Michigan in the Civil War
Browse by Name: Withington, William Herbert
McCreery family
This collections is available online.
William M. Fenton, from the family papers
The McCreery and Fenton families were prominent Genesee County, Mich., residents some of whose members distinguished themselves in local and state government, as soldiers during the Civil War, and in the United States diplomatic service.
William M. Fenton series:
William M. Fenton (1808-1871), for whom the city of Fenton, Mich., was named, was a lawyer, state senator (1846), lieutenant governor (1848, re-elected 1850), mayor of Flint (1858), and Democratic candidate for governor (1864). During the Civil War, although in his fifties, Fenton raised some of the first troops in the state. His initial appointment was as major in the 7th Michigan Infantry. He later transferred to command of the 8th Michigan Infantry. In 1863, he was discharged with the rank of colonel.The William M. Fenton series of the collection includes a record book of the 8th Michigan Infantry (Aug. 1861-Mar. 1863) official correspondence, orders, and rosters of the regiment, Fenton's reminiscence of the 1863 South Carolina expedition (typescript only), and letters and a diary of a number of soldiers:
Horatio Belcher, from Wells B. Fox,
What I Remember of the Great Rebellion.
Lansing, Mich., 1892.
William E. Christian, of Genesee County, Mich. One letter (Aug. 8, 1861) regarding a commission. Christian served in Company G, 8th Michigan Infantry.
Richard N. Doyle, of Greeneville, Mich. He served in Company H, 8th Michigan Infantry. Three letters (Dec. 3, 1862 and Aug. 11 and Oct. 24, 1863).
Ralph Ely, from Wells B. Fox, What I
Remember of the Great Rebellion.
Lansing, Mich., 1892.
Asa Gregory, of Flint, Mich. One letter (June 19, 1861) regarding a commission. Gregory served as first lieutenant and quartermaster in the 8th Michigan Infantry.
David E. Harbaugh. One letter (Sept. 11, 1861) regarding a commission. He served as first lieutenant and adjutant in the 8th Michigan Infantry.
William Humphrey, of Adrian, Mich., colonel of the 2nd Michigan Infantry. One letter (Mar. 1, 1864).
Edward Marine. One letter (May 15, 1861) regarding a commission. His unit has not been identified.
Charles H. McCreery,
from the family papers
William Wheeler, of Genesee County, Mich., He served in Company G, 8th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 28, 1864).
William H Withington, of Jackson, Mich., colonel of the 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Apr. 16, 1863) regarding Fenton's resignation.
William B. McCreery series:
William B. McCreery (center)
with two unidentified
sergeants,
from the family papers
The William B. McCreery series of the collection includes orders and official correspondence of the 21st Michigan Infantry, two letters from McCreery (Aug. 6, 1862 and June 21, 1864), and letters from several other soldiers:
John Avery, of Otisco, Mich., surgeon of the 21st Michigan Infantry. One letter (Oct. 12, 1864).
Seymour Chase, of Cannonsburg, Mich., major commanding the 21st Michigan Infantry. One letter (Oct. 15, 1863) from Chattanooga describing McCreery's capture.
Emil Flaten, of Saginaw County, Mich. One letter (Dec. 17, 1861) from Washington, D.C. Flaten served in Company H, 2nd Michigan Infantry.
Dr. C. C. Jackson. One letter (Sept. 12, 1864) from Lookout Mountain. His unit has not been identified.
Charles H. McCreery, captain, of the 8th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 6, 1864), from outside Petersburg, Va.
Orlando B. Willcox, from Byron M.
Cutcheon, Story of the
Twentieth Michigan Infantry. Lansing, Mich.,
1904.
Reuben McCreery series:
The Reuben McCreery series of the collection contains one letter (Oct. 14, 1863) from Allen B. Morse, of Ionia, Mich., lieutenant, of the 21st Michigan Infantry, describing William McCreery's capture, and one letter (Oct. 28, 1863) from McCreery in Libby Prison to his father.
Ada Fenton McCreery series:
The Ada Fenton McCreery series of the collection contains six letters (Apr. 30, 1862-July 12, 1863 and July 1, 1864) from William McCreery to his wife.
This collection is available on microfilm for interlibrary loan.
Withington, William Herbert, 1835-1903.
This collections is available online.
Orlando B. Willcox, from Byron M. Cutcheon, Story of the Twentieth Michigan Infantry. Lansing, Mich.: Robert Smith Print. Co., 1904.
Correspondence (1861-1863). Ten letters written by him to members of his family in which he describes Arlington house and grounds, lists some of the men wounded at Bull Run, comments on Colonel Willcox and General McClellan and the battle of Fredericksburg. There are sixty-four letters to him from Governor and Mrs. Blair, friends, and men from his regiment. There is also a typed copy of his experiences as a war prisoner. Withington, of Jackson, Mich., was captain of Company B, 1st Michigan Infantry, 1861; wounded and taken prisoner at Bull Run, exchanged January, 1862; colonel of the 17th Michigan Infantry, August, 1862; discharged in March, 1863; brevet brigadier general, U.S. Volunteers, for conspicuous gallantry at the Battle of South Mountain, Md., September 14, 1862.
The collection also contains letters from a number of other soldiers:
Benjamin B. Baker, of Jackson, Mich., lieutenant, later captain of Company K, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 30, 1862) from Jackson, Mich.
