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Finding Aid for the John Watkins Papers, 1862-1958


MS-1161

University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN


Encoded by: Erin Lawrimore, October 13, 2006

Summary Information
Title: John Watkins Papers

Date/Date Range :    1862-1958

Extent: 4.5 linear feet

Abstract:
This collection consists primarily of letters written by John Watkins, a Union soldier with the Ohio 19th, to his fiance, Sarah Probert, and other friends and family members. Watkins' letters contain highly detailed descriptions of a soldier's experience during the Civil War, including information on Knoxville and the Battle of Fort Sanders. Also included in the collection are family diaries and account books.

Call number: MS-1161

Repository: University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Access and Use
Aquisition Information:
Collection was donated by Mrs. Curtis W. Haines of Oberline, Ohio, great-niece of Watkins.
Access Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Copyright:
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of Item], John Watkins Papers, MS-1161. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Special Collections Library.

Arrangement

Collection consists of approximately 400 pieces, divided into 11 series:

  1. Series I: Background material for letters
  2. Series II: Letters written by John Watkins to John Probert
  3. Series III: Letters written by John Watkins to Sarah Probert
  4. Series IV: Letters written by John Watkins to various people
  5. Series V: Letters written by Sarah Probert Watkins
  6. Series VI: Letters written by various relatives to Sarah Probert Watkins
  7. Series VII: Miscellaneous letters written by John Watkins by members of his battery
  8. Series VIII: Miscellaneous letters written by John Watkins
  9. Series IX: Announcements of annual reunions of the Ohio 19th Battery and printed copies of songs
  10. Series X: Miscellaneous papers
  11. Series XI: Diaries, journals, and account books

Biography / History

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, of English parents from Hereford, England, Watkins served in the Ohio 19th Battery from Cleveland and was among the Federal troops who fought in the Battle of Fort Sanders.


Collection Scope and Content Note

Although photographs, reunion announcements, and post-war correspondence are included, the bulk of this collection consists of letters written by Watkins to his fiance Sarah Probert, to his friend John Probert, and to other members of her family between 1862 and 1865. These letters contain vivid, highly detailed descriptions of one soldier's experience in the Civil War. Included are war-time letters written from Cleveland, Ohio; Frankfort, Ky.; Lexington, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Kingston, N.C. Post-war correspondence includes a number of letters written to Watkins by other members of his battery.

The collection also contains a group of family diaries and account books. These include volumes kept by John Watkins, Sarah Probert Watkins, daughter Cornelia G. Watkins, daughter Emma Watkins, and Sarah's brother George Probert. These span from 1864-1958 and are all from the Pittsfield, Ohio, area.

Interested researchers may also wish to consult MS-2292: The Sarah Probert Watkins / Probert Family Papers, 1838-1948.

Subject Terms

  • Knoxville (Tenn.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
  • United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
  • Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
  • Kentucky -- History -- Civil Wawr, 1861-1865.
  • Ohio -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
Contents List
   

Series I: Background Material for Letters
Box   1     Folder   1    
Background material for letters (written by Mildred M. Haines)
   

Series II: Letters written by John Watkins to John Probert, 1862-1864
Box   1     Folder   2    
34 letters written from Lexington, Ky.; Richmond, Ky.; Frankfort, Ky.; Camp Nelson, Ky.; Somerset, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Decatur, Ga.; Atlanta, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Wilmington, N.C.; and Salisbury, N.C., dated 1862-1864
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio, 1863 September 25
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio, 1863 November 1
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio, 1863 December 15
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1864 January 12
Letter, John Watkins in Mossy Creek, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1864 March 23
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to John Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1864 April 24

   

Series III: Letters written by John Watkins to Sarah Probert, 1862-1902 (bulk 1862-1865)
Box   1     Folder   3    
26 letters written from Cleveland, Ohio; Camp Covington, Ky.; Lexington, Ky.; Richmond, Ky.; and Danville, Ky., dated 1862 August-December
Box   1     Folder   4    
22 letters written from Danville, Ky; Frankfort, Ky.; and Lexington, Ky., dated 1863 January-March
Box   1     Folder   5    
24 letters written from Lexington, Ky. and Somerset, Ky., dated 1863 April-June
Box   1     Folder   6    
19 letters written from Somerset, Ky.; Danville, Ky.; Parkersburg, Va.; Lexington, Ky.; and Knoxville, Tenn., dated 1863 July-December
Letter, John Watkins at Camp Dixie, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 August 28
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 September 18
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 October 6
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 October 11
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 November 2
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 November 8
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 December 15
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 December 22
Letter, John Watkins in Knoxville, Tenn., to Sarah Probert in Pittsfield, Ohio,1863 December 27

