Tarr, Horace G. Letter G. Horace Tarr Letter, 1863 Ms.1987.028

G. Horace Tarr Letter, 1863 Ms.1987.028


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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

Special Collections and University Archives Staff

Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Identification
Ms.1987.028
Title
G. Horace Tarr Letter 1863
Quantity
0.1 Cubic Feet, 1 folder
Creator
Tarr, G. Horace, 1844-1922
Language
The materials in the collection are in English.
Abstract
The G. Horace Tarr Letter, written May 4, 1863, gives a detailed eye-witness account of the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

This collection has been digitized and is available online.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], G. Horace Tarr Letter, Ms1987-028, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

A copy of the G. Horace Tarr Letter was donated to Special Collection in 1987. The original letter was donated in 1989.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the G. Horace Tarr Letter was completed in 1987. Additional description was completed in April 2011.


Biographical Note

G. Horace Tarr (also Horace G. Tarr and Horace G. H. Tarr) was born about 1844 in Missouri. During the American Civil War, he enlisted with Company K. 20th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry Volunteers in September 1862, around the age 17. Following Chancellorville, he was promoted to Sergeant Major; following Gettysburg, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He later served as Captain of Company F during the Atlanta campaign. He mustered out June 13, 1865. Following the war, Tarr worked as a engineer and manager for a series of businesses, including two iron companies (an industry in which his family was well established) and later, Otis Elevator Co., and several water utilities. By 1886, he was married with six children. Tarr died on March 2, 1922, at his home in Philadelphia. Although 78 years old at the time, he was still actively employed with the R. D. Wood & Co.

Tarr's name appears in 1863 and 1885 correspondence between Walt Whitman and his brother, Thomas Jefferson Whitman that suggests the Whitmans were on friendly terms with Tarr's uncle Moses Lane (1823-1882), and later Tarr himself.

Tarr died in 1922 and is buried with his wife Carolyn in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Source: "Capt. Horace G. H. Tarr" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49322668/horace-g_h-tarr .

Scope and Content

The G. Horace Tarr Letter collection contains a letter dated May 4, 1863, giving a detailed eye-witness account of the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Chancellorsville, Battle of, Chancellorsville, Va., 1863
  • Civil War
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the G. Horace Tarr Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).

Container List

folder 1
Letter
1863