Summary Information
James W. Skeels Papers and Still Images
1838-1885
WVM Mss 679
0.2 linear ft. (1 archives box and 1 oversized folder) of papers, 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder and 9 tintype folders) of photographs.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)
Papers and still images of James W. Skeels, a corporal in Company B, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry during the Civil War. The majority of the collection consists of letters written by Skeels during his service with the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry to his parents and sister in Rosendale, Wisconsin. They encompass his service from training at Camp Harvey through his time as a prisoner of war, describing conditions at camp, troop movements, and the well-being of other soldiers from his hometown. The last letter received from Skeels, written from the Confederate prison in Florence, South Carolina, asks for food and clothes. Other correspondence documents the family's unsuccessful search for Skeels after the war, leading to his classification as missing in action. Also included in the collection is a journal kept by Skeels in 1862 that describes weather and movements in brief statements. Still Images include two tintypes of Skeels in uniform and other shots of his family.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00679 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
James Walker Skeels was born on August 6, 1838 in Whitehall, NY to Martin Henry Skeels and Sophia Wright Skeels. The family moved to Rosendale, WI soon after James' birth, and his sister Lucia was born there. James enlisted into Company B, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry on September 1, 1861. The unit initially formed at Camp Fremont in Ripon, WI but moved to Camp Harvey in Kenosha in November 1861. There they trained and in March 1862 they moved out to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. For the next year they engaged in skirmishes in Missouri and Arkansas.
In June 1863, the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry transferred to Nashville, TN, where they were attached to the Army of the Cumberland. In that capacity, they engaged in minor actions in surrounding states such as Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama. The group took part in the Chattanooga campaign in September 1863, playing an important role in the battle of Chickamauga. They remained in the area until May 1864, when they began the initial stages of Sherman's Atlanta campaign. Skeels was promoted to corporal in March 1864.
On May 9, 1864 Skeels was captured at the battle of Varnell's Station, GA. He was held at a Confederate prison in Florence, SC until being paroled in February 1865. Records show that he was a patient at a Union hospital in Wilmington, NC in March 1865 but no further record of him exists. The hospital had no record of his death and the family never saw or heard from him again. Army records officially list him as missing in action.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of James W. Skeels are divided into two series: Papers and Still Images.
Papers (1838-1885) consist mostly of letters written by Skeels during his service with the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry to his parents and sister in Rosendale, Wisconsin. All of the letters include typewritten transcriptions. The letters describe his service from training at Camp Harvey through his time as a prisoner of war. Early letters detail the conditions at camp, relate the condition of other company members from the Rosendale area, and describe the activities that he undertook as his unit saw light action in the western states. One letter, written to his parents while he was being held prisoner in Florence, South Carolina, is very brief and asks for numerous clothing and food supplies. It was the last letter the family received from Skeels. Other correspondence documents the family's quest to find out what happened to Skeels after the war ended. Letters from a Union hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina revealed that while there were records of Skeels being a patient there, no records of his death or release could be found. A journal written by Skeels in 1862 contains brief statements for many days in which he often comments about the weather or amount of travel done by his unit. There is also a financial ledger dating back to 1838 that most likely belonged to Martin, Skeels' father. Newspapers, dating after Skeels' disappearance, were probably those of his sister or nephew. A family genealogy provides extra information about Skeels and his relatives.
Still Images (circa 1861) contain various shots of Skeels and his family members around the time of the Civil War. There are two tintypes of Skeels in Union cavalry uniform, one with him holding an artillery saber; the other shows him in civilian dress. There are also tintypes of his parents, Martin and Sophia, sister Lucia, and her husband, Henry Porter. Other photographs include a shot of Skeels' nephew, Loyal Porter.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Jacqueline Carroll, Fair Oaks, circa 2004. Accession Number: Mss 2004.84. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075).
Processed by Russell Horton in 2004.
Contents List
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Series: Papers
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Box
1
Folder
1-4
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Correspondence, 1857-1885
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From James W. Skeels
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Box
1
Folder
5
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To Aunt Betsy, 1862-1863
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Transcriptions
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Box
1
Folder
7-8
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To Lucia (sister), 1862-1864
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Transcriptions
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Box
1
Folder
9-11
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To Parents, 1861-1864
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Transcriptions
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Ephemera, Envelopes, undated
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Journal, 1862
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Box
1
Folder
14
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Ledger, 1838-1849
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Ov
15
Folder
15
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Newspapers, 1863, 1875
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Box
1
Folder
15
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Skeels Family Genealogy, undated
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Series: Still Images
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PhTt
1
Folder
15-17
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James W. Skeels [1 tintype), circa 1861
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PhOv
22
Folder
49-52
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Relatives [4 photos] , undated
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PhTt
1
Folder
18
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Lucia Skeels (sister) [1 tintype] , undated
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PhTt
1
Folder
19-20
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Martin Skeels (father) [1 tintype] , undated
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PhTt
1
Folder
21
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Sophia Skeels (mother) [1 tintype], undated
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PhTt
1
Folder
22-23
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Henry Porter (brother-in-law) [1 tintype], undated
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