Tully McCrea

There are two boxes (4 inches thick) of his papers in the USMA library. He writes a very legible hand. 

Folder 1 (they are not numbered) has 9 items, including two letters from Belle. Confederate States note for $500, payable two years after a Treaty of Peace. $5 bill from the City of Natchez. Letter in pencil from Belle [?], Dayton March 9, 1861; lovers spat. 

Folder 2. Typed description of the corr. 249 items. Photograph of McCrea as an older man with mustash, different than that in Dear Belle. Newspaper clippings about burial at WP. 1924-11-15 letter to Col Alexander from Mrs W. H. Tschappat saying she has papers of McCrea. Will send two photos; one is in Folder 5. Typescript of 1862-12-18 letter of McCrea to Belle about battles. "Poor  Maj. Sedgwick, who was killed at Antiedam, wished the morning before the battle that he could get a slight wound so that he could go home to see his wife and children, who were expected to arrive from Europe." Several letters to Cullum about military career. 

Folder 3, newspaper clipping.

Folder 4, Marriage certificate.

Folder 5, Photograph, age 64, "standing by the very same gun he fought by in the battle, at the "Bloody Angle" when he was a young man." [Quoting letter to Col Alexander in folder 3]. Photo published with Necrology. 

Folder 6. 12 letters to Belle from 1857. He is in Urbana. Lots of family news here. 

Folder 7. 5 letters to Belle from 1858. 1858-06-30 is first letter from WP. 1858-12-12 notes that he attended sermon by French who has the "double office of Chaplain and Proff. of english studies." So perhaps this is where the line about him teaching English comes up. No discussion of classes. Only a note in one letter that examinations are in three weeks. 

Folder 8. 10 letters to Belle from 1859. 1859-08-12: "My studies now are Analytical Geometry, French, and Blairs Rhetoric. last year we only had two, now we have three studies and the lessons are as long as ever, so you can see how much harder we have to study." 1859-10-09: Climbed to "top of Crows nest the highest peak of the Highlands" after dinner and got back about 5. A hard climb. Magnificent view. "The village of Cold Spring on the opisite [sic] side of the river looked very pleasant and home-like with its long street lined with pretty white cotages [sic], the homes of the mechanics that work at the U. S. foundry which is situated at that place." Letters typically end with something like "Give my love to Aunt Sarah, Uncle William and all the family." They often begin with the fact that someone is ill. 

Folder 9. 11 letters to Belle from 1860. 1860-01-05: "The examination commenced last Wednesday. The "Plebes" are being examined first, and it will take until next Tuesday to get through with them. It takes longer to examine them than it does any other class, for it depends upon this examination whether they should be admitted as Cadets or not. Since last June they have been serving conditionally. If they pass this examination they get their commissions, if they do not, they are sent home. About fifteen in this class will fail. I feel sorry for one of these failing plebes, for he has studied hard, and done his best to stay. When he commenced last September he was in the habit of sitting up at night until twelve and one o'clock to study his lessons. But he had had a very poor education before he came here, and not being used to hard study, he was not able to master long lessons in Algebra. After studying as hard as he possibly could for two months he found himself at the foot of the class. He became discouraged, gave himself up as lost, and quit studying. He does not lack common sense, but his mind has never had any training , and he had never studied the lower branches of mathematics. It is a little remarkable that he has done so poorly, when he had a brother and a cousin in the graduating class of last year, both of whom graduated with great credit, and now have high positions in the army. After the Plebes are examined, then comes my class in Philosophy. I expect to be called on about Tuesday and I must confess that I have great doubts about my success. I shall hope for the best, although I fear the worst. I will be examined in French or Spanish about the last of the week, so that by the time you receive this letter I shall have passed my examination. I expect to stand very high in drawing, probably fourth or fifth, so that if I do lose a little in Philosophy, I will make it u in drawing, and leave my general standing about the same. My Instructor is very well pleased with the last piece that I have done. It is a topographical sketch of Constitution island and West Point. I have taken great deal of pains with it, as I wish to preserve it, as a memento of my Cadetship." 

1860-01-15. Partially quoted on pp. 27-28 of Dear Belle.  "Dear Cousin,  [\par]  I received your letter several days ago, but did not answer it sooner, because I wished to hear the result of my examination first. The examination is over, and I feel greatly relieved, for I assure you that it is not very pleasant to have to go up to the examination to be cross examined by eight Grim Old Professors. I did not do as well as expected as I have been brought out in standing lower in all of my studies that I supposed I would be. I have been brought out in Mathematics seventh, in English studies twenty second, in French twenty eighth. I did not pass a good examination in Mathematics, or I should have come out fifth, as I had the fifth mark. Each Cadet at the examination is questioned on the various principles of his course, and then has a subject, or a particular principle to put on the blackboard and demonstrate. I made a perfect recitation on the questioning part, but in Cadet phraseology I made a "cold fess" on my demonstration. I had to show or deduce a formula in Analytical Geometry that we studied last September, and although I knew it at that time I had completely forgotten how to prove it at the examination. It was very mortifyng to me, as I had studied very hard during the session, knew more about my course than I ever did before, and confidently expected to make a perfect recitation. There was about one chance in fifty of me making the recitation that I did, and I was so unfortunate to get that one chance. [\par]  I passed a very good examination both in French and English Studies. I do not do as well in French as I do in my other studies, for I have no taste for it, and can not study it like I can Mathematics. I believe that I never was intended for a French man. [\par] I am glad that it is over, at any note. Five months from to day my next examination will be over, I will be a happy furloughman on my way home."  

Folder 10. 13 letters from 1860.  Due to lack of time I had to stop reading and just make a catalog. 

Folder 11. 17 letters from 1861. 

Folder 12. 18 more letters from 1861. 

Folder 13. A final 17 letters from 1861. 

Folder 14. An empty folder from 1862. 

Box 2. Six folders: 1862 (26), 1862 (24 more), 1863 (23), 1863 (16 more), 1864 (31), 1867 (15). I did not read any of these. 

1880-10-6. "I was studying french, which you know I regard as very pleasant employment." Received letter from Eugene Thomas of Troy who expects to enter WP next year. Frank Hamilton [Cullum #1978] is my favorite classmate. He is a buckeye and "black republican" like me.  Photocopy in library. 

1860-10-13. McCrea at USMA to Belle. Talk of bad teeth. Prince of Wales to be here tomorrow. Bishop McG gave wonderful sermon. It was 33 years since he was here as Chaplain and Professor. "Our oldest Proffessors [sic], who are now grey [sic] headed old men, were then his pupils." When he first came all the professors and cadets were infidels and would have nothing to do with him. Photocopy in library.

1860-10-20. "I was sorry to hear that you had such difficulty in learning your algebra. It is very difficult, as I know from experience, and can fully sympathize with you. I would advise you to pay more attention to the principles and rules, and not be so particular about the exhamples [sic]." Mentions that they both write on Saturday evenings and so feel more like they are communicating directly with each other. Have been all evening coping french exercises; have forty to write and have only finished six. Have written six pages and not mentioned the Prince. He continues for five more pages. Page 54 of Dear Belle quotes this correctly (except for changes in punctuation and adding an ellipsis where McCrea parenthetically noted that it rained the night before. Photocopy in library. 

1860-10-27.  Received your letter Friday (this was mentioned before). Sorry I offended you. The dentist has visited WP from Newburg. Sorry I offended you. This is quoted in the book. Will probably remain a bachelor. Harpers weekly and New York Illustrated News had pictures of the cadets when the prince was here. Trouble with orderly sergeant.  Photocopy in library.

Rererences:

Obituary by the Secretary, Association of Graduates.