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Z 1451.000 F
THORNE (EDWARD A.) PAPERS

1859-1864

Biography/History:

Edward A. Thorne came from a family consisting of his father, Terry, two brothers, Terry and John, and two sisters, Eudora and Lucy. The Thorne family, including Edward, a farmer and landowner, and his wife, Alice, and two daughters, Terry and Bettie, resided in Littleton, Halifax County, North Carolina. He traveled down the Mississippi River on the steamboat, Imperial, and visited, among other places, the port of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in October of 1859.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lieutenant Thorne was assigned to Company D, Twenty-Fourth Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, General Robert Ransom’s Brigade, where he served as ordnance officer. Thorne participated in the Sharpsburg, Maryland (September 1862) and Fredericksburg, Virginia (November-December 1862) campaigns, and in the defense of Richmond, Virginia (May-June 1864). He performed well in these campaigns and received praise from his superiors for being an excellent ordnance officer.

The details of Thorne’s life after the war are unclear. However, in April of 1901, the former ordnance officer compiled a list of "General Field Officers Killed in Ransom’s Brigade." This list was eventually published in editor Walter Clark’s book entitled Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War, Vol. 5.

Scope and Content:

The eleven photocopied letters in this collection cover a variety of topics. They include Thorne’s account of a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River in 1859, and Thorne’s descriptions of Civil War battles and camp conditions, the health of General Robert Ransom, the cultivation of his North Carolina farm, his marriage and children, and his religious devotion.

Thorne’s descriptions of his trip down the Mississippi River and his visit to Vicksburg are brief. However, while in Vicksburg, he mentions participating in the popular card game, Faro, while on board the steamboat, Imperial.

Lieutenant Thorne’s descriptions of Civil War battles and camp conditions were written in and around the cities of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Fredericksburg and Richmond, Virginia. He also mentions orders from General Robert E. Lee, daily marches, and the physical condition of the troops. Brigadier General Robert Ransom’s health is also discussed in several letters. Thorne kept his wife informed of his commander’s medical status. Apparently, as the war progressed, Ransom’s health steadily declined.

Thorne’s letters also focus on the management of his North Carolina farm, his family, and his religious devotion. In one instance, he instructed his brother regarding fence repairs and an upcoming harvest. Thorne also cared deeply for his family. The majority of his letters contain kind words to his wife, Alice, and their two daughters, Terry and Bettie. Religion was also a major component of Thorne’s life. On several occasions, Thorne thanked God for his good health and his ability to survive the war.

Series Identification:

  1. Correspondence. 1859-1864. 0.10 cubic ft.