Jonathan D. Bevier, of Grand Rapids, Mich., surgeon of 17th Michigan Infantry. Four letters: Mar. 7, 1863, from Grand Rapids, Mich.; May 13, 1863, from Columbus, Ky.; June 19, 1863, from near Vicksburg, Miss.; Aug. 2, 1863, from Milldale, Miss.
Julius C. Burrows, of Kalamazoo, Mich., captain of Company D, 17th Michigan Infantry. Four letters: Feb. 10, 1863, from Missionville?; Apr. 9, 1863, from Lebanon, Ky.; May 3, 1863, from Columbus, Ky.; Sept. 26, 1864, from Kalamazoo, Mich.
J. P. C. Church, of Jackson, Mich., 1st lieutenant in Company H, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 17, 1862) from camp near Falmouth, Va.
Gabriel M. Decker, of Hillsdale, Mich., formerly 2nd lieutenant in Company H, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Nov. 19, 1863) from Louisville, Ky.
Charles A. Edmonds, of Quincy, Mich., captain of company H, 17th Michigan Infantry, later in 50th Company, 2nd Battalion, Invalid Corps. Three letters: Dec. 2 and 18, 1862, from Quincy, Mich.; Sept. 27, 1863, from York, Pa.
Charles Ford, of Jackson, Mich., 1st lieutenant and quartermaster in 17th Michigan Infantry, later captain in Invalid Corps. Four letters: Feb. 17, 1863, from Kalamazoo, Mich.; Oct. 20, 1863 and June 4 and 12, 1864, from Philadelphia, Pa.
Charles E. Galligan, of Kalamazoo, Mich., formerly of Company I, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Aug. 23, 1864) from Decatur, Mich.
William C. Gunnell, engineer in charge of the defenses of Washington north of the Potomac.One letter (Aug. 31, 1862).
William Jacques, possibly William Jock, of Detroit, Mich., who served in Company F, 17th Michigan Infantry. Three letters: Apr. 19, 1863, from Lebanon, Ky; Oct. 26, 1863, from Louisville, Ky.; Feb. 1864, from Taylor Army Hospital, Louisville.
John Jones, of Dundee, Mich., member of company C, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Apr. 13, 1863) from Lebanon, Ky.
Constant Luce, of Monroe, Mich., colonel of 17th Michigan Infantry. Two letters (Apr. 5 and 9, 1863) from Lebanon, Ky.
G. Collins Lyon, of Jackson, Mich., major in 17th Michigan Infantry, later commanding District of Indiana and Michigan. Five letters: Feb. 19, 1862, from Camp Whittelsey, Laurel, Md.; Nov. 16, 1862, from Canandaigua, Mich.; Feb. 5, 1863, from Camp Pittman near Falmouth, Va.; June 4, 1863, from Lexington, Ky.; Aug. 4, 1863, from Indianapolis.
George S. Newman, of Detroit, Mich., lieutenant in Company F, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Mar. 30, 1863) from Honey Creek, Wis.
Delos Phillips, of Ypsilanti, Mich., captain of Company D, 17th Michigan Infantry. Two letters: Dec. 18, 1863, from near Blaine's Cross Roads, Tenn.; July 30, 1864, from Jackson, Mich.
Christian Rath, of Jackson, Mich., lieutenant in Company I, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (May 17, 1863), from Columbus, Ky., written to Colonel Withington. It contains news of the regiment and of some of the men. Rath was commissioned captain in 1863, wounded in action at Antietam, taken prisoner at Spotsylvania and escaped the same day, was on the staff of General Wilcox in 1864-1865, and made brevet major and brevet lieutenant colonel in 1865.
John H. Ripley, of Adrian, Mich., worked at the Adjutant General's Office, Washington, D.C. He was formerly a member of Company A, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 13, 1862) from Washington.
William W. Thayer, of Battle Creek, Mich., formerly captain of Company K, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Dec. 16, 1863).
James H. Tuttle, of Jackson, Mich., sergeant in Company K, 17th Michigan Infantry. One letter (Aug. 22, 1862), from Jackson, Mich.
John Tyler, of Detroit, Mich., captain of Company G, 17th Michigan Infantry and later appointed to Veteran Reserve Corps.Six letters (Jan. 14, Feb. 22, July 30, Sept. 6 and 20, and Oct. 1, 1864), written from Detroit, three of which concern the deaths of William and Alexander Jacques whose father has asked Colonel Withington to ascertain the particulars. Tyler was wounded in action at Campbell Station in Nov., 1863. After the war, he was in the regular army, 1866-1874.
Orlando B. Willcox, brigadier general commanding 1st Division, 9th Army Corps. One letter (Apr. 3, 1863) from Detroit, Mich.
William Winegar, of Grass Lake, Mich., 2nd lieutenant in Company F, 17th Michigan Infantry. Two letters (Nov. 24 and Dec. 9, 1862) written from Grass Lake, Mich. to Colonel Withington. In one he talks about recruiting and in the other recommends a chaplain for the regiment. Winegar was later first lieutenant in Company H, and captain in Company K, 17th Michigan Infantry. He was also commissary of subsistence, and commissary of muster on General Hascall's staff during Oct. and Nov. 1863, being discharged for disability in Dec. 1863.
This collection is available on microfilm for interlibrary loan.