; a nine year old pen pal (Robert Anderson) from Muskingum County, Ohio has written a letter.
15. August 21, 1864 Columbia, Tennessee
    Transferred to Hospital No. 7; description of the hospital and the medicine used as diagnosis; meets his former captain, Captain Gaylord; note to the children.
16. September 1, 1864 Columbia, Tennessee
    Correspondence from nine year old Robert Anderson; news of 12,000 rebels marching to besiege Columbia under command of General Wheeler; comments on southern sympathizers in the North; prices of local commodities.
17. September 23, 1864 Columbia, Tennessee
    Diet of local fruits and vegetables; comments on mess facilities; news of General Sherman capturing Atlanta, Georgia; Western Virginia also in hands of federal troops.
18. October 1, 1864 Franklin, Tennessee
    Near the Elk River rebel General Forrest attacked and burned bridges but was defeated at Pulaski by General Rouseau; mention of possibility of attack on Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad; details of successes of Virginia Army as Sheridan has defeated and pushed back General Jubal Early's cavalry; value of a milk cow in Norwalk is $30.00.
19. October 6, 1864 No location (Franklin?)
    In good health again; heavy rain with Harpeth River over-flowing; General Forrest trapped since bridges are out; embarrassing punishment for a cavalryman in 1st Tennessee Regiment caught in the weeds with a Negro woman.
20. October 8, 1864 Franklin, Tennessee
    Foraged fresh hogs in country; loss of a close friend (A. Crosby).
21. October 17, 1864 Franklin, Tennessee
    Weather report; camp life; General Forrest escaped across the Tennessee River.
22. October 21, 1864 Franklin, Tennessee
    Further successes of Sheridan in Virginia; results of a mock election in camp; weather conditions.
23. October 31, 1864 Camp near Nashville, Tennessee
    Details of a fist fight in the hospital before he left; clothing allowance; local prices.
24. November 12, 1864 Camp near Louisville, Kentucky
    Foraged for the mess; severe wind squall near Nashville bridge.
25. November 22, 1864 Camp near Louisville, Kentucky
    Sends wife $140; Criticism of Southern sympathizers at home.
26. November 25, 1864 Louiville, Kentucky
    Drunks get rowdy in camp; Thanksgiving dinner; tent with a stove; weather conditions.
27. December 1, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky
    Sends wife and children handmade rings from seashells; a neighbor of Michael Kryder (George's father) visited him in camp.
28. December 6, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky
    Rebels attack Franklin, Tennessee and are repulsed with heavy losses; General Thomas organizing more cavalry, including the 3rd OVC, to attack rebels near Nashville.
29. December 8, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky
    Rebel General Hood near Nashville with federal General in pursuit; sends photos to wife ($1.25 per dozen).
30. December 13, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky
    Captain Nunan new commander of 3rd OVC with Dodge Simpkin the new lieutenants; Sherman reaches seacoast.
31. December 17, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky (in the mud)
    General Thomas defeats rebels at Nashville; General Sherman still on the move; comments on huckster women selling pies in camp; cost of clothes in Louisville.
32. December 24, 1864 Louisville, Kentucky
    Sick with a bad cold; mention again of General Hood's defeat at Nashville; 3rd OVC detailed to mopping up guerrilla bands in countryside; discussion of army morale.
33. December 30, 1864 New Haven, Kentucky
    Sherman has taken Savannah, Ga.; detail of two murders of a doctor and an officer of 7th Pennsylvania Regiment near Bardstown, Kentucky.

