Richard H. Adams, Jr. papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Military Institute Archives
Preston Library
Virginia Military Institute
345 Letcher Ave.
Lexington, VA 24450-0304
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Jeffrey S. Kozak
Phone: (540) 464-7516
Phone: (540) 464-7566
Fax: (540) 464-7089
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions

Terms of access:

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Preferred citation:

Richard H. Adams, Jr. papers, 1862-1866. MS 0358. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
0.25 cubic feet approximately 80 items
Creator:
Adams, Richard H., Jr. (Richard Henry), 1841-1896 and Adams, Lottie P. (Lottie Putnam)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Richard H. Adams, Jr. papers, 1862-1866. MS 0358. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

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."

Biographical / historical:

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.

Physical location:
Manuscripts stacks