John Preston Campbell

First Name: John
Middle Name(s): Preston
Last Name: Campbell
Unit: 
Battery H, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery
Rank: 
private; first sergeant
Residence (County): 
Norfolk County, MA
Biography: 

A brief Biographical sketch (in Local and National Poets of America published in 1890) states that John Preston Campbell was born in Boston, Massachusetts on April 8, 1842 and that he was the son of John and Nancy J. Campbell, both of Scottish ancestry. He mustered into service as a private in Battery H, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery on October 14, 1862 and mustered out as first sergeant on June 28, 1865. He was wounded in the fighting around Petersburg on April 2, 1865. After the war, he went west and lived first in Iowa (where he graduated from college and became a lawyer) and then in Kansas, where he had a successful career as a teacher, lawyer, and lecturer. He also published six volumes of poetry. At the time of the 1860 Census, John P. Campbell was living in the household of a farmer named Jeremiah Russell Smith in Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. His age in the 1860 Census is listed as 16 and his place of birth as Nova Scotia. His biographical sketch states that he was “brought up” in the Smith household, which included Jeremiah’s wife, Christiana, a son, William R. Smith (age 21), and a daughter, Harriett (age 11). The letters in this collection written to members of the Smith family, especially Jeremiah R. Smith.

Authored Letters

Displaying 1 - 25 of 37
ID Letter Date Author Recipient From To
13046 JohnCampbell28 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13015 JohnCampbell1 January 24, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Fairfax Station, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13016 JohnCampbell2 January 29, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear Sis” Fairfax Station, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13017 JohnCampbell3 February 4, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13018 JohnCampbell4 March 5, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13019 JohnCampbell5 March 21, 1863 John Preston Campbell William R. Smith Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13021 JohnCampbell6 March 27, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Union Mills, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13022 JohnCampbell7 March 31, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Union Mills, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13023 JohnCampbell8 May 25, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Alexandria, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13024 JohnCampbell9 May 30, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Chantilly, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13025 JohnCampbell10 June 16, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Chantilly, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13026 JohnCampbell11 June 18, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Chantilly, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13027 JohnCampbell12 July 5, 1863 John Preston Campbell William R. Smith Fairfax, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13028 JohnCampbell13 July 25, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Fairfax, VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13029 JohnCampbell14 August 25, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13030 JohnCampbell15 September 10, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13031 JohnCampbell16 October 9, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13033 JohnCampbell17 October 30, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13034 JohnCampbell18 November 18, 1863 John Preston Campbell "Dear friends" DC Norfolk County, MA
13036 JohnCampbell19 December 8, 1863 John Preston Campbell "Dear friends" DC Norfolk County, MA
13038 JohnCampbell20 December 25, 1863 John Preston Campbell “Dear Mother” DC Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13039 JohnCampbell21 January 15, 1864 John Preston Campbell “Dear Mother” DC Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13040 JohnCampbell22 February 16, 1864 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” DC Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13042 JohnCampbell24 February 20, 1864 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” DC Medfield, Norfolk County, MA
13041 JohnCampbell23 May 14, 1864 John Preston Campbell “Dear father” VA Medfield, Norfolk County, MA

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