William J. Blow Correspondence

1858
The Country Doctor Museum Manuscript Collection, CD 01.07
Creator(s)
Marsh, William T.; Blow, William J.
Physical description
0.06 Cubic Feet
Preferred Citation
William J. Blow Papers (CD 01.07), The Country Doctor Museum, at The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
Laupus Library History Collections
Access
No restrictions

Ten handwritten letters between William J. Blow and W. J. Marsh and handwritten transcriptions. This exchange of letters was about W. J. Marsh [or W. T. Marsh] "demanding satisfaction for offensive language used by Dr. Blow" towards him.


Biographical/historical information

William James Blow was born 1818 May 10, the third child of James and Susannah (Forbes) Blow. He married Dorcas Sylvester Masters and they had James, Elizabeth, William, John, Ida, Henry, Alexander, Joseph, William, and Mary. William James graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1840. He practiced medicine in Greenville, North Carolina and was a surgeon for the 27th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Confederate Army. He died 1864 August 7 in Greenville, North Carolina.

William T. Marsh was born 1830 July 21 in Beaufort County, North Carolina. He graduated in 1852 from Yale Law School. In 1860, Marsh was elected to the state House of Representatives as the representative from Beaufort County. The following year he was an officer in a local militia regiment. During the Civil War, he served as a Captain in Company 1 of the 4th North Carolina Infantry. Marsh was mortally wounded at the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) on 1862 September 17, and died 1862 September 24.


Scope and arrangement

Ten handwritten letters between William J. Blow and William T. Marsh. This exchange of letters was about W. T. Marsh "demanding satisfaction for offensive language used by Dr. Blow" towards him. This exchange included letters between Marsh's second, General Walter S. Hanrahan, and Blow's second, General George B. Singeltary. The proposed duel would not take place until after election, but Dr. Blow would ultimately decline for "reasons personal to myself alone."


Administrative information
Custodial History

Donor information unknown

Source of acquisition

Donor information unknown

Processing information

Processed by Janet Heath and Melissa Nasea, 2015

Copyright notice

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


Language of material

English

Key terms
Topical
Wager of battle

Container list
Box 1 Folder 1 Handwritten Letters from William James Blow, W. J. Marsh, W. S. Hanrahan, and G. B. Singeltary; Handwritten Transcriptions, 1858 July 27 - 1858 August 10, undated