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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC07006.10 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of William Brunt, D company, 16th regiment, USCT, infantry |
| Title | Olive Brunt to Martha Weir regarding living at camp with her husband |
| Date | n.d. |
| Author | Brunt, Olive (fl. 1863-1865) |
| Recipient | Weir, Martha |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Writes of living at camp with her husband - "it is so much like Old kentuck." Mentions that it has been a long time since she has been home in Kentucky and asks after various friends. Describes the area around Fort Donelson as a scene of destruction, with "notheing [sic] but old shells of the best houses left now," but finds her own home, with its river view of "steamboats and gunboats" very beautiful. |
| Subjects | African American Troops African American History Civil War Military History Soldier's Letter Union Soldier's Letter Union Forces Navy Military Camp Woman Author Women's History Wartime Pillaging and Destruction Fortification |
| People | Brunt, Olive (fl. 1863-1865) Weir, Martha (fl. 1863-1865) |
| Place written | Fort Donelson, Tennessee |
| Theme | The American Civil War; Children & Family |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | William Brunt was, at the start of the correspondence, a soldier in the 83rd Regiment, Ft. Donelson, Tennessee. He was later made Captain of Company Division 16th Colored Infantry. Brunt's wife, Olive, and his two children virtually accompanied him to war, living in the nearby camps while Brunt was on the battlefield. William and Olive had lived in Kentucky prior to the war, but were disliked for their strong support of Union politics. By 1864, Olive was helping to run a contraband camp with Brunt, but by 1865 the two had divorced after Olive was unfaithful to William. Brunt retained custody of their two children and, despite the emotional strain which came from marriage of one and the death of the other, remained devoted as a soldier and anti-slavery advocate. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |
| Civil War: Theater of War | Main Western Theater |
| Civil War: Unit | 16th Colored Infantry, D company |