Omeka collection of E.W. Fuller letters

Title

Omeka collection of E.W. Fuller letters

Description

These objects were gathered for an online presentation of a copy of Flora's Dictionary contained in the Cox Family Papers and Washington University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. What is unique about the dictionary is that it contains 7 letters from Captain E.W. Fuller of the Confederate States Army, who was a prisoner of war from April-July 1863.

Contributor

Cheryl Gunselman
Steven Bingo
Flora's Dictionary cover
Cover of Flora's Dictionary, a book in which E.W. Fuller wrote his letters to his wife, Mary B. Fuller of St. Martinsville, Louisiana.
Captain E.W. Fuller's Signature
Captain E.W. Fuller's signature, on the front free endpaper.
Captain E.W. Fuller letter to the reader, introduction

[Transcript]
[E.W. Fuller's statement about the volume and the letters within]

In prison at Fort Delaware on the 14th of June A.D. 1863

This Dictionary was delivered to Capt Emelius W Fuller of the Confederate Army by Dr. Avery while detained…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 1, page 1

[Transcript]
[in margin:] To Mrs Mary B Fuller St Martinsville La

This Book was presented to Capt E W Fuller while he was a Prisoner of War in New Orleans La on the 18th of April 1863 by an Unknown Lady Friend

Mrs Mary B Fuller

Dear Wife…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 1, page 2

[Transcript]

officers that had been captured at different places. The next day after my arrival at that prison I was taken sick and was soon unable to sit up. I was very sick for two weeks high fever for eight days my skin became as yellow as an…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 1, page 3

[Transcript]
me on the subject that he had too much on hand to say more then, by description Mr Brooks is over fifty years old. I believe he is your Uncle Abijah. I had thought it was his Son your Cousin, but I believe him to be your Uncle, if you…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 2, page 1

[Transcript]
No. 2

Dear Wife-

On the 3rd of June I left New Orleans in company with 49 other Confederate Officers Old [Le Clair?] Fuseliers being one of them as we thought for New York on the Steamer Catawba, the Sixth Regiment New York…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 2, page 2

[Transcript]

River emties, this seemed to indicate that we were to be exchanged and filled every heart with pleasure. We were transferred to the Steamer Utica upon which we remained one day & night, when we were transferred, to the Steamer Maple…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 2, page 3

[Transcript]
we heard a [rush?] and the affair was done, the Confederates had overpowered the guard and had the boat. I hardly knew what to do, or think in five minutes a number of the Confederates, came to me and insisted that I should take charge…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 2, page 4

[Transcript]
plan of the Yankee Captain, upon the Condition that he should swear to proceed directly on his voyage to Fort Delaware and not report what had happened until his arrival there, this would have given them one full day before the Federals…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 1

[Transcript]
No. 3

Mrs Mary B Fuller St Martinsville La-

Dear Wife & children-

My last letter informed you that I had staid on board of the Federal Steamer Maple Leaf when I had an opportunity to leave her. Well to resume my narrative. The…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 2

[Transcript]
two other officers besides & several of the boats crew were also sent for I was the last one that had an audience with Col Ludlow, who made inquiries as to the cause of the escapade, if it was not caused by negligent guarding &c, of…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 3

[Transcript]
from Fortress Monroe for Fort Delaware where we Safely arrived after 24 hours [more?]. While coming up Delaware Bay & river I was struck with the great number of vessels in sight, scarcely less than fifty being in sight at a time & this…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 4

[Transcript]

even while writheing with the pain of wounds received from Union bullets, hoped that the Union would yet be reestablished, not by force but by an honorable compromise that would secure the rights of all, but the treatment I am now…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 5

[Transcrip]

seven or eight thousand shots were fired at me. I escaped, again when I was blown up on the Queen of the West, five hundred pounds of gun powder and nearly an hundred shells exploding just under my feet, as I was ascending enveloped…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 3, page 6

[Transcript]

are confined and sentenced to be shot in four or five days. I am informed that they attempted to desert from the Army, even this change was a relief to me as there was light and company. Several Confederate officers were in adjoining…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 4, page 1

[Transcript]

Mrs Mary B Fuller St Martinsville La

Dear Wife

Another day has come June the 15th 1863. I am not very well but not really sick, I slept tolerably well and this morning am up and have looked over part of my clothes to clean them…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 4, page 2

[Transcript]

soldiers, two small crackers & about two ounces of meat, for dinner & supper, about the same for breakfast- my God talk of short rations in the Confederacy you have no idea there what it means, we are promised better treatment but I…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 4, page 3

[Transcript]

I hope for the honor of the Government it is the latter, gnawing hunger is our companion, another abuse is that the water for cooking is taken within a few feet say 40 or 50, of the necessary used by four or five thousand men, the…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 4, page 4

[Transcript]

The Genl construed this as showing a bad spirit and ordered us into close confinement, we are again in the same room I last occupied.

17th
Wednesday 11 Oclock A.M. up to this time we have had nothing to eat since yesterday, there…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 5, page 1

[Transcript]

Mrs Mary B Fuller, St Martinsville La
June 19th 1863, at Fort Delaware War Prison

Dear Wife

The Pennsylvanians are [convulsed?] with fear at the threatened invasion of the state the paper of the 16 & 17 appeal franticly for the…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 5, page 2

[Transcript]

Army near Harrisburg.

The evening has arrived the discipline has been made more rigorous, I was prohibited from looking out of the window, yesterday and today I have tried to save part of my rations and give it to a hungry man,…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 6, page 1

[Transcript]

Fort Delaware June 24th 1863
Mrs Mary B Fuller St Martinsville La

Dear Wife-

I have ommitted to write for over two days- as I had nothing of importance to write, but we were returned to the Fort yesterday and closely confined-…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 6, page 2

[Transcript]

cause of our reconfinement in close quarters is the discovery of the escape of an Lieut Col named Brewery who must have escaped before I was with the other officers as I never saw him.

June 30
I have been quite sick for several…

Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 7, page 1

[Transcript]

Fort Delaware July 4th 1863

Mrs Mary B Fuller St Martinsville La

Dear Wife

I have been confined to my bed very sick for several days, today I feel a little better but cant sit up much, my fellow prisoners were very kind but…

E. W. (Emelius Woods) Fuller
This portrait of E. W. Fuller depicts Captain Emelius Woods Fuller of the Confederate Army seated and wearing a sash containing Freemason symbols. "Hon: E. W. Fuller / St. Marinsville, LA" is written in the margin along the bottom edge of the print.
Flora's Dictionary cover detail
Close up of a hole in the cover of Flora's Dictionary, a book in which E.W. Fuller wrote his letters to his wife, Mary B. Fuller of St. Martinsville, Louisiana.
Flora's Dictionary page detail
Detail from page of Flora's Dictionary, a book in which E.W. Fuller wrote his letters to his wife, Mary B. Fuller of St. Martinsville, Louisiana. This detail is from the corner of the page and features a floral pattern used to frame the page's text.
Flora's Dictionary spine
Spine of Flora's Dictionary, a book in which E.W. Fuller wrote his letters to his wife, Mary B. Fuller of St. Martinsville, Louisiana.
Captain E.W. Fuller letter to Mary Fuller, letter 2, page 1 detail
This is the salutation of a letter from Captain Emelius Woods Fuller to his wife Mary Haskell Fuller. The letter is dated June 3 and is contained in a volume of Flora's Dictionary Fuller received while a prisoner of war in New Orleans. Fuller, a…