Collection: Burhaus Family papers | Archival Collections

This collection consists primarily of correspondence of Herman Burhaus, who was a volunteer in the 4th New York Union Regiment during the Civil War stationed in various cities in the Washington, DC, area. It also contains photographs of various members of the Burhaus family.

Dates

circa 1861-1865

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open for research.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.

Extent

14 Items

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

The Burhaus Family papers cover the years 1862 to 1863. The papers consist of letters written by Herman Burhaus to one of sisters. Of particular interest are discussions of army life during the Civil War, including Herman Burhaus' thoughts on who should be fighting the war, and how it should be fought. Also included in the collection are a set of four photographs of family members.

Family History

The Burhaus family appears to have been from the Brooklyn, New York area and to have consisted of ten children, seven boys and three girls. One of the sons, Herman, was a volunteer in the 4th New York Union Regiment in the Civil War. His regiment was stationed in various cities near Washington, D.C., and Burhaus fought and was injured in the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862. He was shot in the neck and in the hip as he fought in Sumner's Corps, French's Division, Weber's Brigade, under General Burnside of the Army of the Potomac. The battle was a terrible loss for the Union forces.

Arrangement

The collection has been divided into two series.

Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Photographs

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The Burhaus Family Papers were purchased from the 19th Century Shop of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital copies of the letters and photographs in this collection are available at http://digital.lib.umd.edu/results.jsp?index1=dmKeyword&query1=burhaus+family in the University of Maryland's Digital Collections.

Processing Information

The letters were unfolded and placed into an acid-neutral folder in an acid-neutral container. The photographs were transferred to the photographic collection.