Beaumont Letters Collection

Collection

Identifier: 2010.011

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Beaumont Letters Collection contains six correspondences written by Frank S. Beaumont of Clarksville, TN. to his wife, Laura Beaumont, during his service in the Civil War, circa 1861.

Dates

1861

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research purposes.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Biographical / Historical

Frank Summerfield Beaumont, the writer of the majority of the correspondences, was born in Montgomery County, TN. He was a partner in Barnes and Beaumont and resided on the southeast corner of 3rd Street and Franklin Street in Clarksville, TN. Beaumont enlisted in the Confederate Army on May 23, 1861, and served as a Captain of Company H of the 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. In October of 1861, Beaumont died of typhoid fever at Warm Springs, VA and is burried at Riverview Cemetery.

The 14th Tennessee regiment was organized at Camp Duncan, Montgomery County, TN., June 6, 1861, and remained in camp for instruction until July 12, 1861. Then they were ordered to Virginia where they were formed into a brigade with the 1st and 7th Tennessee Regiments under Brigadier General Sam R. Anderson. These regiments were ordered to report to General Loring in Pocahontas County, Northwestern VA. On Septembe 5, they marched to Cheat Mountain, and returned to Middle Mountain on September 17, 1861. On October 1, 1861, they moved to Greenbrier and remained there for six weeks. On November 7, they went into winter quarters at Huntersville, VA.

Extent

0.0625 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The letters are arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

The collection was found in 1954 by Richard Lewis Johnston's family in a house in New York which previously belonged to Francis Cummings. It is believed that Cummings was a descendant of the Beaumont family. The Johnston family attempted to contact relatives of the Beaumont and Cummings family to return the letters. The Johnston family sent some of the letters found in the house to Francis Cummings's sister, Patsy.