Seeking Union Army correspondence with civilians during Civil War

Elliot, thanks for jumping in. Alas, the correspondence I am looking for predates June 1865, when Brown established the Bureau office in Richmond. So my question is, where would communications sent earlier in 1865 from McEntee and the other military officials listed above to a civilian such as Woodbury be recorded?

-Lois

Some follow-up questions to your very helpful reply. Please let me know if I need to break these up into separate queries, or if you prefer to do so yourself, please do.

1.  You directed me to where I might find correspondence records related to Lieutenant Colonel John McEntee in his capacity of officer of the 80th New York Regiment.

Would I consult those records or other records to find correspondence to/from the following individuals, particularly for the period from August 1864 through April 1865?  At least some of them might have been serving in the Bureau of Military Intelligence.

• Gen George Sharpe
• Lt. Col. Manning (I am guessing this reference is to Frederick Manning, although the source I have gives no first name)
• Maj Gen Ord
• Gen. Gordon (again, no first name is given, but he would have been serving in Virginia and in close contact with the others on this list)

2. I have a newspaper article referring to a particular civilian in Richmond (who had been a loyal Unionist) being given use of "a government ambulance" by federal forces, likely through the office of the Provost Marshal, sometime in spring and/or summer 1865, i.e. as the city was under Union control.  Were might I find correspondence/orders regarding a request/arrangement for such a use of government resources?

3.  This same civilian appeared in New York in autumn 1865, with "letters of recommendation from Generals [Alfred] Terry, [Edward] Ord and S H Roberts." My guess is that those letters were written at some point in spring, summer, or early autumn 1865.  Where might I find correspondence related to these figures for that period, particularly correspondence requesting or granting a "letter of recommendation"?

As you can see, I am now trying to fill my dance card with every source I need to consult, particularly those that are not yet digitized, so that I make the best use of my time in the National Archives, once researchers are able to do onsite research again.

Thanks so much for all your diligent assistance. I really would not know how to find any of this otherwise.

Best regards,

Lois

Hi Patrick,

I have been to the Amistad Research Center in person -- my last trip prior to the pandemic! -- and been through their AMA holdings.  You are correct:  the INCOMING correspondence TO Woodbury was not preserved as part of the AMA records. Thus, my original query was about tracking OUTGOING or INTERNAL MILITARY correspondence (or other relevant records) involving the correspondents Woodbury mentions, and other correspondents relevant to the story I am piecing together.

To recap, I am trying to understand which specific records groups at the National Archives (or elsewhere, but I think it's National Archives; it is NOT in the Official Records of the War of Rebellion) will have the following:

1. Correspondence to/from the following individuals, particularly for the period from August 1864 through April 1865?  At least some of them might have been serving in the Bureau of Military Intelligence.

• Gen George Sharpe
• Lt. Col. Manning (I am guessing this reference is to Frederick Manning, although the source I have gives no first name)
• Maj Gen Ord
• Gen. Gordon (again, no first name is given, but he would have been serving in Virginia and in close contact with the others on this list)

2. I have a newspaper article referring to a particular civilian in Richmond (who had been a loyal Unionist) being given use of "a government ambulance" by federal forces, likely through the office of the Provost Marshal, sometime in spring and/or summer 1865, i.e. as the city was under Union control.  Were might I find correspondence/orders regarding a request/arrangement for such a use of government resources?

3.  This same civilian appeared in New York in autumn 1865, with "letters of recommendation from Generals [Alfred] Terry, [Edward] Ord and S H Roberts." My guess is that those letters were written at some point in spring, summer, or early autumn 1865.  Where might I find correspondence related to these figures for that period, particularly correspondence requesting or granting a "letter of recommendation"?

Hopefully the specificity of my list will help Jason or someone else familiar with the military records groups to point the way. I really do appreciate the expertise, without which I would be sorely lost.

Best regards,

Lois