HISTORICAL NOTE

The Civil War papers from Andover consist of collected items from the Andover Public Library. The library building was originall dedicated and named for the soldiers and sailors in the Civil War.

Andover sent a quota of men to the war, an allocation which was specified by the state legislature. Included in this collection are personnel records kept by George Foster, administration records for this effort, as well as letters and medical records, and personal accounts from the men.

As in any war effort, the effects were devastating to families at home. Many of the men were merely boys when they joined up, or subscribed to go. Subscriptions were fees paid to families from those who could afford to do so, and more well-to-do families avoided the anguish of losing a loved one by paying a sum of money to one less fortunate. Accounts include touching descriptions from young boys, fifteen or sixteen years of age, and photographs of the “soldiers” as they prepared to embark on their adventures.

Also in the collection are records of several organizations formed after the war, continuing the memory of the heroes of the war, and saving various and sundry mementos about this time, such as “A Guide to the Fortifications and Battlefields around Petersburg, with a Splendid Map.”

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Collection consists of a complete record of names of all men who enlisted, were drafted, or claimed Andover as their place of residence. The papers include some correspondence to George Foster in Andover about pay, hardship circumstances, letters from mothers giving permission for their sons to join because they are underage, letters from families concerning need for aid caused by the death or disability of the soldier in their family.

Also included in the collection are accounts of various records, such as funds of the Soldiers Aid Society, clothing allotments, muster rolls, and monthly lists of numbers of soldiers and sailors who were capture, wounded, or killed.

There are some pieces of correspondence describing eyewitness accounts of battles, and several poignant notes to family members back home.

Over all, the collection gives and intimate insight of the town’s accountability to the federal government for its support in an effort to save the Union.

Processed by Susan E. Keats, February 1986.