Biographical/historical information

Francis W. Knowles (birth date unknown) was a member of the 36th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry fighting for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Knowles served in Company B, primarily as a clerk, and participated with several military campaigns. Knowles, and the rest of the infantry, was mustered out of service on June 8, 1865. Knowles was discharged on June 21, 1865.

Scope and arrangement

The Francis W. Knowles Papers consist of a diary scrapbook (1862-1865) written by Private Knowles while serving in Company B of the 36th Massachusetts Volunteers. The diary records the activities of Knowles, who was mainly a clerk, as he participated with the IX Corps at Fredericksburg (December, 1862), in the District of Indiana and Michigan (June-September, 1863), the Knoxville Campaign (November-December, 1863), the Wilderness campaign (May, 1864), the Spotsylvania Courthouse campaign (May, 1864), at Cold Harbor (June 3-4, 1864), and in the Petersburg campaign (June, 1864-April, 1865).

Entries of interest include a description of camp life at Camp Wool in Massachusetts (August, 1862); the activities of the Confederate raider John Morgan in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana (June-July, 1863); and the activities of the Knights of the Golden Circle in Kentucky (September-November, 1863). Also included are a report by General Edwin V. Sumner of the Battle of Fredericksburg in which he commanded the Right Grand Division; newspaper clipping entitled "The Last Night of Fredericksburg" by Joshua L. Chamberlain; autographs of Ambrose B. Burnside, Lewis Richmond, and John G. Parke; maps of the various campaigns in which Knowles participated; battlefield sketches; and field orders. Knowles was mustered out of the army in June of 1865.

Administrative information

Custodial History

May 13, 1971, 1 item; Diary (1862-1865). Purchased by J. Y. Joyner Library, Greenville, North Carolina.

Source of acquisition

Purchased by J. Y. Joyner Library

Processing information

Processed by R. Weaver, March 1972

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration

Key terms

Personal Names

Knowles, Francis W.

Corporate Names

Knights of the Golden Circle
United States. Army--Military life

Topical

Cold Harbor, Battle of, Va., 1864
Fort Stedman, Battle of, Petersburg, Va., 1865
Fredericksburg, Battle of, Fredericksburg, Va., 1862
Soldiers--Diaries
Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of, Va., 1864
Wilderness, Battle of the, Va., 1864

Places

Camp Wool (Mass.)
Knoxville (Tenn.)--History--Siege, 1863
Ohio River Valley--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Petersburg (Va.)--History--Siege, 1864-1865
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives

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