OLIVER OTIS HOWARD PAPERS

Inclusive dates: 1850-ca. 1925; n.d.

Bulk dates: 1890-1909

 

Accession Numbers: 80-1428; 80-787; 80-788; 80-2137a-b

Extent: 4.7 cubic ft. (9 boxes)

Contents: Correspondence; Articles, Addresses, Reports; Miscellaneous; Scrapbook; Engagement books; Photographs; Bible

Access: open for research

Processed: May-June 1998, by Leanne Garland, Archivist

 

Introduction

 

The Oliver Otis Howard Papers were given to Lincoln Memorial University by two persons: Captain Harry S. Howard, the son, contributed chiefly the personal papers and memorabilia of General Howard, while Justin G. Turner donated various correspondence written during Howard's military service years and Freedmen's Bureau period.  Additional material: consisting of several rare pamphlets, were also donated by Justin G. Turner.  Other persons, such as Foreman M. Lebold, Bishop W. P. Thirkield, and Robert J. Younger are noted throughout the guide, for specific presentations.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for providing funding to identify, process, and create descriptive finding aids and machine-readable cataloging records for the archival materials in the repository. Thanks goes to Lincoln Memorial University for contributing matching funds, and to the museum staff and various supporters who have contributed, in the past and during the present, their talents and efforts in the endeavor of acquiring, sustaining, and preserving one of the most significant 19th century historical collections in the nation. Special recognition goes to Steven M. Wilson, Assistant Director and Curator; and Dr. Charles M. Hubbard, Dean of Lincolniana.  Special thanks is extended for support given by Dr. Edwin S. Gleaves, Coordinator of the Tennessee Historical Records Advisory Board, of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, and the late John H. Thweatt, Deputy Coordinator.

 

 

Biographical Sketch

 

 

1830 (Nov. 8)              Born in Leeds, Kennebec County, Maine.

 

1850                                                        Graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine.

 

1850-54                                             Cadet at West Point, New York.

 

1855                                                        Married Elizabeth Ann Waite of Portland, Maine.

 

In command of Kennebec Arsenal, Maine.

 

1856                                                        Fought against Seminoles in Florida.

 

1857-61                      Acting Professor of Mathematics at West Point.

 

1861                                                        Colonel of the Third Maine Volunteers of the Union army.

 

Promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers.

 

1862                                                        Lost his right arm due to wounds received at the Battle of Fair Oaks (Peninsular Campaign).

 

1863                                                        Assigned to command the 11th Corps, Army of the Potomac.

 

1864                                                        Assigned to command the 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland.

 

Assigned to command the Department and Army of the Tennessee.

 

1864 (Dec. 21)            Named Brigadier General in the regular Army.

 

1865                                                        Breveted Major General in the regular Army for Ezra Church, Jonesboro and the Atlanta campaign.

 

Served as commissioner (1865-74) of the Freedmen's Bureau.

 

1869                                                        Served as Howard University's third President (1869-73), an all-black school in the nation's capital that Howard was instrumental in founding.

 

1870                            Subjected to an investigation by members of the House of

                                    Representatives on charges of mishandling of funds of the

                                    Freedmen's Bureau. Exonerated by a court of inquiry (1874).

 

1872                                                        Howard was chosen by President Grant to serve as peace commissioner to make peace with the Apache Indians, a tribe then at war with the government. Howard accomplished this, along with settling numerous disputes with other tribes in Arizona and New Mexico.

 

1874                            Assigned to command the Department of the Columbia, part of the

                                    military district of the Pacific.

 

1877-78                      Engaged in two Indian wars: Nez Perce War (1877) and Piute and

Bannock War (1878).

 

1877                                                        Engaged in war with a tribe of Indians called the "Sheepeaters,"

near Salmon River, Idaho.

 

1881-82                       Served as superintendent (1880-82) of the U.S. Military Academy,

West Point, New York.

 

1882-86                                             Assigned to command the Department of the Platte, headquarters

at Omaha, Nebraska.

 

1884                            Received the decoration of the Legion of Honor from the    President of the French Republic, when on temporary duty

attending the French maneuvers.

