The four brothers of the Downs family of Westville, Connecticut served in the Union Army during the Civil War. At the start of the war, two of the four Downs brothers, Edward and Albert, joined the 6th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers and were sent to South Carolina. Frederick, living in Iowa at the time, enlisted with the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers and served in the Western Theater. Willie began his service with the 27th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, but apparently returned home in 1863 after a medical discharge. Joining the United States Navy in 1864, Willie participated in the Union blockade of the South. Unfortunately, the letters give no indication of what happened to the brothers after the war.
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Downs family correspondence, Ms. 79.8, Brown University Library.
In addition to covering the three major theaters of operation during the Civil War, the Downs letters also deal with such topics as camp life, battles and campaigns, family matters, Confederate soldiers and deserters, the Southern countryside, and Union military leadership. Many letters are accompanied by their original envelopes, including some with patriotic covers. Additional envelopes can be found together in a packet in Box 4. Also included in the collection are a photograph, a cloth fragment, and an advertisement card.
The collection has been arranged into 2 series:
Series 1 is further divided into 3 subseries which reflect each theater of the Civil War. The letters in each subseries are arranged chronologically. The first subseries of correspondence contains the letters written by Albert and Edward from the Eastern Theater; the second covers Frederick's position in the Western Theater; Willie's naval experience is described in the third subseries:
Series 2 contains both miscellaneous items and a packet of unattached envelopes. Subseries are divided as follows:
The provenance of the collection is unknown, but it appears the library received the letters as a unit, with the exception of one letter and the cloth fragment which were purchased from C.E.H. Whitlock in 1955. It is entirely possible, but not certain, that the library purchased the entire collection sometime earlier from this same source.
Brown University Library catalog record for this collection:
Resources beyond Brown:
Albert and Edward Downs were members of the 6th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, and served most of the war along the coast of South Carolina. Near the end of the war, their unit moved north and the brothers saw action in Wilmington, North Carolina, and in the Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia area.
Camp life and family matters are the main topics of conversation.
An account of the Union naval attack on Port Royal, South Carolina is given, and the Union camp and fortifications on Hilton Head Island are described. The November 16th letter discusses slaves found on the island. The November 17th letter contains a drawing by Albert showing the Union fleet formation in the Port Royal attack.
Letters are about camp life, fortifications on Hilton Head, and the surrounding countryside.
Descriptions of their stay on a Union steamer.
Letters deal mainly with an expedition on the Savannah River. Albert writes of Confederate prisoners in the March 18th letter.
General Sherman is mentioned in Albert's letter of April 6th. The April 21st letter includes a few comments on Confederate deserters from Savannah.
Camp life is the main topic of conversation. Both brothers also discuss the possibility of the war being over soon.
Vivid description of a skirmish with the Confederates.
Most of the letters deal with camp life, but the letter of July 4th describes the Union evacuation of James Island, SC.
Camp life and the general military situation are discussed. Letter of September 4th mentions relations between officers and enlisted men. Albert, in his September 17th letter, discusses Union military leadership and criticizes General Alexander Pope.
Albert mentions General Pope in letter of October 17th. Letters of October 24th and 25th detail a Union expedition on the South Carolina mainland. Other letters deal with camp life and family matters.
Albert's letter of November 22nd speaks of "the ruthless hand of war" and "Northern Enterprise". Both men report a lull in the fighting.
All of the letters deal with camp life. Albert writes of his low opinion of politics in his December 19th letter.
Camp life on New Year's Day is described in January 2nd letter. Letter of January 15th contains a description of Confederate troops. Conversations between pickets are mentioned in January 26th letter.
Letters describe buildup of Union forces on Hilton Head Island, SC and possible attack on Savannah. Albert describes his feelings toward local Blacks in February 22nd letter.
Albert writes of a forthcoming Union expedition and of his trip to Jacksonville. Letter of March 27th describes the ragged appearance of several Confederate prisoners.
Letter of May 10th describes Albert's bitterness towards England's "neutrality". He also included a newspaper clipping with a brief verse about England.
Camp life is discussed. The "Savannah Ram," a Confederate gunboat, is mentioned passim.
Both Edward and Albert write of the Union attack on Morris Island, SC.
The Union siege of Morris Island is discussed.
Camp life is discussed. General Rosecrans is briefly mentioned in Albert's letter of September 29th.
Camp life, family matters, and general military news are discussed.
Albert's letters of November 10th and November 15th mention Confederate deserters. Edward's letter of November 15th contains a scribbled drawing of a smoking pipe. Letter of November 25th describes Thanksgiving Day for the soldiers.
Camp life and new enlistments are the main topics mentioned throughout the letters.
New Year's Day is described in letter of January 1st. Letter of January 18th describes an expedition into North Carolina.
