Collection number: MC 139
Size: 1 box
(0.33 cu.ft.)
About the Barrus family
William J. Barrus, Ira Marshall Barrus, and John W. Barrus, all of Richmond, NH, served in Massachusetts regiments during the Civil War. William J. Barrus (1835-1924), a resident of Royalston, MA, served in Company D, 36th Massachusetts Infantry, from June 3, 1862 to June 29, 1864. He was wounded at Cold Harbor, VA on June 3, 1864 and discharged a year later. He received a furlough in April 1864, when his wife and child died at home in Massachusetts. Ira Marshall Burns (1837-1868) and John W. Barrus (1840-1868) joined Company I, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry on May 25, 1861. Marshall, who was wounded at Chancellorsville, VA on May 3, 1863, was transferred to the Invalid Corps in January 1864 and mustered out in July 1865. He resided in Orange, NH until his death in 1868. John W. Barrus was wounded at Gettysburg in July 1863 and discharged from service the following May.
About the Barrus family papers
The collection consists primarily of the war-time correspondence of William J. Barrus, Ira Marshall Barrus, and John W. Barrus. The three corresponded with their brother, Ebenezar P. Barrus, a resident of Hinsdale, NH. Marshall and John W. Barrus frequently wrote letters on the same pages. The three wrote from encampments in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as from various military hospitals. In addition to numerous family concerns and political observations, they included descriptions of "Stonewall" Jackson’s Valley Campaign (May-June 1862), the aftermath of the Antietam Campaign (Fall 1862), the Battle of Fredericksburg (December 1862), the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863), and the Battle of Cold Harbor (June 1864). The collection also includes limited pre- and post-war correspondence from William J. Barrus and from various friends and relatives, as well as photocopies of the brothers’ service records.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
This collection is governed by United States copyright law. Contact Special Collections staff for more information.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Barrus Family Papers, 1861-1885, MC 139, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Purchase, Charles Apfelbaum, Watchung, New Jersey, 1994 (Accession number: 94.040)
Collection Contents
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | From John W. Barrus and Ira Marshall Barrus, June-September 1861 (6 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | From JWB and MB, October-December 1861 (6 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | From JWB and MB, January-March 1862 (9 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | From JWB and MB, April-June 1862 (8 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | From JWB and MB, July-September 1862 (7 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | From JWB, MB and WJB, October-December 1862 (6 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | From MB and WJB, February-June 1863 (4 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | From JWB, MB and WJB, July-September 1863 (9 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | From JWB and MB, October-December 1863 (6 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | From JWB, MB and WJB, January-April 1864 (7 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | From WJB, June-December 1864 (9 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | From WJB, February-April 1865 (6 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | From JWB and MB, undated (3 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | From MB, March-December 1866 (5 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | Miscellaneous correspondence from others, 1861-1868, undated (9 letters) | |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | Photocopied service records, 1862-1885 | |
