MARY LOUISE PEARRE HAMILTON COLLECTION
1861-64; 1925; 1951; 1958

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614

E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

Title: Mary Louise Pearre Hamilton Collection
Collection Number: Accession No. 114
Physical Description: one folder
Creator: Mary Louise Pearre Hamilton
Repository: Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University


ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Mary Louise Pearre Hamilton collection was donated to the Archives of Appalachia on June 23, 1982 by Janie Stout, Hamilton's great-granddaughter.

Access: The collection is open for research.

Processing Information: J Shelton completed processing and the collection was open for research in November, 1986. The finding aid was revised by Marie Tedesco in 1993.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Mary Louise Pearre was born in 1838, probably in Middle Tennessee. She graduated from Franklin Female College, Franklin, Tennessee (Williamson County) in June, 1858. She then taught school for nine months at Mill Creek, Tennessee. In July, 1860 John Hall Hamilton asked her to become his teaching assistant in the fall at Union Seminary, near Lebanon, Tennessee. Pearre taught there for five months during the winter of 1860-61. The school closed in the spring of 1861, apparently because of the impact of the Civil War, which had begun in April of that year. Pearre then taught for the duration of the war at a school on Hillsboro Pike, just across the Davidson County line in Williamson County, Tennessee.

Mary and John Hall Hamilton became engaged to be married some time between September, 1860 and May, 1861 when he joined Company H, 7th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry (Confederate). Hamilton had proposed in September of 1860, but Mary had not given him any response.

John Hall Hamilton, born in 1829 at his family's Stewart's Ferry Road home outside of Nashville, fought for the Confederacy from May of 1861 through May 1865. Hamilton saw action at many battles, among them Seven Pines, Second Manassas, Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and the siege of Petersburg. Hamilton was wounded taking part in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. He was then taken prisoner by Federal forces. He remained a prisoner for three months, whereupon he was exchanged and returned to his unit. Hamilton served until after the war's end, and did not return home until May, 1865.

Mary Louise Pearre and John Hall Hamilton were married in August, 1865. Within a year of their marriage they moved to Clinton, Kentucky, where three of their children, Maggie, John Hall, Jr. and Joseph Porter were born. Maggie died before her first birthday. Shortly after Maggie's death the Hamiltons returned to Williamson County, settling in Beechville. There Joshua Pearre was born. Ida Emily, their last child, was born in Antioch, shortly before the family moved to Wilson County.

John Hall died of pneumonia, apparently at Beechville, on December 7, 1891. Mary died in Memphis, Tennessee at the home of her daughter Ida Taylor on December 24, 1913.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Mary Louise Pearre Hamilton Collection consists of photocopies of Mary's diary, 1863-64, and of letters written to her from her fiance, John Hall Hamilton, 1861-63. Their son, Joshua Pearre, added commentaries to the diary entries, and appended a "Commentary and A Bit of Family History" to the entire document. Joshua Pearre Hamilton's commentaries date from the twentieth century.

The diary entries contain Pearre's comments on life in Middle Tennessee during the Civil War, and her analysis of political and military events. Pearre's comments reflect her support of the Confederacy. Hamilton's letters to his fiance describe conditions in military camps, battles fought with the Federals, and terrain that Hamilton's unit marched through. His letters also express his feelings of love and affection for Mary or "Mollie," as he called her. Joshua Pearre Hamilton's commentaries add explanations of events or persons included in the above-mentioned documents. His comments also add information on the family history of the Hamiltons and Pearres.

The collection is arranged in a single series which is contained in one file folder, and shelved with the small collections according to accession number.

Important subjects and persons covered include:

Hamilton Family
Hamilton, John Hall, 1829-1891--Correspondence
Hamilton, Joshua Pearre
Hamilton, Mary Louise Pearre, 1838-1913--Correspondence
Hamilton, Mary Louise Pearre, 1838-1913--Diaries
Tennnessee--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

SERIES DESCRIPTION AND FOLDER LISTING