The letters describe the Union advance on Wilmington, NC. Albert, in February 28th letter, also mentions his brief trip home.
Other than camp life, the letters of March 1st and 13th mention the Union campaign in Florida. Edward's letter of March 17th mentions General Sherman and also the local Blacks around Wilmington, North Carolina.
Animosity between white and black troops is mentioned in letters of April 13th and 16th. Letter of April 16th also describes the execution of two Union deserters. A poem and a photograph are also included in this folder, sent by Albert sometime in late April. The poem is about the recent death of one of Albert's commanding officers. (It is assumed the photograph is of the same officer.)
The letters all deal with the heavy fighting taking place in Virginia. Letters of May 17th deal specifically with Edward's part in the fighting. The situation around Petersburg and Richmond is discussed througout the letters.
The Union position around Petersburg is discussed. The letters of June 13th, 23rd, and 24th mention Abraham Lincoln and his visit to the Petersburg camp.
Albert and Edward write of Confederate deserters, the Petersburg siege, and camp life during the siege.
The fighting around Petersburg is the main topic of the letters.
Both brothers speak of their unit leaving Petersburg for an unknown destination. Letters of September 9th and 17th give a description of a Union fortification.
Albert writes of his stay in a nearby hospital, while Edward speaks of the fighting around Richmond.
The letters deal with camp life and the situation around Richmond.
Fresh recruits, camp life, and family matters are topics mentioned in the letters. General Sherman is mentioned passim. in this folder.
The Union attack on Wilmington, North Carolina is described. Albert mentions General Robert E. Lee in his letter of January 4th.
Albert's letter of February 7th discusses Union troops from the West. Remaining letters discuss the Wilmington campaign and the eventual capture of the city.
Letters deal with local military operations and camp life. The March 1st letter deals with the appearance of Union prisoners upon their release.
The end of the war is discussed. Albert writes of the sadness felt around camp after Lincoln's assassination.
Albert and Edward write anxiously of going home. Camp life is discussed. Jeff Davis is mentioned in Albert's letter of May 22nd.
The letters reflect the brothers' frustration at not being discharged. Discontent among the soldiers is discussed.
Edward writes of Albert's discharge and departure, and waits eagerly for his turn.
This folder contains twelve undated letters, a cloth fragment from a flag, and a letter from Albert explaining the significance of the fragment. See C.E.H. Whitlock letter of March 1, 1955, in Collection File for purchase information.
Frederick joined the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers and saw action in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. His letters contain accounts of fighting at Corinth and Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Frederick writes of camp life after joining the 10th Regiment of Iowa Volunteers.
Local military operations and the surrounding countryside are the main subjects.
The fighting around Corinth, Mississippi and the Confederate evacuation of Corinth are mentioned in several letters. Frederick also discusses the general military activity in the West.
Frederick writes of the strong Confederate position at Vicksburg, and in his letters of January 7th and March 29th, complains of the lack of good military leadership.
"Copperhead" are mentioned in letter of September 2nd. Letter of October 17th mentions Confederate guerillas. Frederick writes of fighting at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee in December 17th letter.
Local Union strategy and fortifications are discussed throughout the letters. Frederick mentions local Union supporters in Cleveland, Tennessee in letter of February 25th.
Frederick mentions "copperheads" in August 1st letter. General Grant is discussed in both letters.
Frederick describes Savannah, Georgia and mentions General Sherman's march across the state in letter of January 15th, 1865. The 1869 letter concerns family matters.
This folder contains an undated letter from Frederick, written from the vicinity of Corinth, Mississippi. He mentions his recent illness and local military operations.
Willie first enlisted in the 27th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers and saw action in Virginia, notably in the fighting around Fredericksburg in 1862. Apparently receiving a medical discharge in 1863, Willie later joined the United States Navy and participated in the Union blockade of the South, serving aboard the "Vermont" and the "Grand Gulf."
Willie writes mainly about camp life and family matters. Letters of December 17th, 1862 and January 20th, 1863 mention a battle at Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Willie, now in the Navy, writes from the U.S. Ship "Vermont" and describes a sailor's life in port.
While the "Vermont" is in dock for repairs, Willie describes life aboard ship and mentions various ships coming and going from the naval yard in New York.
The letters are chiefly about family matters and life aboard the "Vermont." Willie writes anxiously of going out to sea on board the "Grand Gulf."
Willie writes of the Union blockade off the Southern coast.
New Orleans and the surrounding countryside are described. Letter of July 16th includes a small drawing of a steam ship.
Willie writes of family business.
This folder contains nine undated letters written by Willie.
Contents of this folder include four undated letters, a receipt, an advertisement card, and a drawing of a fort.
A collection of 149 envelopes are included in the Downs family correspondence in one large envelope. Other envelopes can be found throughout the correspondence with their letters. Several envelopes have Civil War patriotic covers.