William McDonald Collection
Scope and Content
The William McDonald Collection spans from 1859 to 1919 and includes mostly correspondence between McDonald and his family during his service in the American Civil War. Also in the collection are two portraits, one of William McDonald and one of his wife Sarah; a straight razor, an ointment tin, and a set of dentures. Researchers interested in the Civil War will find a surplus of information relating to what life was like for a young Ohioan man to travel around the country on foot to serve his country. William, through his letters to his wife, tells of the most important news of the time. He tells of the places his regiment travels to, how they are welcomed, and what in general it is that he is doing. The way that he writes is worth noting, he uses no punctuation, as well as displaying a possible dialect of the time. There is much to learn about the culture during that time. He writes to his wife about the social gatherings she attends at home, how to protect against the small pox, and commonly shows how important his family and friends are. His attitudes about current issues are also nicely expressed through his letters.
Dates
- Creation: 1859-1919
Language of Materials
The records are in English.
Biography of William McDonald
William McDonald was born in Brook Co. Virginia in 1836. As an Adult he had black eyes, black hair, and was 5'8" tall. He married his Ohio neighbor Sarah Elizabeth Allen. She was born in Ohio in 1839. In the year of 1860 William and Sarah were living in Pike County. They had one daughter whose name was Mary J. McDonald. William's parents lived in the house next to theirs. His father's name was Samuel and his mother's name was Christina. William had two brothers, one named Thomas and the other named Samuel. He had two sisters one named Matilda and the other named Christina. Sarah's parents also lived next door. William's occupation was that of a farmer.
On November 5th, 1861 William enrolled as a Cpl. of Captain C.K. Crumnitt's Co. D, 53 reg. OIV. He was discharged from Scottsboro, Alabama on the 31st of December 1863 by reason of re-enlisting as a Veteran Volunteer. He again enrolled on the 1st of January 1864. He was a Sgt. Of Captain [--?--] Co. B, 53 reg. OVVI. He was discharged August 11th, 1865 at Little Rock, Arkansas by reason of expiration of service. Shortly after he returned home from the war he and his family moved to Illinois.
Extent
0.3 cubic feet
Abstract
The William McDonald Collection spans from 1859 to 1919 and includes mostly correspondence between McDonald and his family during his service in the American Civil War.
Statement of Arrangement
This collection remains in its original arrangement.
Other Finding Aid
A paper copy of the folder list is available.
Description Note
Original, legacy collection inventories may contain inaccuracies or be incomplete. Collection descriptions may change or be updated as they are verified. Please contact Mahn Center staff if you note any errors or discrepancies.
Subject
- McDonald, William (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Finding aid for the William McDonald Collection
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Caitlin Borbely in May 2001
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- The finding aid was converted into EAD with funding support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Revision Statements
- 5 January 2024: Subjects and other notes added from ALICE MARC records and Mahn Center Microsoft Office finding aids by Ohio University Libraries Metadata Services Department Python scripts.
Repository Details
Part of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections Repository
