The collection contains letters written by James Bradley and a journal kept by Charles Bradley. There are also copies and transcripts of these items along with Bradley family information. The James Bradley letters date from November 1863 to May 1864 and 1869; there are no letters from 1865 to 1868. The Charles Bradley journal dates from January 1869 to January 1876 with one entry added on 14 September 1913.

There is one folder of letters written by James Bradley to either his older brother, John, or to his younger brother, Charles (f.2). The Civil War Letters of James Bradley was compiled for a 1990 Bradley family reunion. It contains transcriptions of James’ letters, copied portions of select letters, and is prefaced with Bradley family history (f.1).

All of the letters, except the last letter dated 12 December 1869, were written by James while he served in the Union Army. From December 1863 to March1864, he was in Virginia where he fought along the Rappahannock River and at Warrenton Junction. In his letters, James explained how he joined the Confederate Army, reasons for defecting to the Union Army, his views on slavery, and descriptions of military life and battles. In 1869, James lived in Maple River, North Dakota. In the final letter written to his older brother John, he mentions his desire to have Charles move to North Dakota and open a grocery store with him.

There are transcriptions of the Charles E. Bradley journal along with copies of the journal pages (f.3-5). Some of the photocopies are illegible and the original volume (f.6) may need to be consulted. The journal dates from January 1869 to January 1876, less than a year after he married. The final entry on 14 September 1913, summarizes Charles’ life and briefly discusses his children and his religious beliefs. The journal is primarily that of a young, gainfully employed, single man living in St. Louis.

Charles recorded his earnings and living costs, his business accomplishments and real estate transactions, and his social activities. In July 1870, he set out to visit his older brother, James, in North Dakota. Charles spent the winter there and returned to St. Louis in April 1871. Along the way, Charles wrote about the cities and small towns that he visited and the people that he observed. He wrote much less frequently during his trip north than he had previously in St. Louis. Upon his return, Charles once again found employment in the real estate business and commenced writing his journal entries.