 

1886                                                        Promoted to Major General in the regular Army, and passed to

the Military Division of the Pacific, which included the Department of the Columbia of California and Arizona.

 

1888                            Transferred to command the Military Division of the Atlantic.

 

Commanded the Department of the East, Governor's Island,

New York City, until his retirement by law.

 

1894 (Nov. 8)              Retired from the Army.

 

1894-95                                             Spent the winter at Portland, Oregon, writing his memoirs.

 

1897-1909                   Managing Director (and continuing as President of the Board of Directors) of Lincoln Memorial University at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee for the education of mountaineer children.

 

1897                            During the Spanish-American War, Howard worked in the interest of the Y. M. C. A. Christian Commission, giving addresses in camps in both the United States and Cuba.

 

1909                                                        Died at Burlington, Vermont.

 

 

Sources

 

Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1988.

Howard, Oliver Otis. Autobiography of Oliver Otis Howard. 2 vols. New York: Baker & Taylor, 1907.

Sifakis, Stewart. Who was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1988.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Men of our Times. Hartford: Hartford Publishing Co., 1868.

 

 

 

Scope Note

 

The Oliver Otis Howard Papers were given to Lincoln Memorial University in the early 1940's, by General Oliver Otis Howard's son, Captain Harry S. Howard. The collection measures approximately five cubic feet.  Some of the material was donated by Justin G. Turner, including some of the letters of correspondence written during the military command period, and several rare, published pamphlets and articles.  Turner, who has published extensively, was an investment company executive and well-known collector of manuscripts and documents relating to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Other persons, such as Foreman M. Lebold and Bishop W. P. Thirkield, and Robert J. Younger are noted throughout the guide, for specific presentations.

 

The collection contains letters of correspondence from Oliver Otis Howard to his uncle, John Otis (Representative from Maine to the Thirty-first Congress as a Whig), written while he was a student at Bowdoin College (1850), and later while he was a cadet at West Point (1851); as well as correspondence by and with other members of his family, spanning the years up to October 30, 1909.

 

There are speeches, manuscripts, engagement books, photographs, a scrapbook, and a Bible given to Bessie, on her wedding day, from her father, General O. O. Howard.  The museum houses some of the personal items that once belonged to General Oliver Otis Howard, that were donated by his son, Captain Harry S. Howard: a saddle, saddle bags, leggins, and a desk which he used from 1896 until his death in 1909, while he was raising funds for Lincoln Memorial University.

 

Abbreviations used in the guide include the following: A=autograph (written by hand); L=letter; S=signed; n.d.=not dated (ALS means Handwritten, signed letter). Reference material that provides additional information on General Howard's life and military career is available.

 

Other repositories which house significant Oliver Otis Howard collections are located at:

 

            Howard University (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center)

 

            Oliver Otis Howard Collection. Measures approximately six (6) linear feet.

 

            Bowdoin College Library (Special Collections and Archives)

 

Oliver Otis Howard Papers, 1833-1912 (bulk 1846-1908). The extent of the collection is sixty (60) linear feet.

 

I. Correspondence, Family

Inclusive dates: 1850-1909; n.d.

Bulk dates: 1890-1909

 

The list follows a chronological arrangement, with the year cited in boldface type. Some of the  correspondence is in French.

 

Box 1-Box 2

1850 Oliver O. Howard. Bowdoin College. To "Dear Uncle" [John Otis, M. C., Washington, D.C.]. June 24, 1850. ALS, 3 pp.

1851 O. O. Howard. West Point. To [Uncle John Otis]. Apr. 13, 1851. ALS, 4 pp.

1882 Susan Warner. To Mrs. Howard. Sept. 14, 1882. ALS, 2 pp.

1884 O. O. H[oward]. Paris, France. To Bessie. Apr. 5, 1884. ALS, 4 pp.

1884 [Gen. Howard]. Rome, Italy. To "My dear little daughter." May 27, 1884. ALS, 4 pp.

1884 O. O. H[oward]. Eure, France. To Bessie. July 2, 1884. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1890 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To Bessie Howard. Farmington, [Connecticut]. Jan. 18, 1890. ALS, 2 pp.

