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Sarah Jane Smith Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MC 736

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of proceedings of the 1864 trial and other papers regarding the destruction of telegraph wires by Sarah Jane Smith. These materials are positive photocopies of records held by the National Archives. See: Case of Sarah Jane Smith, Records of the Judge Advocate General's Office (Army), Record Group 153, entry 15, file LL2742, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Dates

  • 1864-1865

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

Sarah Jane Smith was born in Washington County, Arkansas. Her father joined the Confederate army, and she moved to live with relatives in Cassville, Missouri in 1864. While there, she assisted some of her relatives in cutting down Union telegraph lines--a violation of General Order No. 32. After her arrest and release, she again cut down wires, and at the age of 18, she was sentenced to hang for this crime. Based on subsequent medical examination on mental health grounds, her sentence was commuted to imprisonment for the duration of the war, and she was eventually released.

For more information on Smith, see Lowry, Thomas P. Confederate Heroines: 120 Southern Women Convicted by Union Military Justice. Baton Rouge, LA: LSU Press, 2006.

Extent

0.05 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Arrangement of the Papers

Materials are housed in a single folder.

Acquisition Information

The Sarah Jane Smith Papers were donated by J. Dickson Black of Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 28, 1988.

Location of Digital Copies

Digital scans and transcriptions of collection materials are viewable via Missouri Digital Heritage's "Community and Conflict: the Impact of the Civil War in the Ozarks" digital exhibit.

Processing Information

Processed by Nan Lawler; completed in February 1988. Finding aid updated by Katrina Windon in April 2017.

Title
Sarah Jane Smith Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Nan Lawler
Date
February 1988
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Department Repository

Contact:
University of Arkansas Libraries
365 N. McIlroy Avenue
Fayetteville AR 72701 United States
(479) 575-8444