The papers of Lt. Col. Benjamin Franklin Eshleman, who commanded the Washington Artillery unit during the Civil War, have been donated to the special collections department at the University of South Carolina's Beaufort South campus, reports the Beaufort Gazette. The collection mainly concerns the period following the war; former owner and Eshleman descendant Jack Castles said "When I read through them, I realized that they give you a very unique glimpse into what motivated these people and how they dealt with their lives after the Civil War."
Post-war materials are comparatively uncommon, so this collection is important as a look into how Confederate veterans dealt with the aftermath of the conflict.
