Manuscripts
Civil War Journal of William S. Trask, 1862-1865
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John William Bruce reminiscences of the Civil War
Manuscripts
Typed address given by John William Bruce to Merrill High School. With the speech is an ambrotype of John William Bruce in his Army uniform, approximately 1861.
mssHM 27219
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Journal of a cruise on board of the U.S. ship of war Chesapeake James Barron Esq. Commander in the Mediterranean Command of Saturday, 16th June, 1807, by Lieut. W.H. Allen
Manuscripts
The log book kept by William H. Allen onboard of the Chesapeake. The entries cover the periods of June 6 - July 11 and Sept. 2-6, 1807; and June 11-13, July 13-23, Aug. 2- Sept. 1, 1808.
mssHM 564
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William S. Elder letterbooks
Manuscripts
Two letterpress copy books of outgoing letters sent by William S. Elder between 1890 and 1904 from Deadwood, South Dakota. The first volume, which covers March 1890-December 1899, primarily focuses on Elder's law practice, including his activities as a land agent, debt collector, mediator of mining claims, and probate attorney. The cases described in his letters involve clients from Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, and New York. Occasional references are made to the American Express Mine, the Brookline Mining Company, and the Imperial Gold Mining and Milling Company. Some notable items include a letter outlining Elder's own potential mining plans in the Black Hills (February 7, 1899), his opinion on the prohibition of liquor sales (June 11, 1890), and a letter on property issues surrounding the Burlington and Missouri Railroad (August 12, 1890). The second volume, dated February 1903-April 1904, also includes references to Elder's legal cases, some involving clients from Pennsylvania and Germany and including references to divorces and mining issues. References are made to the Gold Hills Mining Company, Reliance Gold Mining Company, Homestake Belt Gold Mining Company, the American Express Mine, The Black Hills and Kansas Oil and Gas Company, and the Columbus Consolidated Company. The majority of the volume revolves around Elder's own mining interests with the Imperial Gold Mining and Milling Company and the Black Hills Copper Company, as well as his investments in developing the Black Hills Trust and Savings Bank. Many of the letters - including those to clients, investors, and associates - describe Elder's various money-making schemes to finance his mining operations, the outlook for which was initially dire. Elder wrote to an associate in Arizona in August 1903 that "...things are in pretty bad shape here, as you know; our mill is closed down, our mines are closed down, we have no developments going on and we are in debt." But conditions seem to have improved by April 1904, when Elder wrote to a New York colleague that "...after a long, hard battle I believe we are going to make money out of our mining company." Included throughout both volumes are approximately 15 letters, dated 1898-1903, dealing with Chinese-American business owners and Chinese immigration issues. The majority of these letters were written by Elder to agents in Port Townsend, Washington; to the Director of Immigration in Portal, North Dakota; to the Collector of Customs in San Francisco; and to the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. Legal matters discussed include the detention of American-born or legal resident Chinese unable to prove their citizenship claims (see April 21, 1898, May 7, 1898, November 4, 1899, and September 29, 1903), the procurement of travel documents allowing Chinese-Americans, most of them business owners, to visit China and return to the United States (see November 7, 1895, May 22, 1903, July 20, 1903, August 11, 1903, and August 21, 1903), debt claims among Chinese-American merchants (see August 31, 1899, September 29, 1899, and November 14, 1899), and questions on Chinese immigration and residency issues (see August 20, 1903, and December 2, 1903).
mssHM 78058-78059
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George S. Patton letters to Eleanor Banning Macfarland and John Cobb Macfarland
Manuscripts
Two letters from General George S. Patton (1885-1945) to his cousin Eleanor Banning Macfarland and her husband John Cobb Macfarland. The letter to Eleanor is dated October 21, 1918, and was written while Patton was recovering from a leg wound he received in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I. Patton congratulates Eleanor on the birth of her daughter, Anne Banning Macfarland Brown (who had been born in July), sends his best wishes to various relatives, and notes that "I will be out [of the hospital] in a week or so...and can get back in the show and have some fun" (Patton returned to duty on October 28 but saw no further action before the armistice of November 11). The letter to John Macfarland is dated October 8, 1940. Patton thanks Macfarland for his congratulations (probably on Patton's promotion to brigadier general on October 2). Patton writes that "if and when" the United States entered World War II, he hopes he will "have the guts to put my theories of personal leadership into action." He further notes that he feels that he is "better situated to be killed than most as I have had out of life about all there is to get." He also comments on missing the recently deceased Eleanor, who was "very like a sister" to him.
mssHM 78061-78062
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William E. Carpenter papers
Manuscripts
Contains the Army Record of William E. Carpenter. Fair copy of the Civil War diary kept in Aug. 1862 to July 1865, preceded by an 1871 account book (100 leaves). Both manuscripts fill approximately a half of a blank account book. The diary deals chiefly with camp life: foraging, rations, typhoid fever, hospitals, furloughs, elections of officers, inspections, encounters with Confederate prisoners, war news and rumors; desertions; news about other regiments including newly organized colored troops; "chat" with Ulysses S. Grant. There is also infomration on operations of Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign, including siege and surrender of Vicksburg. Also included are William E. Carpenter's insignia of the Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War leaflets with the texts of "The Veterans are Coming!," by L. Grennan, and "Triumphal March of General Grant's Grand Army", two copies of a leaflet "History of Regimental Colors of the 124th Regiment Ill. Vol. Infantry," by J.H. Howe. (Republican Print: Galbsburg, Ill, s.d.), newspaper clippings, and postcards. Accompanied by the following manuscripts: discharge certificate of William E. Carpenter (HM 60954), "Statistics of the 124th Regt. From Sept. 10 1862 to Aug. 11, 1863) (HM 60955), and the reply to a questionnaire distributed by the U.S. Bureau of Pensions (1904) (HM 60952).
mssHM 60952-60955