1890 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To "Dear Bessie." Jan. 24, 1890. ALS, 4 pp.

1890 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To Bessie Howard. Farmington, Conn. Mar. 5, 1890. ALS, 2 pp.

1890 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York City. May 20, 1890. ALS, 4 pp.

1890 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To Bessie. Farmington, Conn. Oct. 17, 1890. ALS, 4 pp.

1890 O. O. H[oward]. Northampton, Mass. To "My dear Bessie." Oct. 22, 1890. ALS, 2 pp.

1891 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's island, New York City. To Bessie Howard. Farmington, Conn. Jan. 24, 1891. ALS, 2 pp.

1891 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To "My dear Bessie." Mar. 17, 1891. ALS, 1 p.

1891 O O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York City. To Bessie Howard. Farmington, Conn. May 7, 1891. ALS, 4 pp.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To Miss Bessie Howard and M. Adolph [Chauvet?] [Evreux], Eure, France. Aug. 28, 1891. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1891 O. O. H[oward]. Chicago, Ill. To Bessie. Sept. 2, 1891. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, N. Y. To Bessie. Sept. 15, 1891. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, N. Y. City. To [Bessie?]. Oct. 1, 1891. ALS, 4 pp.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, N. Y. C. To Bessie. Oct. 22, 1891. ALS, 3 pp. In French.

1891 Bessie. Evreux, France. To "My dearest Mama." Nov. 8, 1891. ALS, 8 pp.

1891 Bessie Howard. Evreux, France. To "My dearest Mama." Nov. 22, 1891. ALS, 9 pp.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To Bessie Howard. Evreux, Eure, France. Dec. 29, 1891. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1891 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To [his son]. Dec. 31, 1891. ALS, 4 pp.

1892 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To Harry S. Howard. Evreux, Eure, France. Jan. 16, 1892. ALS, 4 pp.

1892 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To Bessie. Jan. 16, 1892. ALS, 2 pp. In French.

1892 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To [his daughter]. Jan. 29, 1892. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1892 O. O. Howard. Governor's Island, New York. To Mlle. Bessie Howard. Feb. 9, 1892. ALS, 2 pp. In French.

1892 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York. To Bessie. Apr. 26, 1892. ALS, 4 pp.

1892 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, New York. To Bessie. May 17, 1892. ALS, 4 pp. In French.

1892 O. O. H[oward]. Governor's Island, N. Y. To Bessie. June 18, 1892. Typewritten, 2 pp.

1892 Oliver Otis Howard. Fort Brady, Sault St. Marie, Mich. To Bessie. Sept. 17, 1892. ALS, 3 pp.

ca. 1893 O. O. H[oward]. Chicago. To Bessie. Circa 1893. ALS, 3 pp.

