William Hamilton Harris papers

1856-1865

William Hamilton Harris (d. 1895) was a colonel in the Ordnance Department of the US Army during the Civil War. He was the son of Ira Harris, Republican Senator from New York. The collection comprises letters mostly written at West Point Military Academy, addressed to his father, Ira Harris, relating facts about studies, social life, religious guidance, etc., of the cadets. A few related experiences in the Ordnance Department of the US Army during the Civil War in which he rose to the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel. Occasional letters from his father and others. Also his diary, June 13-July 30, 1864 in which he describes the explosion of a land mine constructed by the Federal troops at Petersburg, July 30.