U.S. Sanitary Commission, New Bern, N.C., Photograph
1864
Manuscript Collection #1515- Creator(s)
- Physical description
- 0.25 Cubic Feet, 1 item
- Preferred Citation
- U.S. Sanitary Commission, New Bern, N.C., Photograph (#1515), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
- Repository
- ECU Manuscript Collection
- Access
- This collection is open for research.
Original photograph of historic building which was used during New Bern's Union occupation as headquarters for the U.S. Sanitary Commission. A different image of the same building is known to exist in the Southern Historical Collection in Wilson Library at UNC Chapel Hill. The UNC image has a different angle and appears to have less clarity. The UNC image is reproduced in John Green's A New Bern Album. (See NC Reference Oversize and NC Stacks Oversize F264.N5 G73X 1985). The UNC image is credited to O.J. Smith, Union Photograph Rooms, New Bern with the claim that the scene is "on the east side of Middle Street between Pollock and South Front Street."
Scope and arrangement
The 8" x 10" photograph shows the historic building that was located in New Bern, N.C. with Union officers and their civilian colleagues posing in front. The building served as headquarters for the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Union occupation of New Bern; a city that was captured in 1862 and would be permanently occuppied until the war's end in 1865. The U.S. Sanitary Commission was a privately run organization whose purpose was to provide aid and assistance to Union soldiers beyond what the Union army could provide and this included promoting the health and well-being of the soldiers. The organization provided medical supplies, blankets, beds and helped monitor the health of the troops. They also provided supplemental food stores, especially fruits and vegatables and promoted sanitary conditions in the camps. The photo has a date of 1864 written on the back of the photograph.
Sources:
Leland Little Auctions, 620 Cornerstone Court, Hillsborough, N.C. 27278.
John Green, A New Bern Album, New Bern, N.C., Tryon Palace Commission.
Administrative information
Custodial History
July 10, 2025, 1 item, 0.25 cubic feet; 8" x 10" black and white photograph. Purchased from Leland Little Auctions, Hillsborough, N.C.
Source of acquisition
Purchased from Leland Little Auctions, Hillsborough, N.C. on September 17, 2025
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