History:
William Latham Candler of Brookline, Massachusetts, served in Company A of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment, Army of the Potomac, during the Civil War. He enlisted on May 25, 1861, as a 1st Lieutenent, and was promoted to Captain and Aide-de-Camp, U.S. Volunteers, in November 1862. He served as a captain in General Joseph Hooker's staff from November 10, 1862, until his resignation from service in May 1863.
See Cudworth, Warren H., History of the First Regiment (Massachusetts Infantry), from the 25th of May, 1861, to the 25th of May, 1864; including Brief References to the Operations of the Army of the Potomac (Boston, Walker, Fuller, and Company, 1866), for more information about the 1st Massachusetts Infantry. See pages 123, 199, and the roster of officers in the back of the book for information about William Candler.
Scope and Content:
The collection consists of fourteen letters, dating from September 8, 1861, to February 15, 1863, from Candler to his uncle Charles [probably maternal uncle Charles Henry Wheelwright] or his brother, John W. Candler of Boston.
The letters are articulate and descriptive, replete with Candler's strong opinions about the state of the Union, the abilities of the generals (Union and Confederate) who were running the war and the politicians who were running the country, and his own ambitions for advancing in rank and status in the army. On May 10, 1862, he writes from Williamsburg, Virginia, about the engagement with the Confederates and their sharpshooters. His June 24, 1962, letters from Fair Oaks, Virginia, and his July 7th, 1862 letter from Harrison's Bar, Virginia, describe his units participation in the Battle of Mechanicsville, which was part of the Seven Days Campaign.
Candler's November 6, 1862, letter, written from Washington, D.C., has much about General George McClellan's political troubles, written soon before McClennan was removed from command of the Army of the Potomac and replaced by Ambrose E. Burnside. His December 21, 1862, letter disparagingly comments on the Union army's performance at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13.
Candler interspersed the letters with his concerns about the well-being of his fiance, and later, wife, Fannie, and his fear that his brother John will join the army and leave no one to care for their mother or John's children. Candler often asks his brother, a businessman in Boston, to send money.
Provenance:
The William Latham Candler letters were purchased in April 1997 from Franklin Gilliam, rare book dealer in Charlottesville, Virginia. The letters were organized and transcribed by Danielle Morrison and Brad Shearer, student assistants, and Laura Katz Smith, Manuscripts Curator, Special Collections Department.
Transcripts of letters:
September 8, 1861, from Camp Union, Bladensburg, Maryland to his uncle
September 10, 1861, from Camp Union, Bladensburg, Maryland to his uncle
October 22, 1861, from Camp Union, Bladensburg, Maryland to his brother
October 23, 1861, from Camp Union, Bladensburg, Maryland to his brother
November 2, 1861, from Camp Hooker-Duncaster Charles Co., Maryland (near Budds Ferry) to his brother
December 8, 1861, from Camp Hooker-Lower Potomac, Maryland (near Budds Ferry) to his brother
May 10, 1862, from Office of Provost Marshall in Mayor Saunder's house in Williamsburg, Virginia, to his uncle
June 24, 1862, from Head Quarters Hooker's Div.-Camp near Fair Oaks, Virginia, to his brother
July 7, 1862, from Camp near Harrison's Bar, Virginia, to his brother
July 15, 1862, from Camp near Harrison's Landing, Virginia, to his brother
July 18, 1862, from Camp near James River, Virginia, to his brother
November 6, 1862, from National Hotel in Washington, D.C., to his brother
December 21, 1862, from Camp near Potomac Creek to his brother
February 15, 1863, from Head Quarters of Army of the Potomac -- Camp near Falmouth to his brother