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Preferred Citation

Papers of Thomas Shepard Seabury, 1862-1863, Accession # 10781, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased from Roger Apfelbaum of San Francisco, California, on August 23, 1988.

Biographical/Historical Information

Seabury was born on May 9, 1829 in the state of New York. He was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point from July 1, 1846 to June 27, 1848. He enlisted with the 3rd New York Infantry Regiment, Company G, in 1861, at Albany, for three years, and was commissioned as a first lieutenant on February 19, 1862. He was assigned to the Signal Corps in March, 1863 but resigned from the service on January 24, 1864 in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was later received brevet rank as captain of volunteers in March, 1865 for "faithful and meritorious service" during the war. Seabury died on August 8, 1880. 1

The 3rd New York Infantry was part of the Union Army's VII Corps, Department of Virginia, for most of the period covered by Seabury's journal. The Corps had been organized on July 22, 1862 from troops stationed at Fort Monroe, Camp Hamilton, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Yorktown, until August, 1863 when it was assigned to the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. 2

1 Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of The United States Army . . . (1903), Volume I, 871; Frederick Phisterer, New York in the war of The Rebellion (1912), Volume I, 421; Volume II, 1723, 1734; Volume V, 4263, 4303.
2 Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium Of The War Of The Rebellion, Volume II, 1406; The Union Army (1908), Volume II, 51; Phisterer, Volume II, 1719.

Scope and Content Information

This collection of three items, 1862-1863, consists of a bound Civil War signal message journal and two contemporary photographs (one a carte-de-visite) of First Lieutenant Thomas Shepard Seabury (1829-1880), 3rd New York Infantry. As a signal officer Seabury was responsible for communications between Union outposts at Norfolk and Deep Creek, Virginia [approximately eight miles apart] 1 , from December 12, 1862 to May 17, 1863. The messages in his journal mention or refer to vessels, Confederate troop and guerrilla activities, arrests, searches, and passes for civilians, and other related subjects. The volume contains approximately forty-nine pages with an average of three messages per page. A twenty-three page typescript of these dispatches is present with the collection.

While a few of the messages used ciphers in place of names, three Union generals are mentioned: John James Peck (1821-1878), George Washington Getty (1819-1901), and Egbert L. Viele (1825-1902), military governor of Norfolk. Most of the 1863 messages are to or from Viele. Major Alexander E. Bovay, provost marshal of Norfolk, Major Franklin Asa Stratton (?-1879) of the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry, 2 and Lieutenants R. P. Strong, A. M. Thayer, 3 and Theo[dore] F. Patterson, who were responsible for stations at Deep Creek, the Elizabeth River, and Norfolk, respectively, are among the other mentioned officers. A complete list of individuals is appended to this guide.

Various vessels [the Dollie, Georgeanna, Alice, Emily, and Arrow ] and local civilians are also mentioned. The battle of Deserted House [Kelly's Store] 4 near Suffolk on January 30, 1863, and a skirmish on April 11, 1863, that proved to be the onset of the siege of Suffolk which lasted until May 4, 1863, are among the events discussed in the entries. Miscellaneous references appertain to: Confederate General Roger Atkinson Pryor's (1828-1919) troop movements and those of other Confederates [January 16 and April 11, 1863], salt shipments [December 12 & 13, 1862], a request for guards for forty prisoners [February 13, 1863], complaints by General Viele about the "depredations and drunkenness" of Colonel Wardrop's troops [January 5 & February 3, 1863], and orders that no persons are to be allowed to pass through the lines "without being thoroughly searched" [their usual destination being Elizabeth City, North Carolina; April 9, 1863]. On a separate printed form dated May 3, 1863 there is a message from Major Stratton to Generals Viele and Peck regarding the evacuation of Sandy Cross, North Carolina, by Confederate forces under the command of a General Venner(?). Apparently, the method of signalling used by Lt. Seabury's command involved the use of either torches or lanterns as foggy conditions were cited as having prevented the receipt of messages in the entry for April 10, 1863.

1 Plate XXVI, Number 4, The Official Military Atlas of The Civil War .
2 Stratton was later provost marshal of Charlottesville, Virginia, and commander of the Military Sub-District of Albemarle with the rank of colonel. He was brevetted to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers for services rendered during the war.
3 One of the April 13, 1863 entries reports Thayer's capture by the enemy.
4 Plate XXVIII, Number 3, The Official Military Atlas of The Civil War .

Persons Mentioned By Name in the Journal

Sergeants

Eggleston
Murray
J. Wilson

Lieutenants

Canley
Davis
Field
Horton
Kelly (provost marshal)
Partridge
Theodore F. Patterson
Prudhomme
R. P. Strong
A. M. Thayer
Tierce
Titus
Van Slycke
Van Winkle

Captains

L. L. Clarke
Gould
Judson
J. C. Lee
J. H. Liebenan
Garard Reynolds (11th Pennsylvania Cavalry)
A. Seeley

Majors

Bates
Alexander E. Bovay (Norfolk provost marshal)
Morris
G. Powers
Williams

Colonels

Brady
Ludlow
Lt. Col. Nickson (Nixon?)
Franklin Asa Stratton (11th Pennsylvania Cavalry)
Wardrop
Wiesthing

Generals

George Washington Getty
John James Peck
Roger Atkinson Pryor
Egbert L. Viele
Venner(?)

Unknown/Miscellaneous

Dr. Blaney
James H. Braney (surgeon and medical director)
Dr. John Flowers
Green
Mulford
William Murphy
Taylor
Dr. Voorhus
S. G. Wiesgling

Civilians

George Bates (cousin of Major Bates)
Mrs. Berwick
Mrs. Bidgood
Mrs. Bush
Mrs. Calbert
Mrs. Davis
Mr. Flora
Mr. Garrett
Mr. Harnay
Mr. Hopkins
J. C. Jones
Mr. Lindsay
Mrs. Mitchell
Victoria Prudhomme (sister of Lt. Prudhomme)
Mrs. Tabb
Treadwell
Mr. Wallace
Mrs. Wardrop (wife of Col. Wardrop)