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Student at the University of Michigan (1854-1857) from Kalamazoo, Michigan, who served in the Second Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. Civil War diaries describing his army career; also University of Michigan student notebooks, ca. 1854, including one on a history course by James R. Boise; a sketch book and personal account book; letter to his brother Arthur (1855?) relating to his student experiences; and photograph.

The Haydon collection consist of student notebooks (ca. 1852-1859) while a student at the University of Michigan, diaries from his service in the Civil War (1861-1864), a family letter, and a portrait of Haydon in his military uniform.

The diaries of Charles Haydon are available in For country, cause & leader : the Civil War journal of Charles B. Haydon edited by Stephen W. Sears (New York : Ticknor & Fields, 1993)

Correspondence and other materials concerning life in Germany and Civil War service; and record book, 1868-1877, listing German settlers in the Dieckerill section of Niles brought to the United States by Brethschneider. Three letters written in July 1861 and one in November 1861 are chiefly love letters to his wife. But he also speculates on possible offensives and the end of the war; then writes of the casualties after the battles,saying: "It is sad to see thousands slaughtered through the ignorance of their leaders, but the Americans have to learn and pay for it. All our fancy officers here are sick or not worth the powder it would take to shoot them." However, he expresses a very high opinion of himself and his worth as an officer. The letters are written in German, and the collection contains the originals and translations, as well as his commission, dated April 25, 1861 and application for invalid corps dated June 23, 1863. The collection also includes a letter from Colonel Francis Quinn of the12th Michigan Infantry (May 2, 1862) and affidavits of James Vandemark and Robert Hardy, also of the 12th Infantry (June 4, 1862) relating to the Battle of Shiloh