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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The American Civil War
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AmericanCivilWar
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter, Jack Foster to former Confederate General John McCausland, 1883 (Ms2008-018)
Subject
The topic of the resource
African American history
Civil War
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Foster, Jack
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=vt/viblbv00245.xml" target="_blank">See the finding aid for Jack Foster Letter</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1883-12-13
Rights
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Permission to publish material from the Jack Foster Letter must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Correspondence
Letters
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Ms2008_018_Foster_Jack_1883_1213
Bibliographic Citation
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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Jack Foster Letter, Ms2008-018, Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Rights Holder
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Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Description
An account of the resource
This collection contains an 1883 letter written by Jack Foster, a formerly enslaved person who served as a body servant in the 36th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. Foster writes to former Confederate General John McCausland, one-time commander of the 36th. After inquiring about the general's wellbeing, Foster mentions his family, then begins to reminiscence about his time in the general's camp. Foster mentions being at Camp Narrows (Giles County, Virginia) and being present when McCausland took command following the death of General Jenkins at "Floyds Mountains" [i.e., the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain, May 9, 1864]. Foster then proceeds to recollect a discussion between Jenkins and McCausland regarding battle strategy and the Confederate units present. He also recalls baking bread in the camp.
At the time of the Civil War, Jack Foster was enslaved by the Tompkins family of Virginia. Though Christopher Q. Tompkins, Foster's enslaver, served with the 22nd Virginia Infantry during the war, Foster found himself in the 36th Virginia, body servant to a young soldier in the regiment. By 1883, Foster was living in Richmond, Virginia. He may have been the same man as a driver named John Foster enumerated in the 1880 census living in Richmond, Virginia with wife Virginia and daughters Hattie, Lucy, Ada and Ida. By 1900, Virginia Foster was a widow in Richmond, living with children Ada, Ida, and Chris.
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Letter from Jack Foster, formerly enslaved person and body servant in the 36th Virginia Infantry, to Confederate General John McCausland, reminiscing about the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain and his time in camp service.