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William A. Prickitt Papers Related to Company G of the 25th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
William Augustus Prickitt (1839-1929) was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He enlisted as a private with the 14th New Jersey Regiment on August 9, 1862, was promoted to sergeant, and finally to captain of Company G, 25th Regiment, United States Colored Troops. After the war he became an attorney, and later a banker and member of the New York Stock Exchange. Prickitt was appointed American Consul at Rheims, France (1897-1905), and later Consul General in Auckland, New Zealand (1905-1914).
This collection documents the daily operations of African American soldiers in Company G of the 25th Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops (USCT), during the final year of the American Civil War. Created and assembled by William A. Prickitt (1839-1929), the company's white captain, these materials detail recruitment, arming, payments, and casualties within the company. The majority consist of retained copies of inventories, returns, accounts of equipment, troop muster rolls, invoices, and other financial and personnel records, mostly centered on the company's garrison duties at Fort Barrancas, Florida. Prickitt arranged the records into envelopes grouped by record type or function, and he often reused or created his own forms when the official documents were not available. The troops whose service is documented in these records were organized in early 1864 at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they served in New Orleans, Louisiana, before arriving in Florida.
Materials are arranged in the order in which they were received.
Purchased from William Reese Company in 2020 (AM 2021-21).
The collection was processed by Kelly Bolding in January 2021. Finding aid written by Kelly Bolding in January 2021.
No materials were separated during 2021 processing.
Organization
- United States. Army -- African American troops -- History -- 19th century
- United States. Army. Colored Infantry Regiment, 25th (1864-1865)
- United States. Colored Troops
Subject
- African Americans -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
- African American soldiers -- Florida -- 19th century -- Sources
- African American soldiers -- Louisiana -- 19th century -- Sources
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Kelly Bolding
- Finding Aid Date
- 2021
- Sponsor
- Processing of this collection was sponsored by the Delafield Fund.
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to Special Collections Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
3 folders
1 folder