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Louis P. Stone letter

 Unprocessed Material — Folder: ViU2024-0086_001
Identifier: ViU-2024-0086

Content Description

This collection contains a letter from Louis P. Stone (1843-1903) to Colonel Tracy describing his exploits as a U.S. Secret Service operative and requesting payment for his services. Stone was a U.S. Secret Service operative during the first two years of the Civil War. The "Secret Service," before officially inaugurated as the investigative branch of the Treasury Department in 1865, was the unofficial name for the intelligence services in the Union Army. The letter contains Stone's account of being taken prisoner by Gen. Floid [John B. Floyd] on October 15th, 1861, one hundred miles within enemy lines while on a secret expedition for Gen. Rosencrans. He escaped from Richmond on February 22nd, 1862. He also speaks of the hunt for Stonewall Jackson and the Battle of Cross Keys and of being captured again and held in Lynchburg, Va. Stone was a druggist in Cincinnati before the war, and went on to own a hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from McBride Rare Books, 9 April 2024.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

No

Dates

  • Creation: May 3, 1863

Creator

Extent

.04 Cubic Feet (1 legal folder)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

Inventory

1 letter