Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the David W. Sharpe Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: David W. Sharpe Collection, Ms2019-010, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The David W. Sharpe Collection was purchased by Special Collections in 2017.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the David W. Sharpe Collection was completed in February 2019.

Biographical Note

David W. Sharpe enlisted in the Union Army on May 22, 1861. The same day he enlisted in the army, he mustered into the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery, Co. B. Sharpe mustered out of service on September 25, 1865 in Washington, D.C. Following the war, he worked as a laborer and supervisor in the bridge industry. He married Emily J. Sharpe. They had a daughter and a son. He died on April 13, 1926.

Scope and Content

The David W. Sharpe Collection consists of letter written by Sharpe to his brother, William Sharpe, his mother and his sisters from October 10, 1860 to May 10, 1865. The collection also includes a cabinet card of Private David W. Sharpe and an 1862 CSA almanac found at Yorktown. Topics in the letters include the Siege of Yorktown, the Seven Days Battle Campaign, and the Battle of Malvern Hill.

Arrangement Note

The David W. Sharpe Collection is arranged by type of material. Within the correspondence folders, materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• Correspondence
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental Histories