1895 O. O. Howard. Mohonk Lake, Ulster Co., N. Y. To Bessie. Oct. 10, 1895. ALS, 3 pp.

1895 O. O. Howard. Peoria, Ill. To "My beloved daughter." Nov. 14, 1895. ALS, 2 pp.

1895 O. O. Howard. Glencoe, Ill. To [Bessie]. Dec. 8, 1895. ALS, 4 pp.

1895 O.O. Howard. Beatrice, Neb. To Bessie Howard. Dec. 18, 1895. ALS, 2 pp.

1896 O. O. H[oward]. N. M. City, Mo. To "My dear daughter." Circa 1896. ALS, 2 pp.

1896 O. O. Howard. Omaha, Neb. To Bessie. Feb. 22, 1896. ALS, 3 pp.

1896 O. O. H[oward]. Portland, Me. To Bessie. Aug. 30, 1896. ALS, 4 pp.

1897 O. O. H[oward]. Erie, Pa. To Bessie. Oct. 8, 1897. ALS, 4 pp.

1897 O. O. Howard. Washington, D.C. To Bessie. Oct. 30, 1897. ALS, 1 p.

1897 O. O. Howard. Newark, N. J. To Bessie. [ca. Nov. 1897?] ALS, 4 pp.

1897 O. O. Howard. Cleveland, O[hio]. To Bessie. Nov. 3, 1897. ALS, 6 pp.

1897 O. O. Howard. Media, Pa. To Bessie. Nov. 8, 1897. ALS, 2 pp.

1897 O. O. Howard. Carlisle, Pa. To Bessie. Nov. 28, 1897. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Montrath Adams. To "Dear Bessie." [ca. 1898]. ALS, 6 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. [New York City]. Apr. 15, 1898. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Chicago. To Bessie. [Burlington, Vermont]. June 11, 1898. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. New York City. To Bessie. June 20, 1898. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. New York City. To Bessie. June 27, 1898. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. H[oward]. Monteagle, Tenn. To Bessie. July 6, 1898. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Chattanooga, Tenn. To Bessie. July 12, 1898. Typewritten, signed.

1898 O. O. Howard. Tampa, Fla. To Bessie. July 19, 1898. LS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Key West, [Fla.] To Bessie. July 22, 1898. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. [Port Tampa, Fla.?] To Bessie. Aug. 7, [1898?] ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. H[oward]. Albany, N. Y. To Bessie. Oct. 8, 1898. ALS, 2 pp.

1898 O. O. Howard. Saginaw, Mich. To Bessie. Nov. 17, 1898. ALS, 1 p.

1899 O. O. H[oward. Cumberland Gap, Tenn. To Bessie. May 7, 1899. ALS, 2 pp.

1899 O. O. H[oward]. Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me. June 20, 1899. ALS, 2 pp.

1899 O. O. Howard. Ash[e]ville, N. C. To Bessie.  Aug. 25, 1899. ALS, 2 pp.

1899 O. O. H[oward]. To Bessie. Sept. 25, 1899. ALS, 3 pp.

1900 O. O. H[oward]. To Bessie. Gov[ernor's] Island. Feb. 5, 190[0]. ALS, 4 pp.

1900 O. O. H[oward]. Hartford, Conn. To Bessie. Mar. 10, 1900. ALS, 2 pp.

1900 Jamie [Howard]. [On a steamer near England]. To [Oliver Otis Howard]. Mar. 13, 1900. ALS, 2 pp.

1900 O. O. Howard. Chicago. To Bessie. Mar. 15, 1900. ALS, 1 p.

1900 O. O. H[oward]. Chicago, Ill. To Bessie. [Danville, N.Y.] Mar. 20, 1900. ALS, 2 pp.

1900 Harry [Howard]. Portland, Ore[gon]. To "Dear father." Mar. 27, 1900. Typescript, signed, 2 pp.

1900 O. O. Howard. New York. To Bessie. Apr. 3, 1900. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1900 Oliver Otis Howard. N[ew] Y[ork]. To Bessie. Apr. 4, 1900. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1900 O. O. Howard. To Bessie. Apr. 6, 1900. ALS, 1 p.

1900 O. O. Howard. N[ew] Y[ork] C[ity]. To Bessie.  May 9, 1900. ALS, 4 pp.

1900 O. O. Howard. Glencoe, Ill. To Bessie. Aug. 4, 1900. ALS, 4 pp.

1900 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Sept. 1, 1900. ALS, 4 pp.

1900 O. O. H[oward]. Burlington, Vt. To "Dear Bessie." Sept. [19?], 1900. ALS, 3 pp.

1900 O. O. Howard. Omaha, Neb. To "My dear Bessie." Sept. 21, 1900. ALS, 4 pp.

1901 O. O. H[oward]. Cincinnati. To Bessie. July 8, 1901. ALS, 2 pp.

1901 O. O. H[oward]. Bloomington, Ill. To Bessie. Aug. 1, 1901. ALS, 2 pp.

ca. 1902 O. O. Howard. To Bessie. [ca. 1902].

ca. 1902 O. O. Howard. To Bessie. [ca. 1902]

ca. 1902 O. O. Howard. Cumberland Gap, Tenn. To Bessie. Apr. 6, 1902. ALS, 2 pp.

ca. 1902 O. O. Howard. New York. To Bessie. Apr. 26, 1902. ALS, 2 pp.

ca. 1902 O. O. Howard. Providence, R. I. To Bessie. Sept. 17, [ca. 1902].  ALS, 3 pp.

