John C. McLain papers

Collection

Identifier: c-00111

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a typewritten copy of the Civil War diary (1862-1865) of John C. McLain. The diary gives a good account of Company C's movements and of daily army life. Of special interest are references to troop morale, the capture of Jefferson Davis (May 10, 1865) by General B. B. Pritchard of the Fourth Michigan Calvary, and the demobilization of the armies.

The typewritten copy of the diary has been scanned and placed online at http://civilwar.archives.msu.edu/collection/7-1C-2F/mclain.

Dates

Creation: 1883, undated

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

John C. McLain enlisted with Company C, Fourth Michigan Cavalry on August 8, 1862 and was stationed in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. His company participated in the Murfreesboro Campaign (May-December, 1862), the Chickamauga Campaign (June-September, 1863), the battles around Chattanooga (November 1863), the Atlanta Campaign (May-August, 1864) and the Franklin and Nashville Campaign (September-December, 1864). He was discharged at Nashville, Tennessee on July 1st, 1865.

McLain later became County Treasurer of Van Buren County, Michigan. He typed his Civil War notes in 1883.