Scope and Content Note
The papers of Charles Wellington Reed (1841-1926) span the years 1776-1926, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1862-1865. The collection includes approximately seven hundred sketches in two volumes and a large group of correspondence relating primarily to the Civil War. Other items consist of articles, citations and military papers, clippings, a diary, maps, medals, photographs, printed matter, and oversize material. The material is arranged alphabetically by type of material with oversize items located at the end of the collection.
The collection documents Reed's life as a soldier during the Civil War. Many letters, especially those written to his family, describe in detail his activities as a private in the Ninth Massachusetts Battery. The letters are often prefaced by drawings which further illustrate the rigors and even amusing events of his service. The two volumes of sketches include drawings of army life during the Civil War, some drawn during actual combat. Others are of landscapes, animals, and other studies.