1902 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Nov. 5, 1902. ALS, 2 pp.

1902 O. O. Howard. To Bessie. Dec. 18, 1902. ALS, 4 pp.

1903 O.O. Howard. St. Paul, Minn. To Bessie. Feb. 1, 1903. ALS, 2 pp.

1903 O. O. Howard. Mankato, Minn. To Bessie. Feb. 17, 1903. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1903 Oliver Otis Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Mar. 26, 1903. Typewritten, signed, 3 pp.

1903 [O. O. Howard]. To Mrs. Joseph Bancroft [Bessie]. Rockford, Wilmington, Del. June 6, 1903. Typewritten. 2 1/2 pp.

1903 O. O. H[oward]. Port Arthur, Texas. To Bessie. July 8, 1903. ALS, 2 pp.

1903 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Burlington, Vt. July 29, 1903. Typewritten, signed, with a handwritten list of lecture appointments, 2 pp.

1903 Oliver Otis Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Mrs. Joseph Bancroft [Bessie].Rockford, Wilmington, Del. Oct. 29, 1903. Typewritten, 2 pp.

1903 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Mrs. Joseph Bancroft [Bessie]. Rockland, Wilmington, Del. Nov. 6, 1903. Typewritten, signed, 3 pp.

1903 O. O. Howard. [Burlington, Vt.?]. To Mrs. Joseph Bancroft [Bessie]. Nov. 13, 1903. ALS, 2 pp.

1903 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Dec. 28, 1903. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1904 O. O. H[oward]. Washington, D. C. To Bessie. Jan. 20, 1904. ALS, 1 p.

1904 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Feb. 27, 1904. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1904 O. O. H[oward]. To Bessie. Apr. 12, 1904. ALS, 4 pp.

1904 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Mrs. Joseph Bancroft [Bessie]. July 20, 1904. Typewritten, signed.

1904 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Aug. 4, 1904. Typewritten, signed.

1904 O. O. H[oward]. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. Aug. 11, 1904. Typewritten, signed.

1904 O. O. H[oward]. Washington, D. C. To Bessie. Aug. 29, 1904. ALS, 1 p.

1905 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Bessie. July 5, 1905. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1905 Oliver Otis Howard. Kansas City. To Alden Howard. Washington, D. C. Oct. 28, 1905. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1906 O. O. H[oward]. Aurora, Ill. To Bessie. Mar. 6, 1906. ALS, 2 pp.

1906 O. O. Howard. Leeds, Me. To Bessie. Sept. 5, 1906. ALS, 3 pp.

1906 O. O. H[oward]. New York. To Bessie. Sept. 22, 1906. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1906 O. O. H[oward]. Boston. To "Dear Daughter." Sept. 28, 1906. ALS, 3 pp.

1906 O. O. H[oward]. N[ew] Y[ork]. To Bessie. Oct. 9, 1906. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1906 [Oliver Otis Howard]. Essex Junction. To Bessie. Nov. 4, 1906. ALS, 2 pp.

1906 O. O. Howard. Burlington, Vt. To Elizabeth Bancroft. Dec. 22, 1906. ALS, 1 p.

1907 O. O. Howard. N[ew] Y[ork]. To Mrs. Bessie Bancroft. Apr. 27, 1907. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1907 O. O. Howard. N[ew] Y[ork]. To Mrs. Bessie Bancroft. Apr. 30, 1907. Typewritten, signed, 1 p.

1907 [Oliver Otis] Howard. Winchester, Ky. To Bessie, May 3, 1907. ALS, 1 p.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. New York. To Bessie. Jan. 15, 1909. ALS, 1 p.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. Virginia Institute. Bristol, Virginia. To "Dear Lizzie." [copy made for Bessie Howard]. May 14, 1909. Typewritten, signed, 3 pp.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. [Easton, Pa.?] To Bessie. May 21, 1909. ALS, 1 p.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. Winthrop Beach, Mass. To Bessie. June 7, 1909. ALS, 2 pp.

