The Philip Bacon papers contain both incoming and outgoing correspondence of Bacon. The collection contains a total of 50 letters, primarily written By Philip Bacon to his father, Richard Bacon; of his letters, he wrote six during his Civil War service, and received nine from various friends from Connecticut. In his letters to family and friends, he described the city of New Orleans shortly after its surrender and gave his opinions on the conduct of the war. On September 17, 1862, he wrote his father, "Mr. Lincoln is to [sic] slow, and at the rate we are now going on it will take twenty years to finish the war. Things look very bad to my mind so far." As the war progressed, Bacon showed a deep interest in the affairs of freedmen, and became an outspoken abolitionist. After he left the service, he focused on his two plantations in Louisiana, especially concerning his need for various farm implements and his initial difficulties growing sugar cane and cotton. Bacon became increasingly involved with the plight of local African Americans, and described their general education (January 12, 1864) and the establishment of various schools for freedmen (April 17, 1864). Other writers include eight of Bacon's Connecticut acquaintances, who discussed politics, a lawsuit (January 21, 1867), and farming.
Philip Bacon was born to Richard and Laura Bacon on April 8, 1827, in Simsbury, Connecticut. On April 22, 1861, he enlisted as a private in the Union Army, serving first in Virginia with the 1st Connecticut Infantry Regiment. The regiment was disbanded on July 31, 1861, and on December 12, Bacon enlisted in the 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. He served as a corporal at Camp Parapet and in New Orleans before mustering out on September 3, 1863. A firm abolitionist, Bacon acted as assistant superintendant of freedmen in the area around New Orleans for over a year, and remained in Louisiana following his military service. During the remainder of the war and for the first years of Reconstruction, Bacon leased and farmed at least two plantations, where he planted cotton, sugar cane, and other crops. His interest in the plight of African Americans continued after the war, and Bacon founded a school for emancipated slaves in New Orleans. Philip Bacon died in Connecticut on November 18, 1910.