Box   1     Folder   7    
20 letters written from Knoxville, Tenn.; Marietta, Ga.; Atlanta, Ga.; Decatur, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Columbia, Tenn., dated 1864 January-December
Box   1     Folder   8    
20 letters written from Columbia, Tenn.; Clifton, Tenn.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; and Kingston, N.C., dated 1865 January-March
Box   1     Folder   9    
21 letters written from Raleigh, N.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; Salisbury, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Washington, D.C.; and Pittsfield, Ohio, dated 1865-1902, undated
   

Series IV: Letters written by John Watkins to Various People, 1895-1899
Box   1     Folder   10    
5 letters written from Knoxville, Tenn.; Gettysburg, Pa.; and Pittsfield, Ohio, dated1895-1899
   

Series V: Letters written by Sarah Probert Watkins, 1864-1865
Box   1     Folder   11    
5 letters written from Pittsfield, Ohio, dated 1864-1865
   

Series VI: Letters written by Various Relatives to Sarah Probert Watkins, 1863-1866
   

Subseries A: James Davis (cousin), 1863-1864, undated
Box   1     Folder   12    
5 letters from Camp Cleveland, Ohio; Camp Herrick, Ohio; and Camp Dennison, Ohio, dated 1863-1864, undated
   

Subseries B: James Lewis (cousin), 1864
Box   1     Folder   12    
One letter from Louisville, Ky., dated 1864 April 10
   

Subseries C: Albert Probert (brother), 1863-1865, undated
Box   1     Folder   12    
27 letters from Camp Herrick, Ohio; camp Dennison, Ohio, Camp Cleveland, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; Mt. Sterling, Ky.; and Seneca County, Ohio, dated 1863-1865, undated
   

Subseries D: George Probert (brother), 1863-1866, undated
Box   1     Folder   12    
9 letters written from Pittsfield, Ohio and Epworth, Iowa, dated 1863-1866, undated
   

Subseries E: John Probert (brother), 1863-1864
Box   1     Folder   12    
4 letters written from Pittsfield, Ohio, dated 1863-1864
   

Series VII: Miscellaneous Letters written to John Watkins by Members of his Battery, 1875-1922
Box   1     Folder   13    
14 letters written from Toledo, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Sand Lake, N.J.; Rochester, Ohio; and Mentor, Ohio, dated 1875-1922
   

Series VIII: Miscellaneous Letters written to John Watkins, 1867-1921
Box   1     Folder   14    
6 lletters written from Columbus, Ohio, and Cleveland, Ohio, dated 1867-1921
   

Series IX: Announcements of Annual Reunions of the Ohio 19th Battery and Printed Copies of Songs, 1868-1916
   

Subseries A: Announcements, 1868-1914
Box   1     Folder   15    
11 announcements of annual reunions of the Ohio 19th Battery, 1868-1914
   

Subseries B: Songs, 1916, undated
Box   1     Folder   15    
5 printed copies of camp songs, 1916, undated
   

Series X: Miscellaneous Papers, 1865-1905, undated
Box   1     Folder   15    
Notes from Watkins' 1886 reunion speech recounting many war experiences and a letter from John Hower about the speech, 1886
Box   2      
Civil War period items, including discharge document, photograph of Watkins, photograph of Major General George H. Thomas, photograph of unidentified Union officer, and 16 slides of famous military figures and battle scenes, 1865, undated
Box   2      
Post-Civil War period items, including daguerrotypes of John and Sarah Watkins (ca. 1875-1880); photographs of the Watkins' outside of their home (ca. 1905); Knoxville National Cemetery Sprig of Arborvitae presented to Watkins at reunion on September 16, 1895; photograph of Watkins; and photograph of the watkins farmstead in Pittsfield, Ohio (ca. 1890), 1875-1905, undated
   

Series XI: Diaries, Journals, and Account Books
Box   3      
John Watkins diary, 1864

Box   3      
John Watkins diary, 1866

Box   3      
John Watkins account book, 1866

Box   3      
George Probert diaries, 1859, 1861-1868, 1870-1877

Box   3      
Sarah Probert Watkins diaries, 1857, 1863-1865, 1871, 1875, 1889

Box   3      
Emma Watkins diaries, 1912-1931

Box   3      
Emma Watkins journal (one volume), 1896-1911

Box   3      
Emma Watkins account book, 1921

Box   3      
Cornelia Watkins diary, 1892

Box   4      
Eliza Watkins diaries, 1932-1958