Archive of Capt. Archibald D. Norris, 7th Tennessee

Archive of Capt. Archibald D. Norris, 7th Tennessee Infantry, CSA, 1820s-1910s

Extensive personal archive of Archibald Debow Norris (1838-1911), veteran of the Tennessee 7th Infantry, lauded for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg during which he endured heavy fire to save the company flag upon retreat. Lot includes hundreds of personal and business-related documents and letters spanning the 1820s through 1910s.

Born in Smith County, TN, Archibald D. Norris was the son of a prominent farmer. After graduating in 1860 as the valedictorian of his class at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, Norris returned to his hometown of Rome, TN where he worked as headmaster of a local college. As the country moved closer to war and Tennessee inched closer to secession, Norris maintained a pro-Union stance. Ultimately, once Tennessee seceded Norris would determine that he must maintain his allegiance to his own state over that of the Union. Records indicate that a twenty-one year old Norris enlisted on 5/15/1861 and was commissioned into "K" Co. TN 7th Infantry. He attained the rank of captain in 1862, fought with his regiment at Gettysburg on July 1st and 3rd, was captured at Petersburg, VA on April 2, 1865, and was released from Johnson's Island Prison, June 19, 1865.

Norris married Sarah Melissa Baird on December 25, 1866, and subsequently went on to serve in a variety of civic roles including superintendent of public instruction for Wilson County, TN from 1873-1874; county surveyor, 1878-1882 and again 1896-1899; and TN state representative, 1887-1899. Norris was a Mason, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was active in farming, banking, and the insurance business. The archive offered here represents a wide swath of his post-war personal and business dealings, and also includes dozens of pre-war documents related to the Norris family particularly to Norris's father, John Blackmore Norris.

Remnants of Archibald "Archie" Norris's Civil War service and the war's aftermath are also present. Included with this archive are a black "Confederate Veteran" ribbon and several war-date and Reconstruction documents. Notable are a January 30, 1862, letter from Norris's father to his son in which he describes news of the Battle of Fishing Creek (Battle of Mill Springs); an affidavit relating the theft of two of John B. Norris' horses by Federal soldiers in "Wilders Command"; a partially printed "Permit for Family and Plantation Supplies" issued to "JB Norris" on Nov. 3, 1864; a pay receipt issued to "AD Norris Capt" from the "Pay Bureau Q.M. Department" dated February 27, 1865; a circular issued by the Department of the Interior on May 20, 1867, "Joint Resolution prohibiting payment by any officer of the Government to any person not known to have been opposed to the Rebellion, and in favor of its suppression"; and an 1875 letter regarding John B. Norris's inadequate documentation of "proof of loyalty."
Condition Report: Letters generally in good condition with all text legible. Several small business notebooks and a business ledger are in poor condition with loose bindings, faded pencil, and extensive wear.