Folder 5

1. January 1, 1865 Sonora Station, Kentucky
   March 20 miles from New Haven to Elizabethtown; use of corn blades as matting for beds.
2. January 9, 1865 Camp near Nashville, Tennesee
   General Hood (rebel) making a stand near Corinth, Mississippi; 3rd OVC expected to march again to Tennessee River.
3. January 18, 1865 Camp near Columbia, Tennessee
   Sent wife his 1864 diary; left Nashville on 12th January; details of the total destruction of Nashville; weather report; in the morning begin a 75 mile ride from Nashville to East Port on Tennessee River.
4. January 29-31, 1865 Camp near Gravely Springs, Alabama
   Short on supplies and must forage for food; camp punishment for disrespect towards Major General Wilson; weather report.
5. February 13, 1865 Camp near Gravely Springs, Alabama
   Short on rations; slow action and only picket duty; comments on fatigue of the war and the cowardice of younger recruits; roll call six times daily to stem desertions.
6. February 22, 1865 Gravely Springs, Alabama
   Rumors of smallpox epidemics; lost mail; opinions on northern draft.
7. February 27, 1865 Gravely Springs, Alabama
   Sherman takes Charleston, South Carolina and Columbia, the capital; rumors of rebels leaving Richmond and marching for East Tennessee; rumors of cavalry going West to fight Indians on the frontier.
8. March 6, 1865 Gravely Springs, Alabama
   Charleston, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina both in Union control; bottom land of Tennessee River 12 feet under flood water; camp life and punishment for various misdemeanors.
9. March 19-20, 1865 Camp near Chickasaw, Alabama
   Hardest fighting of the war; no more mail leaves the regiment because of a secret march (George suspects to Selma, Alabama and then possibly to Montgomery, the capital).
10. April 26, 1865 Camp near Macon, Georgia
    Entire cavalry corps left Chickasaw Landing on 22nd and chased rebels 100 miles; details on the fight at Montevello; further details of the battle with rebel General Chalmers on Alabama River near Selma on the 2nd of April where Henry Sweetland was wounded; another battle as cavalry returns to Selma with rebel General Forrest; marched 300 miles in 12 days; on the 16th, involved in a battle at Columbia, Georgia with success.
11. May 5, 1865 Camp Standley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
    Sends wife $30; details of camp life; rumors of end of the war.
12. May 18, 1865 Macon, Georgia
    Details of a ten day scout having captured Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy; the war is over.
13. May 29, 1865 Eufaula, Alabama
    Guarding government supplies; Negroes do most of the work; not sure when he will be able to go home.
14. June 12, 1865 Eufaula, Alabama
    Camped on banks of Chattahoochee River; mention of many prostitutes and the venereal disease among the soldiers.
15. June 18, 1865 Eufaula, Alabama
    Details of a gunboat mission to Columbus, Georgia to gather up government property for five days; went to Apalachicola, Florida on a gunboat detail and saw five alligators; early frost killed fruit in Ohio; entire cavalry company transferred to Millageville, Georgia.
16. June 25-26, 1865 Eufaula, Alabama
    Sent to Florida, then left Eufaula for macon; still hopes to be mustered out soon.
17. June 30, 1865 Millageville, Georgia
    Description of the layout and beauty of the town; describes handsome features of mulatto women in the town; mentions Sherman's destruction last winter.
18. July 15, 1865 Millageville, Georgia
    On duty-detail with an Englishman, Henry Stevenson, supervising former black slaves as they work in the fields; reactions of the blacks to Yankee soldiers; this detail covers a number of plantations.

Folder 6

1. Undated letter-no location
   No army news involved and only camp talk of war and encouragement to wife of coming home soon.
2. April 4, 1863 Lavergne, Tennessee
   From J. S. Kryder to Elizabeth Sweetland Kryder (sister-in-law). Explains his illness to her in detail with hopes of going home soon.
3. December 6, 1864 Camp near Louisville, Kentucky
   From brother Henry to sister Lib; discusses food supplies, will be in Kentucky for awhile but hopes war will be over soon.
4. December 2, 1865 North Fairfield, Ohio
   Letter to claim agent, G. M. Barber, concerning local bounty credited to him (George Kryder) from Hancock County; letter also contains Barber's reply.
5. A poem, no date, location, or author (not George Kryder's handwriting).

Folder 7

1. Diary, 1864

Folder 8

1. Diary, 1864 Transcription

Folder 9

1. Diary, 1865

Folder 10

1. Diary, 1865 Transcription

Folder 11

1. Confederate note

Folder 12

1. Kryder family photograph, circa 1910.

Manuscripts by Subject | Civil War Collections | U. S. in Wartime Bibliography | MS 163 George Kryder Introduction | List of Transcripts