Sylvenus A. Fay Civil War diary
Content Description
Sylvenus A. Fay diary recounting the daily events of camp life and fighting, his capture by Confederates during the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina and waiting for an exchange for his freedom with hundreds of Union Officers. Lieutenant Fay was the commanding officer of Company F, 85th New York Infantry. In January 1864, the 85th Infantry was ordered to Plymouth NC, where in April, almost the entire regiment was captured.
There is significant information in the diary about how officers who were captured were often exchanged for officers in the Confederacy.
Dates
- Creation: 1864
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use. Photocopies are recommended since the diary is fragile.
Conditions Governing Use
Handle with care--diary is in fragile condition. Consider using enlarged photocopies instead.
Biographical / Historical
Lieutenant Sylvenus A. Fay, was the commanding officer of Company F, 85th New York Infantry. In January 1864, the 85th Infantry was ordered to Plymouth NC, where in April, it was obliged to surrender to a superior force of the enemy, almost the entire regiment being captured. Lieutenant Fay was one of the men captured but survived his captivity.He was paroled on December 10, 1864 at Charleston, South Carolina.
Extent
0.010 Cubic Feet (3 folders) : 2 letter size and one legal size
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased from Beltrone & Company by the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 17 December, 2018.
- Title
- Sylvenus A. Fay Civil War Diary
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ellen Welch
- Date
- 2022-09-14
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States