Political collections include the papers of political leaders, state governors, and departments of the Confederacy and Union.

Brown, Joseph E. (Joseph Emerson), 1821-1894 (MSS16)
Papers, 1853-1928; 4 folders, 1 reel microfilm
Includes correspondence concerning his wartime activities as governor of Georgia, 1857-1865. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Confederate Broadsides
Emory has a large collection of Confederate broadsides, including several that are not held elsewhere. Please contact MARBL for further information about the Confederate broadsides.

Confederate Memorabilia (MSS341)
These materials include political cartoons. See the Visual Materials section of this guide for a list of the cartoons.

Confederate States of America. Treasury Dept. (MSS116)
Papers, 1861-1865; 2 folders, 2 oversized bound volume, 1 oversized folder
Consists of manuscripts and documents issued by the Treasury Department of the Confederate States of America and its agencies and officials.

Confederate States of America. Army. (MSS109)
Papers, 1861-1865; 1 partial box, 3 bound volumes, 3 oversized boxes, 3 oversized folders
Contains clerical records and correspondence for the office of W.F. Ayer, chief quartermaster of the Army of Tennessee, and requisition books and general order book (1862). Also includes a letter by Alexander Hamilton Stephens, dated 1865. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Confederate States of America. Dept. of State (MSS115)
Papers, 1864; 1 folder
Communication from Judah Benjamin, secretary of state, transmitting copies of his correspondence with the Confederate agents abroad, Richmond, 14 December 1864. The papers also include letters of transmittal signed by Jefferson Davis.

In this letter, Judah Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of State, informs James Mason that he has been confirmed as an ambassador. Click on the image to see the entire letter.

Confederate States of America. Post Office Dept. (MSS113)
Papers, 1862-1865; 2 folders, 2 oversized bound volumes, 1 oversized folder
The papers consists of manuscripts and documents issued by the Treasury Department of the Confederate States of America and its agencies and officials.

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889 (MSS22)
Collection, 1846-1905; 1 box
Sixty-eight items of correspondence between Jefferson Davis and family members, Confederate officers, and political figures. Some of the letters are photocopies of the originals. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Gourdin, Robert N., 1812-1894 (MSS27)
Papers, 1841-1909; 3 boxes
Includes correspondence from various members of the Gourdin family concerning such topics as politics and sentiment before the Civil War relating to the secession movement in the South in general and South Carolina in particular; the role of the "1860 Association" of Charleston; war speculation and rumors; the issue of states rights; outbreak of war and the bombardment of Fort Sumter; military operations in South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina; siege of Charleston; and the issue of slavery. Correspondents include Robert N. Gourdin - colonel, South Carolina reserves; Louis G. Young - 12th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers; and Henry E. Young - Longstreet's Corps. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Great Britain. Consulate (Savannah, Ga.) (MSS15)
Papers, 1859-1866; 1 partial box
The collection consists mostly of correspondence and some printed documents. Nearly all of the letters are written to the two consuls at Savannah, Edward Molyneux, Lord Lyons, and later A. Fullarton, Esq., and are principally from Governor Joseph E. Brown, of Georgia and Judah Benjamin, Confederate secretary of state. While most of the letters relate to British subjects who wished to avoid being conscripted into the Confederate Army, some deal with blockades of various ports by one or other of the warring navies. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Grisham Family (MSS404)
Papers, 1825-1887; 1 folder, 1 reel microfilm
The papers include letters to Joseph E. Brown and Thomas Hill Watts, Civil War governors of Georgia and Alabama, respectively. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Hambleton, James P. (James Pickney), 1830-1897 (MSS29)
Papers, 1857-1893; 1 box, 1 oversized folder
James Pinkney Hambleton served as the first editor of the Southern Confederacy (1859-1861) and afterwards assumed duties as a surgeon with the 4th Battalion, Georgia Infantry. He was later transferred to the 35th Regt., Georgia Infantry and assigned temporary duty in Atlanta in 1862. He resigned a few months later due to ill health and traveled north to recuperate where he was taken prisoner. Includes letters concerning Reconstruction Georgia: information on African-Americans, economic conditions, and particularly politics. There is much correspondence relating to Southern claims against the government for cotton confiscated by federal troops during the Civil War (Hambleton represented a number of these cases). Correspondents include Alexander Hamilton Stephens, Dudley McIver Dubose, John Brown Gordon, and other political figures. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Jones, Joseph Bertram, 1817-1896 (MSS134)
Papers, 1793-1910; 1 box
Jones, attorney, legislator, and planter, represented Burke County in Georgia General Assembly from 1863-1866. On 1 December 1864, General William T. Sherman's army made its headquarters in the Jones home, thereby sparing it from destruction during the March to the Sea. Jones' two eldest sons served in the cadet corps of the Confederate army. Slaves and Freedmen is a frequently discussed topic in the correspondence which also includes letters from the sons. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

