Edwin May Papers, 1862-1924 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

This collection includes 39 official "Sick and Wounded" reports compiled by May from September 1862 to December 1864, four letters from army comrades, and sixteen photographs of them. The collection also contains papers and souvenirs from reunions sponsored by the 33rd Illinois Infantry Veterans Association between 1875 and 1924, and issues of the National Tribune of November 28, December 5, and December 12, 1887, containing Colonel Charles E. Hovey's account of the 33rd's 1862 march through Arkansas.

Biographical/Historical Context:

Edwin May (1828-1893) was born on a farm in Massachusetts. In the 1850s, he became a school principal in St. Louis, studying medicine at the same time. Dr. Edwin May served as assistant surgeon of the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry from August 1862 to June 1864, when he was promoted to surgeon of the 99th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After the war, he lived in Iron County, Missouri, and continued to practice medicine.

Acquisition Source: Clara May of Oberlin, Ohio, donated this collection to the Illinois Historical Survey, the predecessor to the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, prior to 1956.