Special Collections

Department of Archives & Special Collections
Ask A Librarian

Archives and Special Collections will be closed to the public May 11 – June 9 for installation of new flooring.

John Guy Lofton Collection


MUM00272

PURL

http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM00272/

Return to Table of Contents »


Summary Information

Repository
University of Mississippi Libraries
Creator
Lofton, John Guy, 1832-1862
Title
John Guy Lofton Collection
Date
1860-1863
Extent
1.0 Linear feet

 1 box

General Physical Description note
28 items.
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Twenty-eight letters, from 1860-1863, arranged chronologically in one box. Mainly correspondence from Mississippian John Guy
Lofton, serving with Confederate forces in Virginia, to his wife and family back in Mississippi.

Preferred Citation

John Guy Lofton Collection (MUM00272). The Department of Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University
of Mississippi.

Return to Table of Contents »

Biographical Note

John Guy Lofton served in the Army of Northern Virginia, Company H, 11th Mississippi Regiment during the American Civil War.
He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines on May 31, 1862 and died the following June. He is buried in Hampton
National Cemetary in Hampton, Virginia.

Return to Table of Contents »

Scope and Contents Note

Twenty-eight letters, from 1860-1863, arranged chronologically in one box. Mainly correspondence from Mississippian John Guy
Lofton, serving with Confederate forces in Virginia, to his wife and family back in Mississippi. Transcriptions available.

Spellings and punctuation are as they appear in the originals.

Return to Table of Contents »

Administrative Information

Publication Information

University of Mississippi Libraries 2005

Revision Description

Updated and EAD encoded by Susan Ivey, 2013.

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restriction

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions
of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a
photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used
for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy
or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use”, that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Source of Collection

Collection donated by Paul M. Swain and Margaret Exyah Swain.

Processing Information

Processed by University of Mississippi Department Special Collections Staff
. EAD encoded finding aid begun September 2005.

Alternative Formats

A portion of the John Guy Lofton Collection has been digitized and is included in the Digital Collection
Civil War Archive (University of Mississippi).

Return to Table of Contents »

Collection Inventory

Box 1 

 1.1 May 10, 1860. Letter from S.W. Clark to his mother regarding his health. 

 1.2 May 13, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding his doubt of a battle at Harper’s Ferry but predicting a possible
battle on the Potomac and discussing religious life in camp. Written from Camp Davis, Linchburge, Virginia. 

 1.3 June 4, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding destruction of RR bridges to prevent Union troop movements,
an outbreak of measles, and the loneliness of picket guard. Written from Harpers Ferry. 

 1.4 June 12, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding a large number of measles cases in his camp, and predicting
either a speedy peace or a major conflagration. Written from Harpers Ferry. 

 1.5 June 23, 1861. Letter from T B Clark to his father regarding lack of letters from friends. Written from Camp Barkdel, “Obine
C’o Ten”. 

 1.6 June 23, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding marching orders, soldiers too ill to march, religious life
in camp, the probability of a Union declaration of war, and a sudden death in the Tennessee regiment. Written from Winchester,
[Virginia]. 

 1.7 July 8, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife reporting a death from typhoid fever, the diet in camp, and troop movements.
Written from Winchester, [Virginia]. 

 1.8 July 13, 186[1?]. Letter from [H. A. Stephens] to John Guy Lofton’s wife teasing her about all of the women in Virginia and
how much they like her husband. Written from Winchester, Virginia. 

 1.9 July 15, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife with postscript added by A N Lofton discussing health and dietary matters
and the beauty of the landscape where they are camped. Written from Winchester, Virginia. 

 1.10 July 18, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing troop movements, troop and artillery numbers, and Lofton’s
duty to defend his homeland. Written from Winchester, Virginia. 

 1.11 July 28, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing his recent serious illness, his hopes for a furlough home
to visit, battles, figures on killed and wounded, Sherman, and the University Greys. Written from Manassas Junction, Virginia. 

 1.12 Sept 7, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing his recovering health, Confederate advances to within sight
of Washington, DC, heavy losses in Lofton’s brigade, and his doubt for the possibility of a furlough. Written from Manassas
Junction, Virginia. 

Sept 20, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing the death of Wm, J Harris, Lee’s defeat of Reynolds and
Rosincrantz, sinking of Union boats on the Potomac. Written from Camp Jones near Manassas Junction, Virginia. 

 1.14 Oct 11, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing camp life. Written from Camp Fisher near Dumfries, Virginia. 

 1.15 Oct 20, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife complaining of not hearing from her, lack of sufficient warm clothing
and blankets, and discussing an attack on batteries, capture of two Union boats, religious life and wickedness in camp, and
admonishing her to raise their children in a righteous manner. Written from Camp Fisher near Dumfries, Virginia. 

 1.16 Oct 27 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing his trip to Fredericksburg, VA, and his receipt of the daguerreotypes
she sent, stating that if he falls in battle his blood will wash their countenances. Last part of letter is missing. Written
from Camp Fisher near Dumfries Virginia. 

 1.17 Dec 8, 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing the lack of possibility of a furlough, a deadly pneumonia
outbreak, and eight Union gunboats below their encampment. Written from Camp Fisher, Virginia. 

 1.18 Dec 12th 1861. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing incendiary bombardment of Charleston, SC, possible peace
negotiations, and health issues in camp. Written from Camp Fisher, Virginia. 

 1.19 Jan 8, 1862. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing an unconfirmed report of Gen. McLelland’s death, the impossibility
of a furlough until his term expires in April, unpassable road conditions, financial matters. Written from Camp Fisher, Virginia. 

 1.20 Feb 21, 1862. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife discussing a Confederate defeat at Ft Donelson, coming to Okolona, MS,
in April, his three-year reenlistment, plans to form a Chickasaw regiment, naming the new baby. Written from Camp Fisher,
Virginia. 

 1.21 March 6th 1862. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding food rationing “plenty of beef but nothing else” because
of road conditions, expiration of his term in 35 days, Confederate reverses. Last part of letter is missing. Written from
Camp Fisher, Virginia. 

 1.22 March 17, 1862. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding the Confederate loss of strategic advantage due to not pressing
the Union when they had the opportunity. Written from Camp Barto near Fredricksburg, Virginia. 

 1.23 March 31, 1862. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding new recruits, reorganization, troop locations, plans to
be home by May 1st unless the route is cut off by Union troops. Written from Camp Barto near Fredricksburg, Virginia. 

 1.24 April 29, 1862. Letter from A N Lofton to his mother, sisters, and brothers regarding not being able to return home until
the war’s end because of a conscript law passed by the Confederate Congress and the close location of opposing armies on the
Yorktown peninsula. Written from Camp Yorktown. 

 1.25 June 14th 1862. Letter from S W Clark to his father regarding the Battle of Chickamauga, the high price of consumer goods,
and instructing his father to sell Clark’s horse if his parents need money. Written from Camp Griffith near Richmond, Virginia. 

 1.26 May 23, 1863. Letter from S.A.J. Clark to his father regarding a Memphis newspaper report naming killed and wounded; also
mentions Jackson, MS, and Vicksburg. Written from “Camp near Jackson”. 

 1.27 December 8 1863. Letter from George. D. Lofton to his sister regarding orders to rejoin his regiment.Written from Camp [Chickasaha] Bridge. 

 1.28 Undated. Letter from John Guy Lofton to his wife regarding the importance troops put on receiving letters from home and becoming
accustomed to the sounds of canon fire. 

Return to Table of Contents »

Feedback

JavaScript disabled or chat unavailable.