McClintock, John, 1814-1870 (MSS33)
Papers, 1828-1869; 16 boxes, 14 bound volumes, 1 oversized bound volume
Papers of this educator and editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review include his correspondence from Paris during the Civil War. While in Europe, he acted as a sort of unofficial agent for the Federal government and was instrumental in preventing recognition of the Confederacy by several of the European governments. There is a full account of his part in the Carlisle Riot over runaway slaves. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Northend, William Dummer, 1823-1902 (MSS338)
Papers, 1755-1905; 4 boxes
Northend was one of the Northern Democrats nicknamed Copperheads. A politician and lawyer, Northend argued in his private letters and speeches for the protection of minority rights against the tyranny of the majority. Includes correspondence regarding Civil War and Reconstruction politics from prominent Northern Democrats and Copperheads and from Southern leaders such as Jefferson Davis, William Jonathan Northen, and Alexander Hamilton Stephens. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Pictorial File
Collection
This collection contains photographs, prints, broadsides, and other visual images of the Civil War. An index to the collection can be found in the card catalog in the Special Collections Department.

Stephens, Alexander Hamilton, 1812-1883 (MSS94)
Papers, 1826-1869 (bulk 1821-1899); 17 boxes, 1 oversized item, 9 reels microfilm
Much of the correspondence in these papers of the vice president of the Confederate States of America is of a political nature. Correspondents include Joseph E. Brown, Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs, Milton A. Candler, John B. Gordon, George R. Gilmer, and Jefferson Davis among several others. The collection also includes legal and financial papers as well as printed speeches and manuscripts. The collection also includes microfilm of original Stephens papers at the Library of Congress and Duke University. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Thomas, James, 1799?-1866 (MSS233)
Correspondence, 1862-1864; 1 folder
Includes 16 letters of Linton Stephens and Alexander H. Stephens. A number of the letters from Linton Stephens were written while he commanded a militia company organized for six month service in Georgia from 15 August 1863. He criticizes Generals Braxton Bragg and D.H. Hill, Jefferson Davis, and Confederate conscription laws. Those letters from Alexander Stephens deal mainly with health matters, but include some comments on the Confederate congress and the preliminaries to the battle of Atlanta. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Thompson, Waddy, 1798-1868 (MSS235)
Papers, 1848-1865; 1 folder
Consists of a small group of letters (7 items) from the South Carolina statesman. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Welles Family (MSS402)
Papers, 1721-1871; 1 reel microfilm
Includes 4 letters relating to Gideon Welles who served as secretary of the Navy under Lincoln. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Wilbur, Aaron (MSS242)
Papers, 1863-1865; 7 folders
Wilbur served as aide de camp to Gov. Joseph E. Brown and purchasing agent for the state of Georgia. Includes correspondence between Wilbur and Gov. Brown and other individuals. See EUCLID record for a more detailed collection description.

Please contact MARBL at 404-727-6887 or marbl@emory.edu with questions regarding any of our collections.