Letter written by Union occupation soldier John Stagenwalt

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A letter written by John Stagenwalt, a 1st U.S. Infantry soldier stationed at New Orleans during its occupation by the Union Army. Written in brown ink on one sheet of lined wove paper folded to form four pages, the letter is addressed to John Sheaffer, of Bareville, Leacock Township, Pennsylvania, with the salutation [Dear Father]. At top right is [New Orleans July 30 1866]. In the letter, written on the same day as the New Orleans Massacre, Stagenwalt mentions the election writing "There is an ellection in New Orleans today. There is a great ecsitement prevails throughout camp about the result of the ellection." He signs off on the third page, "Your affectionate son." The last page has only some numerical markings in graphite.

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