The David Ludlow Thompson Papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The David Ludlow Thompson Papers consist primarily of letters Thompson sent to his mother, Keturah Sayre Thompson, and his friend, Elias A. Fairchild, relating his experiences in battle during the American Civil War, inquiring about friends and relations at home, and asking to be sent clothing, food, and reading materials. Housed with each letter is a transcript provided by the donor that has been photocopied onto archival quality paper. The reader is cautioned against editorial mistakes in the transcripts. The "original" transcripts (i.e. those not printed on archival quality paper) are housed in a binder in Box 2, along with a wooden spoon carved by Thompson while he was held as a prisoner of war. Portions of this collection relating to the Civil War have been digitized and are available to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
Biographical Note
David Ludlow Thompson was born in Windham, Ohio on August 28, 1837 and was educated at the Flushing Institute in Flushing, Long Island, where he became a faculty member.
In August of 1862, he enlisted in the Ninth New York Volunteer Infantry, Company G (also known as Hawkins' Zouaves), and was later transferred to the Third New York Volunteer Infantry, Company B. During his war service, Thompson saw action in the Peninsular Campaign, the Battle of Antietam, and the siege of Charleston. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Confederate troops after Antietam and was held at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia for 18 days before being exchanged. In 1863, he spent time in an army hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.
David Ludlow Thompson was honorably discharged from military service on June 17, 1865 and died on March 31, 1926.
Arrangement
The David Ludlow Thompson papers are organized in the following six series:
Missing Title
- Series 1: Letters sent by David Ludlow Thompson to Keturah Sayre Thompson, 1863-1865
- Series 2: Letters sent by David Ludlow Thompson to Elias Fairchild, 1862-1865
- Series 3: Letters sent by David Ludlow Thompson addressed jointly to Keturah Sayre Thompson, Elias Fairchild, and other family members, 1863-1865
- Series 4: Other correspondence pertaining to David Ludlow Thompson, 1862-1865
- Series 5: Biographical and Geneaological Materials, 1961, undated
- Series 6: Wooden spoon made by David Ludlow Thompson, 1862
Scope and Content Note
The David Ludlow Thompson papers consist primarily of letters that Thompson wrote to his mother, Keturah Sayre Thompson, and his friend, Elias A. Fairchild, describing army life, relating his experiences in battle, inquiring about friends and relations at home, and asking to be sent clothing, food, and reading materials. His letters also include detailed descriptions of the weather, the inedible rations, the ill-fitting garments provided by the U.S. Sanitary Commission, his poor attempts to mend his clothing, his bout with scurvy, and having to share his quarters with rodents and insects. His advanced education is evident in his frequent references to the literary canon, using quotes from Milton, Chaucer, and Tennyson to illustrate different situations.
Most notably, the letters include a description of the Battle at Antietam and a letter sent to Elias A. Fairchild, declaring that David Ludlow Thompson had been declared a prisoner of war after Antietam.
Also included in the collection are photocopies of articles written by Thompson regarding his experiences during the American Civil War, biographical information, and a wooden spoon that Thompson carved while being held at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia.
Portions of this collection relating to the Civil War have been digitized and are available to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
Places
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the David Ludlow Thompson Papers, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
About this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I: Correspondence, 1779-1851
Scope and Contents note
This series contains correspondence between David Ludlow Thompson and his mother, Keturah Sayre Thompson. He writes primarily of the daily particulars of army life and asks often for news, clothing, and reading materials from home.
Letter sent by David Ludlow (D.L.) Thompson to Keturah Sayre (K.S.) Thompson, January 5, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, February 2, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, February 10, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, March 7, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, March 29, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, April 15, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, August 20, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, 1863 August
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, July 15, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, September 30, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, October 11, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, December 21-25, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, December 28, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, January 3, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, January 6-17, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, February 19-23, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, March 3, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, June 6, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to K.S. Thompson, June 9, 1865
Series 2: Letters sent by David Ludlow Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, 1862-1865
Scope and Contents note
Series 2 consists of letters sent by Thompson to his friend Elias Fairchild detailing the particulars of army life and asking for news from home. Most notably, this series contains a letter written from Libby Prison in October of 1862, detailing Thompson's experiences at the Battle of Antietam.
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, 1862 October
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, October 9, 1862
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, October 20, 1862
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, January 20, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, February 21, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, March 7, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, March 7, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, April 22, 1863
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, July 27, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, July 29, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, October 4, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, October 25, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, November 11, 1864
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, April 6, 1865
Letter sent by D.L. Thompson to Elias A. Fairchild, June 3, 1865
Series 3: Letters sent by David Ludlow Thompson addressed jointly to Keturah Sayre Thompson, Elias A. Fairchild, and other family members, 1863-1865
Scope and Contents note
Series 3 consists of letters addressed jointly to Keturah Sayre Thompson, Elias Fairchild, and occasionally other family members, including Thompson's sister. While Thompson again asks for news of home and describes the daily ritual of army life in these letters, he also describes his own bout with scurvy near the end of the war. Most notably, this series includes a letter written in August of 1863 from a military hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia describing his experiences there.
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, March 19, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, April 28, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, June 7, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, June 23, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, July 12, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, August 14, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, September 9, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, October 5, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, November 5, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, December 9, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, December 31, 1863
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, January 20, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, March 22, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, May 24, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, May 7,1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, May 15, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, June 8, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, August 29, 1864
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, February 7, 1865
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, February 16, 1865
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, March 27, 1865
Joint letter sent by D.L. Thompson, April 26, 1865
Series 4: Other correspondence pertaining to David Ludlow Thompson, 1862-1865
Scope and Contents note
Series 4 consists of the discharge papers of David Ludlow Thompson, two pieces of correspondence sent to Thompson, a letter sent to Elias A. Fairchild declaring Thompson to be a prisoner of war, and the fragments of several letters written by Thompson.
Discharge papers of David Ludlow Thompson, June 6, 1865
Letter sent to Elias Fairchild, October 10, 1862
Letter sent to D.L. Thompson, October 13, 1862
Letter sent to D.L. Thompson, July 28, 1865
Fragment of letter written by D.L. Thompson, September 1, 1862
Fragment of letter written by D.L. Thompson, November 21, 1863
Fragment of letter written by D.L. Thompson, June 17, 1864
Series 5: Biographical and Genealogical Materials, 1961, undated
Scope and Contents note
Series 5 consists of biographical information about David Ludlow Thompson, including copies of articles he published about his experiences at Antietam and his obituary. This series also contains a 1961 letter from the U.S. Department of the Interior outlining his military record at the request of his grandson.
Biographical Information, 1961
Copies of articles written by David Ludlow Thompson, Undated
Series 6: Wooden spoon carved by David Ludlow Thompson, 1862
Scope and Contents note
Series 6 consists of a wooden spoon that was carved by David Ludlow Thompson while he was held prisoner at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia after the Battle of Antietam.