Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials
Conley, Isaiah, 1830-1901
Powell, Marjorie
Ms.2015.051
4.2 Cubic Feet
3 boxes
1862-2000s
The Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials includes two series of primary and secondary sources. Series I: Letters, Transcripts, and Narratives, includes 98 letters written by Isaiah Conley to his wife during his service in the 101st Pennsylvania Regiment between 1861 and 1865. This series also has unpublished and published versions of Conley's escape from Confederate captivity. Series II: Research Materials contains correspondence, photocopies, articles, maps, and research files for a history of the 101st Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry that was planned, but never completed, by a previous owner. This series dates from 1980s through the early 2000s.
English
.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials, Ms2015-051, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
The Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials was purchased by Special Collections in July 2015.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials was completed in March 2016. Digitization of the letters was completed in January 2016,.
Existence and Location of Copies
Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online.
Biographical Information
Isaiah Conley (1830-1901) was born in 1830 to Allen and Margaret Ellen McGrew Conley. By 1860, he was living in Somerset County, PA, with his wife, Caroline (Carrie) (1836-1907), and their young daughter Annie. Conley was a merchant when he enlisted with Company G, 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, late in 1861. Conley, originally a Second Lieutenant, was later promoted to Captain. The regiment saw action quickly, first joining the Peninsula Campaign, participating at Yorktown, Willliamsburg, and Fair Oaks between March 1862 and March 1863, After that, the regiment moved through Virginia into North Carolina, via Suffolk. In April of 1863 the entire regiment surrendered in Plymouth, North Carolina.
Conley's regiment was taken first to Andersonville, but he, along with the other officers, were soon transferred to a prison in Macon, Alabama. In October 1864, while being moved yet again, Conley and two other officers jumped from the train transporting them, and made their way back to Union forces. Conley's account of this escape is part of the collection. Conley appears to have returned to the remains of his regiment and continued to serve until the 101st PVI mustered out in July 1986.
After the war, he returned home to his family (his second child was born around the time he enlisted) and his job as a dry goods merchant. He and Caroline had at least 7 children: Annie (Anna) (1859-1900); Harrie (b. abt 1861); Emma (b. abt 1866); Edgar (b. abt 1868); Elsie (Clara) (1870-1903); May (b. abt. 1873); and Ella (Nellie) (1876-1892). He later served as a local judge. Conley died in 1901 and was buried in Schellsburg, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Scope and Content
The Isaiah Conley Civil War Correspondence and Research Materials includes two series of primary and secondary sources. Series I: Letters, Transcripts, and Narratives, includes 98 letters written by Isaiah Conley to his wife during his service in the 101st Pennsylvania Regiment. Letters were written primarily from Virginia, North Carolina,and South Carolina between 1861 and 1865. This series also has unpublished and published versions of Conley's escape from Confederate captivity. Series II: Research Materials contains correspondence, photocopies, articles, maps, and research files for a history of the 101st Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry that was planned, but never completed, by a previous owner. This series dates from 1980s through the early 2000s.
Please note: The collection included 2 3.5" disks with transcripts of the letters and 11 3.5" disks with transcripts of the escape narrative. The disks with the escape narrative transcripts were migrated to CD in July 2015. The floppy disks and the CDs can be found in the accession file and are available on request.
Arrangement
Series I: Letters, Transcripts, and Narratives, includes 98 letters written by Isaiah Conley to his wife during his service in the 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Letters were written primarily from Virginia, North Carolina,and South Carolina between 1861 and 1865. Conley's letters cover the majority of his service and contain information about the Peninsula Campaign (especially the Battle of Fair Oaks) and the Battle of Goldsboro Bridge. In addition, he writes of camp life, war hardships, picket duty, skirmishes and raids, building of fortifications, and his perspective on the South.
This series also has typescript version of Conley's escape from Confederate captivity with two fellow officers. After several months in prisons, they were being transferred to another location when they jumped from a train and made their way north. A version of this account was published in the
Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine in 1964 and a copy of the printed version is included in this series. Materials in this series are organized by type (letters, transcripts, and narratives). Within each type, folders are in chronological order.
