The Muster Roll of the First Regiment West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Company K, 1898-1899

This original muster roll contains the names, dates and places of enlistment, and the service records of the 114 men of Company K, 1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment. It was called up by the Governor when the Spanish-American War started in April 1898. This ebook includes a short unit history of the regiment and company, short bios of the officers, and brief histories of the camps that the unit occupied. At the end of the book is an alphabetical list of the soldiers

Part 6: Miscellaneous and Bibliography

The Alabama claims were a diplomatic dispute between the United States and Great Britain that arose out of the U.S. Civil War. The peaceful resolution of these claims 7 years after the war ended set an important precedent for solving serious international disputes through arbitration, and laid the foundation for greatly improved relations between Britain and the United States

Part 5: Exploration & Excavation

During June and July 2001, the American CSS Alabama Association and the French Association CSS Alabama carried out an archaeological investigation of the remains of the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama. Under the direction of Dr. Gordon P. Watts Jr., American and French archaeologists, French volunteer divers and French Navy personnel cooperated in an examination of the wreck that took place between 6 June and 4 July. Objectives for the investigation included video and 35mm photographic documentation of the wreck, limited test excavation in the officer’s quarters and recovery of selected artifacts exposed on the bottom surface. Unfortunately the most important objective, video and 35mm documentation of the wreck site to generate data that would generate data for the production of a site mosaic and computer model was compromised by unsuccessful efforts to obtain French authorization for use of the U. S. Navy research submarine NR-1 or a U. S. Navy remote operated vehicle. On site research was limited to test excavation in the officer’s quarters and recovery of selected artifacts including one of the two Blakely patent British Royal Navy Pattern 32-pounders carried by the CSS Alabama. Test excavation reached a stratigraphic level within the hull that has been undisturbed since the CSS Alabama filled with silt in the years following her loss. Below that level of sediment both the wreck structure and associated cultural material appear to survive in an anoxic environment. A number of intact artifacts were recovered including glass storage bottles, ceramic tablewares and a decorated pipe bowl. This limited testing suggests an exceptional degree of preservation below the dynamic layer of shell hash and sand that covers most of the CSS Alabama’s remains

Part 4: Battle with USS Kearsarge

“June 19: Lying off Cherbourg. Moderate breeze from the westward. At 10:20 am discovered the Alabama steaming out of the port of Cherbourg, accompanied by a French ironclad steamer and a fore-and-aft rigged steamer, showing the white English ensign. Beat to general quarters and cleared for action. Steamed ahead, standing offshore, being distant from land about 2 leagues; altered our course and approached the Alabama. Official Records of Union and Confederate Navies, I, 3, p.64

Record Book of the Erodelphian and Diagnothian Literary Societies at Marshall Academy and Marshall College 1855-1861

This record book of the early debating societies at Marshall Academy and early Marshall College (Diagnothian Literary Society and Erodelphian Literary Society) is important for multiple reasons: (1) it is the earliest primary source on Marshall Academy (1855-1857) housed in the Marshall Archives that mentions student names; (2) it definitely confirms that there were female students at Marshall Academy before 1858; (3)it contains the only known three handwritten issues of the Marshall College Gazette (early college newspaper) for 1879. From the minutes of the debating societies we have extracted a student list for 1855-1857, a student list for 1861, and a list of the debate topics. Also found in the record book are the constitution and by-laws of the debating society, which show they were well organized and had a library which was managed by a society librarian. It had an initiation fee, fines for “non-performance” and for missed attendance. The lists show that Marshall Academy students were from the prominent and influential families of the counties of Western Virginia. This book contains a scanned image of every page from the record book, with a verbatim transcription on the opposite page. There are numerous footnotes which identify the students in the records

A Guide to Marshall University Landmarks

A guide to the landmarks (non-buildings & structures) on Marshall University\u27s Huntington, W.Va. campus. Features campus map with numbered key to landmarks. Includes several objects that have been removed or destroyed. Includes monuments and memorials to 1970 Marshall plane crash. Includes photos of each landmark

Part 3: Cruise of the Alabama

“The Alabama was built for speed rather than battle. Her lines were symmetrical and fine; her material of the best. In fifteen minutes her propeller could be hoisted, and she could go through every evolution under sail without any impediment. In less time her propeller could be lowered; with sails furled, and yards braced within two points of a headwind, she was a perfect steamer. Her speed, independent, was from ten to twelve knots; combined, and under favorable circumstances, she could make fifteen knots. When ready for sea she drew fifteen feet of water.” Century Magazine, 31, April 1886, p.911

Part 1: Building Ship No. 290

Classified as a bark-rigged sloop-of-war known as “hull 290,” built by Laird Shipbuilders in England, launched 15 May 1862

Part 2: Officers and Crew

During the Civil War naval officers were divided into four categories for purposes of berthing and messing aboard ship: cabin, wardroom, steerage, and forward officers. The captain had a private state room, and higher ranking officers had small cabins, while lower ranks only had individual lockers. This was the arrangement of the officers of the CSS Alabama

Harpers Weekly Reports Events of 1865

Harpers Weekly was the most widely read newspaper of the Civil War period. It featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays, and humor, populated with numerous maps and illustrations. The year 1865 saw the surrender of Robert E. Lee\u27s Army, the end of the Civil War, the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln, the hunt for, trials, and execution of the assassination conspirators,and the sinking of the ship Sultana which caused the deaths of 1,700 Union soldiers. It also saw the trial and execution of Capt. William Wirz for Andersonville atrocities, the major fire in Philadelphia, and many other news worthy events. This document presents the images and covers from Harpers that outlines these important events in America\u27s history