Brigadier General Joseph Carter Abbott.
According to Civil War historian, Vincent Toland, Jr., Abbott served with distinction throughout the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was Adjutant General of New Hampshire. He relinquished his command to join the "volunteer ranks" and was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel, 7th New Hampshire Regiment. After the assault upon Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina and the death of Colonel Haldimand Putnam, Abbott was made acting Brigadier General of the 7th New Hampshire, a position he held until January 1865. Due to his valor and ability, he was promoted to Brigadier General. He is buried in the Valley Cemetery. This photograph can be found in the book, New Hampshire in the Great Rebellion by Major Otis. F.R. Waite.
Introduction:
The Civil War Account books consist of three volumes dating from 1862 to 1865. One volume is a draft book, and the other two are receipt books. Restoration of these records was made possible through a grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Heritage Preservation Program.
Scope and Content:
Manchester entered the War of Rebellion with high hopes for a quick and speedy victory. The war deeply affected the Manchester manufacturing industry. The Amoskeag Company shut down many of its mills because of an inability to obtain cotton so there was widespread unemployment. However, many men appear to have joined the military with patriotic, rather than economic motives in mind, according to the local newspapers of the day. Employees of the Amoskeag Mills joined the Manchester Mechanics Phalanx. Other men joined voluntary companies such as the Abbott Guards, Jonathan Bagley's Company, the Martin Guards and Baldwin's Coronet Band.
During the Civil War, there was no safety net in place to care for the soldiers' families. The absence of the father, son or brother in a family frequently meant economic hardship for those left behind. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen stepped in immediately to help the families whose loved ones were fighting. A resolution was passed on April 25, 1861, authorizing an appropriation of $10,000 to set up a fund to loan money to the families of Manchester soldiers who were fighting in defense of the Union. The Civil War Account books document the disbursement of funds to these families.
The relief fund entries begin in July 1862. The soldiers' names are generally in alphabetical order. The soldier's name is listed as are the amounts paid on a monthly basis. They range between $4.00, $8.00 and $12.00. None of the books or the minutes of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen explain why the amounts were paid in these increments. There is also no mention that these payments were loans to the families. An unofficial account in the book, Manchester on the Merrimack, written by Grace Holbrook Blood states that a Manchester Relief Committee was appointed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. This group voted to give the wife of a volunteer one dollar and a half every week with an additional dollar allowed for each child in the family.
The earliest relief entries coincide with the first bounty payments of $50 made to new enlistees. The bounties continued to increase in size as the war continued. The size of the relief payments did not increase but remained steady until the end of the conflict.
Draft Book for Civil War Soldiers, 1862-1865
The draft book contains the names of soldiers who were candidates to receive monetary relief as a result of their service in the Civil War from the years 1862 to 1865. This volume also supplies personal information on the status of each soldier. Notes include death dates and accounts of the soldier being wounded. There are also notations that state an individual deserted so no payment was made to the family. Another type of comment was that the wife had remarried so payment was discontinued. Here is a sampling of other types of notes made in the Draft Book:
"Child died" (reduced amount of the relief payment)
"Wife deceased" (no payment)
"Not in the army" (no payment)
"One child off" (now an adult-no payment)
"Promoted" (stipend only for lower level soldiers, not officers)
Receipt Book for the Soldier’s Relief and Relief of Soldiers Families, 1862-1865 (two volumes)
The receipt books are the final copies of the draft book submitted by the Office of the Treasurer to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for their approval. The individual signing for the amount is listed next to the amount paid. In most cases, it appears to be the name of the wife. If a soldier is discharged or has died, this is written in the "Signee" column.
As the war went into late 1864 and then into 1865, there is more information on individual soldiers. The discharge dates become more frequent, as do the death dates. After the final date of payment, ending in December 1865, there are notations regarding the personal status of the individual receiving payment (wife, father), the regiment of the soldier and more dates of death or dates of discharge.
Arrangement:
The Draft book entries are in roughly alphabetical order with columns that represent payment dates (i.e. – July 20, 1862, August 27, 1862). The Relief books are also in alphabetical order and have dated columns with the amount paid and then a column for the signature of the individual receiving the funds.
Administrative Information:
The collection was processed and described by archivist Sally Fellows in 2010.
Access:
The records are open for research without restrictions under the conditions of the Archives’ access policy. Researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use the material from the archivist.
Citation:
Civil War Account Records of the City of Manchester, New Hampshire.