A history of George W. Murray, and his long confinement at Andersonville

Dublin Core

Title

A history of George W. Murray, and his long confinement at Andersonville

Subject

Murray, George W. (George Washington), 1853-1926
Excerpts
Prefaces
Andersonville Prison

Description

A pattern-maker in Springfield before the outbreak of the Civil War, George W. Murray was taken prisoner, along with his three elder brothers, after the battle of Spotsylvania and confined to the infamous Confederate prison at Andersonville. He survived the ordeal, although parts of his hand and foot were amputated, and he lost the use of his right limbs. Murray then printed and sold this account of his imprisonment to help his wife and children:

"All the fingers on my right hand gone, and my arm, from my wrist to my elbow, partially paralyzed; nearly one-half of my right foot was in a similar condition, while the rest of it is drawn entirely out of shape, which obliges me to use a crutch … I returned home a mere wreck of my former self. Therefore, unable to work, and ashamed to beg, I have taken this method to raise a small capital to start some business, in order to enable me to support my family comfortably."

In 2005, Harvard purchased a collection of over 130 books, pamphlets, poems, and broadsides, all examples of the genre of mendicant literature—items composed and printed to raise charitable funds for their disabled authors. These narratives and autobiographical accounts of the hardships and triumphs of the blind, deaf, lame, and war-wounded are all now primary resources for the emerging field of disability studies.

Abstract

Excerpt from the preface of George W. Murray's autobiographical account, A history of George W. Murray, and his long confinement at Andersonville, Ga., also the starvation and death of his three brothers, at the same place

Creator

Murray, George W. (George Washington), 1853-1926

Publisher

Trumbull & Gere

Date Created

1865?

Rights

The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu

Access Rights

Access to the original work depicted requires advance notice. Contact Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu for additional information

Is Part Of

Harvard Medical Library Rare Books Collection (E612.A5M98 c. 1)

References

Fulltext available online through the Harvard University Library Page Delivery Service, <a href="http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/43334189">here</a>.

Format

text

Extent

excerpt (1 page)

Language

English

Provenance

Purchased for the Harvard Medical Library, 2005

Files

http://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/file_upload/murray_george_excerpt.jpg

Citation

Murray, George W. (George Washington), 1853-1926, “A history of George W. Murray, and his long confinement at Andersonville,” OnView, accessed March 28, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/13014.