The Civil War in Florida

The University of Miami Libraries has created a virtual collection of letters written by Calvin Shedd, a  carpenter who enlisted in the 7th New Hampshire Volunteers at the outbreak of the Civil War. Shedd’s detailed letters provide a unique glimpse of military life at sub-tropical outposts in Key West, Fort Jefferson, and St. Augustine.

Images as well as annotated footnotes help to create an immersive digital experience.  Names mentioned by Shedd are cross-listed with all 54 of his letters  dating 1861-1869. The University also utilizes an extensive array of secondary sources to provide detailed, era-specific descriptions of various vocabulary and phrases quoted by Shedd in his letters.

Primary sources are also linked within the letters as Shedd mentions them, such as his 1861 enlistment papers and 1862  promotion to 2nd lieutenant. This site is any historian’s best friend and is a great place to give a look if your project has anything to do with the  Civil War in Florida.