|
Holman Melcher Papers,
1860-1865
0.25
linear feet.
Catalog Number:
M127
|
Agency History / Biographical Note:
Holman Melcher (1841-1905), a native of Topsham, Maine, was the brother of
Nathaniel Melcher (Bowdoin 1864). During the Civil War, he served with the
20th Maine Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg. His journals, published with
his letters as With a Flash of His Sword, suggest that it was he, and
not Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who led the
impulsive charge that helped to rescue the Union forces. Melcher served to
Brevet Major and was wounded in the Battle of Spotsylvania in Virginia, but
survived the war. He served as president of the 20th Maine Regiment
Association (1876-1905). He was a successful wholesale grocer in Portland,
Maine, and was twice elected mayor of the city (1889-1890). He married Alice
Hart and had one daughter.
Scope and Content:
The collection contains correspondence (1860-1865), Civil War records,
clippings, and other material (1863-1865). Correspondence includes letters to
his brother Nathaniel, then a student at Bowdoin, and to his parents, written
from the front lines at Fredericksburg, Antietam and other battle sites. Also
included are general orders of the Army of the Potomac, a consolidated
morning report of the 20th Maine Regiment for March 21, 1863, and a
newsclipping (N.Y. Herald, April 15, 1865) concerning Lincoln's
assassination.
Cite as:
Holman Melcher Papers, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections &
Archives, Bowdoin College Library.
Access Restrictions:
None.
|
