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John J. Knox papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: John J. Knox papers | |
| Creator: United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1854-1946 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 1 Linear Feet 2 document boxes | |
| Collection Number: ms3119 | |
| Repository: Hargrett Library | |
Collection Description
Historical Note
John J. Knox was born on February 3, 1835 in Onandaga, New York. He enlisted in Company D of the Fifth Michigan Infantry in 1861 after having been expelled (for his Union sentiments) from the state of Mississippi where he had been a teacher. In 1862 he assumed command of his company and was gravely wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks the same year. Unfit for further battle duty, he served as Provost Marshall at Plattsburgh, New York and Scranton, Pennsylvania. After the war, he served in the Freedmen's Bureau in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. He later worked for the Department of Interior in Indian Territory. Knox died of complications from his war wound on April 19, 1877.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of clippings from Knox's personal scrapbook, affidavits, letters, manuscript speeches, military documents, and other material. The speeches were likely written during the time he was a teacher in Mississippi, prior to the Civil War. Of particular interest are also two speeches he gave at the Knox Institute (a Freedmen's school named after him) in Athens, Georgia. Also included are materials relating to Knox's family, including letters (many addressed to Clarkston, Michigan), an account book, and photographs.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
John J. Knox papers, ms3119, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.
Finding Aid Publication
Finding aid prepared on: 2009 October 16.