Series II: Research Materials contains correspondence, photocopied materials, articles, maps, and research files for a history of the 101st Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry that was planned, but never completed, by a previous owner. This series dates from 1980s through the early 2000s.
A previous owner, Marjorie Powell, had acquired the letters and intended to write a history of Conley and the 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Much of the collection consist of her research files including correspondence with other researchers, files on Conley and other soldiers, general Civil War history, prison records, biographical information on other regimental staff, regimental histories/campaign histories, copies of photographs, and other accounts of the unit.
Materials in this series are in alphabetical order by folder title.
Correspondence
Civil War
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 101st (1861-1865)
Conley, Caroline, 1836-1907
Series I: Letters, Transcripts, and Narratives,1862-1865, n.d.Letters 1-10,18 March-20 April 186211Letters 11-20,24 April-29 May 186212Letters 21-30,1 June-27 July 186213Letters 31-40,n.d. (August?)-8 October 186214Letters 41-50,13 October-2 December 186215Letters 51-60,23 December 1862-8 April 186316Letters 61-70,28 April-30 July 186317Letters 71-80,5 August-25 November 186318Letters 81-90,10 January 1864-8 March 186519Letters 91-100,27 March-2 July 1865110Transcripts: Letters 1-10111Transcripts: Letters 11-20112Transcripts: Letters 21-30113Transcripts: Letters 31-40114Transcripts: Letters 41-50115Transcripts: Letters 51-60116Transcripts: Letters 61-70117Transcripts: Letters 71-80118Transcripts: Letters 81-90119Transcripts: Letters 91-100120Account of Isaiah Conley's Escape121Account of Isaiah Conley's Escape (Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine),April 1964122Series II: Research Materials,1980s-2000sAddresses and Contact Information123Andersonville Prison Records124Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York,1897125Autobiography of General O. O. Howard126Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines127Battle of Plymouth Living History Weekend,10-12 April 1992128Bedford and Somerset Counties129Bertie County's Union Servicemen130Campaigns of the Civil War, vol. VIII131Certificate of Appointment to Isaiah Conley to the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry,21 January 1863132Chapter XV (About Confederate Statistics)133Civil War Diary Article Copies,1955, 5 April 1957134Civil War Echo Bookseller List135Civil War Equipment136Civil War in North Carolina by John G Barrett1963137Civil War Organizations138Civil War Units, Part 3139Correspondence: Letters between Robin Jacobs and Others,1993, 1997-1998, 2000, 2004140Correspondence: Letters from Majorie Powell,1989-2000141Correspondence: Letters on Conley's Correspondence, Unknown Author142Correspondence: Letters to Majorie Powell,1983-1992143Correspondence: Letters to Debbie Miller White,1992, 1996, 1997144Correspondence: Letters to Majorie Powell,1993-1995145Correspondence: Letters to Majorie Powell,1996-2000, n.d.146Correspondence: Letters to Majorie Powell, Cards and Envelopes 147Culpepper County Chamber of Commerce 148Culpepper County Information149Dedication of the Memorial, Andersonville, Georgia,1905150Diary of S.J. Gibson,1864151Disease in the Civil War, Natural Biological Warfare,1968152From the Flag to the Cross; or Scenes and Incidents of Christianity in War,1872153Gaston House Hotel154Genealogy Home Page155Georgia Civil War Information 156Harrison, History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties157Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions158History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties159History of Pennsylvania Volunteers160History of the Presidental Election, 1864161History of Somerset County162Information from Ellen Zyroff, the Reference Desk163Information on Bedford County Soliders' Monument164Kennedy Farm165Lampher Papers166Legal Documents (Conely's and Others)167Library of Congress, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers168Lineage