Richard G. Lay letters, 1860-1869.

Links

• View catalog record

Creator

Lay, Richard G.

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division

Extent

• 24 items (1 folder).

Access Restrictions

Restricted access; Manuscripts and Archives Division; Permit must be requested at the division indicated.

Scope/Contents Note

The collection consists of 24 letters (3 are fragments), most of them written by Lay to his wife Carrie in 1863 and1865 from locations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvaniadescribing his service as an officer in the 3rd U.S. Infantry. Letters concern army life, his health, and family matters. Letters from 1863 mention the battle of Chancellorsville and Lee's retreat from Gettysburg. Letters from 1865 concern his regiment's service guarding General Meade's headquarters; the pursuit of Lee's army towards Lynchburg, Virginia; Lincoln's assassination and the reaction of Southerners to the end of the war. The collection also includes an undated wartime letter from his father, a letter addressed to his father regarding Lay,and a postwar letter from Lay to his wife.

Biographical/Historical Note

Richard Gregory Lay was a lieutenant in the U.S. Regulars at the start of the Civil War. He was promoted to captain in 1862, brevet major in 1863 and lieutenant colonel in 1865. He resigned from the Army in 1870. His family apparently resided in the New York City area; the letters include mention of Flatlands (Brooklyn).

Controlled Access Terms

• United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 3rd.
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.
• Soldiers.