ABSTRACT: Civil War letters written by Jared and Alvina Blount, 1864-1865.
SCOPE: These letters are written by Jared Blount and his wife Alvina to their parents and friends. They discuss their experiences in St. Louis and the surrounding areas during the last year of the American Civil War, including work for the federal government and struggles with disease. The letters also recount details of guerrilla warfare tactics, direct encounters with Confederate fighters, and the recent assassination of President Lincoln.
EXTENT: Three letters.
HISTORY: Jared S. Blount and Alvina M. Bullen were both born in New York around 1825. After they married, they lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa before moving to St. Louis, Missouri. By 1865, Jared and Alvina had had three sons (Marcelous, Merton, and Menzo) and two daughters (Martha and Mariah Maud). Jared entered into service for the Union Army in Nashville and Chattanooga but, after sustaining injuries, returned to St. Louis County to run a grocery and a small farm.
ACCESS: This collection can be viewed on-site in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition and other access restrictions. Information on conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building on the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ north campus.
Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis."
