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Hazzard Family Collection

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The Hazzard Family Collection consists of the letters that Thomas Davis Hazzard wrote to his brother, Joseph Hazzard, during his service in the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (1st California Regiment). In this collection there are 49 letter and 3 cabinet card photographs. The letters mainly cover the span from Hazzard's enlistment in the summer of 1861 to when he is mustered out on May 25th, 1864; two letters are written after his service, one depicting his adjustment back to civilian life and the other detailing his further service in the army. These letters consistently include information about camp life, the movement of troops, soldiers' conditions, supplies, weather, and engagements in battle.

Hazzard's regiment served in the Eastern Theatre of the war, mostly in Virginia and Maryland. These letters recount his involvement in multiple major battles including the Seven Days Battles, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg. At Gettysburg, Hazzard was wounded and from there details his experience at Chestnut Hill Hospital outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In his letters, Hazzard expresses continued support of the Union. He includes multiple pieces of poetry detailing that Unionist sentiment and recounting battles. These letters also give insight into his personal life and detail his marriage, his mental state, and his journey in educating himself. In his letters to his brother, Hazzard fills him in on the information he has about the wellbeing of their family and himself. Overall, these letters depict the pain, passion, and perseverance that are involved in life of a Civil War soldier.