Virginia Military Institute Archives
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Richard H. Adams, Jr. papers, 1862-1866. MS 0358. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.
Richard Henry Adams, Jr. was born in 1841 at "Altwood," Marengo County, Alabama. During the Civil War he served as officer with the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment and in the Engineer Corps on General Wheeler's staff. He was captured near Nashville, Tennessee and was a prisoner of war from September 1863 to June 1865 (one of "immortal 600"). After the War, Adams was an engineer. He died in 1896 in Radford, Virginia.
This collection consists of the Civil War papers (approximately 80 items) of Captain Richard H. Adams, Jr, including: A manuscript diary kept while serving with the 5th Alabama Regiment in Virginia (April-June 1862), with an accompanying typewritten transcription Transcriptions of two additional diary volumes (September 1862-March 1863; and prison diary, 1864-1865) Forty seven letters (November 1863-September 1866) to Lottie Putnam Adams, most written before their marriage while Adams was a prisoner of war Twenty three letters from Lottie to Richard (March 1864-January 1865) A typescript titled "Account of Wheeler's Raids," which was written after the Civil War "Friendship book" (March 1865) that contains inscriptions by fellow prisoners Two photographs of Adams Documents and clippings The letters reflect ongoing courtship and generally concern personal and family matters with some references to war and prison life. Diaries contain information about camp life, battles, and prison life.
Diary details the activities of Company D, 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment.
This leather bound notebook contains inscriptions and letters of esteem written from the United States Military Prison at Hilton Head, South Carolina, by fellow prisoners near the end of the Civil War.
The oath of allegiance sworn by Richard H. Adams, Jr. at Fort Delaware.
The original papers were accompanied by these transcriptions, created by an unknown person. They have not been reviewed or checked for accuracy by the VMI Archives staff. They include transcriptions of additional diaries for which we do not own the original manuscript, including the "Prison Diary."