George W. Grant papers, 1861-1892

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Summary

Creator:
Grant, George W., 1842-1901
Abstract:
George W. Grant was an officer in the United States Army's 88th regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers in the American Civil War. He was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg and spent the remainder of the war imprisoned in various Confederate prisons, including Libby Prison. This collection contains letters between Grant and his family in Reading, Pennsylvania, as well as several small diaries with daily entries about his activities while in prison.
Extent:
0.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.13176

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains assorted letters received and sent by Union officer George W. Grant to his parents, James A. and Ann Grant, and his sister, Mary J. Grant, in Reading, Pennsylvania. There are also several small diaries kept by Grant during his imprisonment in the Confederacy after being captured at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Post-war materials largely relate to veterans activities.

Topics discussed in the collection include Grant's movements with the 88th Pennsylvania Infantry; camp life and activities; battle of Chancellorsville and descriptions of Fredericksburg, Virginia; pay and furloughs; and a recounting of his march to Libby Prison following his capture. Prisons where Grant was held include: Libby Prison, in Richmond, Va.; Prison No. 1 at Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, Georgia; Roper Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina; and Confederate Military Prison in Columbia, South Carolina. Once imprisoned, Grant writes about his fellow prisoners, including a few lines about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker; prisoner recreation, including church services, reading groups, and a debate group ("Libby Lyceum"); marches between the various prisons where he was held; prisoner escapes and rumors; health; and poor diet (often, "no meat").

Biographical / historical:

George Washington Grant (1824-1901) was born to parents James A. and Ann E. Grant in Reading, Pennsylvania. Along with his parents, Grant's family included siblings Mary J. (Grant) Ruth, Charles A. Grant, and Alice Grant. In the 1860 U.S. Census, he is listed as a machinist.

At the start of the American Civil War, Grant enlisted in Company G, Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers; he reenlisted in Company B, 88th Pennsylvania Volunteers in summer of 1861. By April 1863, he was commissioned first lieutenant. Grant was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, and spent the remainder of the Civil War as a prisoner in Libby Prison (Richmond, Virginia), as well as in Confederate prison camps in Danville, Virginia; Macon, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Columbia, South Carolina. He was finally released in April 1865.

Following the war, Grant returned to Reading where he worked as a postmaster. He later moved to Minnesota and died 1901 April 11. He is buried in Minneapolis.

Acquisition information:
The George W. Grant Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 1955.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, December 2025

Accessions described in this collection guide: 1955-2-4.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], George W. Grant Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1b45n