MS - 074: Thomas B. McGaffick, Co. F, 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
MS - 074: Thomas B. McGaffick, Co. F, 101st
Inclusive Dates: 1861-1863
Processed by: Christopher Gwinn
June 2006
Link to Full Finding Aid - PDF
Provenance Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, 2005
Biography
Thomas B. McGaffick was born and raised in Industry, PA in the
After service on the Peninsula the 101st along with McGaffick was transferred to
Scope and Content
The letters of Thomas B. McGaffick, a corporal in Company F of the 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry range in date from January 19th, 1861 to February 11, 1863. The collection contains twenty two pieces of correspondence, including two fragments of letters along with a number of official documents relating to McGaffick’s discharge from the army. The letters are all addressed to members of Thomas’s family, including his sisters Belle and Mary, his brother Benjamin and his parents. The letters address a variety of subjects ranging from the rigors of army life to McGaffick’s constant battle with his own health. Thomas rarely received enough correspondence to keep him satisfied and was constantly after family members to write more. He described his thoughts on General McClellan, his desire to return home and the various women to whom he wrote during the conflict. Also of interest is McGaffick’s view towards the African Americans he encountered while in the south. “If I thought I was fighting to free the niggers I would go home and let and let
Link to Full Finding Aid - PDF