of the Conley Family169Letters: Copies of Letters1863170Letters: Sullivan Ballou Letter171Magazines: Civil War Times, vol. XXXII, no. 1 and 2March-June 1993172Maps: Arlington, Va21Maps: Civil War Battlefield 22Maps: County of Culpepper, Va23Maps: Pennsylvania Section24Maps: National Parks25Maps: National Parks, Gettysburg 26Maps: Sight Seeing27Maps: State Maps28Maps: Tarboro, NC29Maps: Whitehall, NC210Marshall House 211McCellan's Plantation Article from Civil War Times Illustrated,Jan-Feb 1994212Fort Bedford Museum and Old Bedford Village213Port O' Plymouth Roanoke River Museum214Michigan in the War,1880215Michigan Volunteers216Military Affairs in Pennsylvania,1861-1865217Military Biography of the Civil War, vol. 1218Military Biographies219Military History, Owen's Books220Military History Institute 221Military Service History222Misc. Papers (n.d.)223Morningside Titles224Muster Rolls, 101st and 108th Regiment225Newsletter,Summer 1992226Newspaper Titles, Abbreviations, and Dates Surveyed 227Newspapers: Bedford Gazette,1904 and 1995228Newspapers: Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, vol. XVI, no. 407,18 July 1863229Newspaper: LSU Press, Civil War Book Sale,1987230Newspaper: New York Tribune, 9 July 1863231Newspaper: The New York Herald (Reprint)15 April 1865232North Carolina and S.E. Virginia, ch. XXX233North Carolina Historical Review234Notes: Genealogy 235Notes: Index Cards236Notes (2 folders)237-38Pennsylvania Regiments239Painting Description of "Bring Up Your Troops, Gentlemen"240Pamphlets: Regulation for Public Use of the National Archives and Military Service 241Pamphlets: Santos Miniatures, Mail Order Catalog 242Pamphlets: The NC Historical Review, vol. LXXII, no. 2,April 1995243Peninsular Campaign, Va, ch. XXIII244Pennsylvania Historical Museum Overview245Photos (2 folders)246-47Photos: Copies248Photos: Negatives249Photocopies of Conley's Letters250Pioneer Library251Plymouth Pilgrims 252Plymouth Pilgrims Descendent Society253Prisoners of War254Records from Bedford County1800s255Record Groups in the Pennsylvania Archives Guide256Records of the County Governments257Records of the Municipal Governments258Regimental Histories259Regimental Histories: 101st and 102nd260Regimental Losses in the American Civil War261Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics262Schellsburg Cemetery 263State Archives of Pennsylvania Information 264Tales of Old Monroe, no. 1-8265Tales of Old Monroe, no. 9-15266The Capture of Plymouth 267The Siege and Capture of Plymouth 268Trinity Lutheran's, 175th Anniversary 269Veteran Records from the National Archives270"Voices from Plymouth" vol.1-2, no. 1-8,1996-1997271"Voices from Plymouth" vol.3-4, no. 9-16,1998-1999272"Voices from Plymouth" vol.5-6, no. 17-24,2000-2001273"Voices from Plymouth" vol.7-8, no. 25-32,2002-2003274"Voices from Plymouth" vol.9-10, no. 33 and 34,2004-2005275War of the Rebellion 276Web Printouts277Web Printouts: US Civil War Center278Western Pennsylvania Genealogy Society279Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine280Yahoo! Search Information2812nd Regiment, North Carolina and New York28210th Regiment28324th Regiment28455th Regiment28576th Regiment28683rd-104th Regiment 28785th Regiment28885th Regiment: History28985th Regiment: Muster Dates and Remarks29096th Regiment29199th-107th Pennsylvania Infantry Summaries292101st Regiment31101st Regiment: Bibliography32101st Regiment: Death Notice33101st Regiment: Further Reading, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion 34101st Regiment: History35101st Regiment: History of the 101st Regiment 36101st Regiment: Information37101st Regiment: Letters of Edward Nicolas Boots38101st Regiment: Name List of the Infantry39101st Regiment: Porter Boys of Co. H310101st Regiment: Roster311101st Regiment: Volunteers Mentioned in Isaiah Conley's Letters312103rd Regiment313103rd Regiment: History314104th Regiment315108th Regiment (11th Cavalry)316131st-138th Regiment: History317138th Regiment318138th Regiment: Three Year Service319Notebooks, n.d.320-26Card Files (People)n.d.3Card Files (Places, Army Units, Ships, and Misc.)n.d.3