Collection number: MC 161
Size: 3 boxes
(1.00 cu.ft.)
About George Naylor Julian (1841-1927)
George Naylor Julian (March 17, 1841-July 26, 1927) was born in Exeter, N. H., the son of Luke and Abigail Moses Julian. The elder Julian was a carriage maker and wool merchant.
George N. Julian attended public schools before entering Phillips Exeter Academy, from which he graduated in 1856. In April 1861, following the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Julian moved to Massachusetts and enlisted as a private in the Second Battery (Nims) of Massachusetts Light Artillery. At the time, he determined to let those with more ambition become officers and consequently he served as a driver of a six-horse team on a field piece.
The Second Battery first went to Baltimore, where it helped quell unrest by Maryland secessionists. The unit then moved to Camp Hamilton,Virginia, where Julian witnessed the historic battle between the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia (Merrimac). Shortly thereafter, the battery was transferred via New Orleans to take part in the Siege of Vicksburg. On July 28, 1862, Julian received a commission as Captain of a newly-formed company of the 13th Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers. The 13th trained in New Hampshire and first saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Julian also saw action at the battles of Providence Church Road, Proctor’s and Kingsland Creeks, Drury’s Bluff, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Fair Oaks. On January 31, 1865 Julian received an honorable discharge and returned to Exeter. There he entered his father’s business as a wool trader and between 1875 and 1892 operated out of San Francisco.
Julian married Charlotte Hannah Vinall. The couple had two daughters and three sons. President McKinley appointed Julian postmaster of Exeter in 1898, a position he held for five years.
About the George Naylor Julian Papers
The George Naylor Julian Papers primarily consists of Julian’s letters home during the Civil War. About half of these come from the fifteen month period (April 1861-July 1862) that he served as a private in the Second Battery (Nims) of the Massachusetts Light Artillery. These letters describe camp life, the volatility of secessionist Baltimore, the naval engagement between the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia, a voyage between Virginia and Louisiana, and the siege of Vicksburg. Most of the remaining war-time correspondence comes from his time as a Captain with the 13th New Hampshire Regiment (August 1862-January 1865). During this period, his letters describe the battles of Fredericksburg, Providence Church Road, Proctor’s and Kingsland Creeks, Drury’s Bluff, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Fair Oaks, all in Virginia. Julian also comments on politics, his ranking officers, and friends and family from home. Remaining correspondence deals with his and his father’s wool business and family genealogy. The collection also contains Julian’s extensive journal, which describes a voyage of the U.S. Dewitt Clinton from Virginia to Louisiana (April 22-May 17, 1862) in great detail. In addition, the collection contains his daughter’s genealogical notebook and a number of war-time and postwar photographs. A folder containing photocopied biographical materials accompanies the papers.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], [Folder number], [Box number], George Naylor Julian Papers, 1858-1938, Mc 161, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Purchase: J.C. Devine, Inc., 1997 (Accession number: 97.015)
Collection Contents
Series 1: Correspondence, 1861-1938
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | April-May 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | June-July 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | August 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | September 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | October 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | November 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | December 1861 | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | January 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | February 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | March 1-15, 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | March 16-31, 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | April 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | May 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | June 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | July 1-15, 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | July 16-31, 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 17 | September-October 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 18 | November 1862 | |
| Box 1, Folder 19 | December 1862 | |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | January-February 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | March 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | June 1-15, 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | June 16-30, 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | July 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | August 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | October 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | December 1863 | |
| Box 2, Folder 9 | January-February 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 10 | March-April 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 11 | May 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 12 | June 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 13 | July 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 14 | August 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 15 | September 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 16 | October 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 17 | November-December 1864 | |
| Box 2, Folder 18 | 1875 [letters from GNJ and Luke Julian] | |
| Box 2, Folder 19 | 1876 [letters from GNJ and Luke Julian] | |
| Box 2, Folder 20 | 1858-1938 [misc. family correspondence] | |
Series 2: Covers, 1861-1938
| Box 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 3, Folder 1 | 1861 | |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | 1862 | |
| Box 3, Folder 3 | 1863 | |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | 1864, 1875-1876 | |
Series 3: Journal, 1862
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Journal of GNJ (April 22-May 17, 1862): 227 page account of voyage on the U.S. DeWitt Clinton from Hampton Roads, Virginia to New Orleans, Louisiana |
Series 4: Notebook
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Notebook, maintained by GNJ’s daughter, Maude Julian. Primarily genealogical notes |
Series 5: Photographs, 1861-1900
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Photographs, 1860s and
1900s
|
