Letter from Mary Jane Hale Welles to Gideon Welles

About the Project

This is a personal letter from Mary Jane Hale Welles to her husband Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy during the American Civil War. Mary Welles wrote the letter from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. The letter covers many topics including the couple's children and acquaintances, a possible vacation to Glastonbury, Connecticut, and the recent Civil War draft lottery. Mary was one of Mary Todd Lincoln’s closest friends. Gideon Welles was strongly against slavery, and a part owner and editor of The Hartford Times. As Secretary of the United States Navy from 1681–1869 Welles was a member of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson’s cabinet and was instrumental in the North’s victory in the Civil War. Welles was at Lincoln’s bedside when he died. Help us transcribe this personal document to learn more about the Welles’ life during the Civil War.

Read more

|
Show pages needing (scroll down to load more): Transcription | All

Completed!

Project Progress (details)
2 pages completed
Difficulty
4 out of 5
(details)

5

Contributing
members

2

Total
pages