1909 Otis [Howard] to "Dear Lizzie." New York. Sept. 14, 1909. Typewritten, signed, 2 pp.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. Newark, N. J. To Bessie. Sept. 15, 1909. ALS, 3 pp.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. New York. To Bessie.  Sept. 22, 1909. ALS, 1 p.

 

1909 O. O. H[oward]. New York. To Bessie. Sept. 22, 1909. ALS, 1 p.

1909 O. O. H[oward]. New York. To Bessie. Sept. 29, 1909. ALS, 2 pp.

 

Correspondence, Lincoln Memorial University (Record Group)

Inclusive dates: 1898-1909

 

This material is designated as record group material, relative to Oliver Otis Howard's official relationship to Lincoln Memorial University (L. M. U.) as the Managing Director of Lincoln Memorial University (May 31, 1898) and President of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln University Endowment Association.

 

The material forms official correspondence, along with one document that pertains to the appointment of General Oliver Otis Howard as the Managing Director of Lincoln Memorial University (May 31, 1898). Other material includes correspondence of the Lincoln University Endowment Association and the notes of President Theodore Roosevelt made during a fund-raising event. Other material includes correspondence from General Howard to the following persons: Mr. Eager (1899); Frank D. Higbee (1900); T. A. Lord (1902); Miss Sue E. Hertz (1904); Horace B. Austin (1904); and William L. Stooksbury (President, L. M. U.). A facsimile letter of Theodore Roosevelt to General Oliver Otis Howard (1908); a letter from a U. S. Senator (1909), donated by Robert J. Younger; and a donor's certificate issued to Mr. Theodore A. Lord (1902) are among the items.

 

During an early fund-raising event for Lincoln Memorial University hosted at the Waldorf-Astoria on February 13th, 1905 , notes were made by Theodore Roosevelt on the backs of two menu cards. During that event, General O. O. Howard conversed with Roosevelt regarding the founding of Lincoln Memorial University. The notes made by President Roosevelt, that were used in his dinner address, were given to Bishop W. P. Thirkield, in recognition of the Bishop's special interest in the Southern Highlanders. The notes were presented to Chancellor John Wesley Hill for Lincoln Memorial University (see the Hall of Holography Collection in reference to the handwritten notes of Theodore Roosevelt on menu cards, the Lincoln Memorial University banquet hosted at the Waldorf-Astoria,  New York City, on Feb. 13, 1905).

 

The last letter of General Howard, to Dr. Stooksbury, President of Lincoln Memorial University, was written on the day his death, October 26, 1909. He passed away suddenly at 7:00 p.m., in his home at Burlington, Vermont.

 

Box 3, Folders 1-12

 

12 folders (inclusive dates: 1898-1909). See also Hall of Holography Collection, Box 7, Roosevelt folder.

 

II. Correspondence, Miscellaneous

Inclusive dates: 1868-1898

 

The six (6) items of correspondence consist of both incoming and outgoing correspondence of Oliver Otis Howard, and a letter from J. W. Higginson to C. E. Howard, Esquire. Two letters of correspondence, from General William T. Sherman (1889) give insight into the friendship and respect that the two men held for each other; one of the letters is to Mrs. Howard, thanking her for remembering him on his 69th birthday. Other senders or recipients include: Susan Warner, author; and Osborn H. Oldroyd, Esq., collector, and former custodian of Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois.

 

Includes a bound volume containing a newspaper clipping, with a facsimile of a letter written by General Sherman to General Howard, May 20, 1865--with a letter of General Howard thanking a Horace B. Austin, Esq., for directing to him the original letter.

 

III. Correspondence, Freedmen's Bureau Period

Inclusive dates: 1865-1868

 

Consists of two letters from O. O. Howard: a letter to "Gentlemen," of the New England Society, declining an invitation to their sixtieth anniversary dinner.  Another letter, to Senator Thomas D. Eliot of Massachusetts, concerns Howard's denial of the accusations made of him.  He has supposedly been accused of advocating interracial marriages.  This, he says, is the doings of his political enemies and is entirely false. Letter dated, Washington City, Feb. 18, 1868.

 

Folder 1           O. O. Howard, Washington, War Department, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, to "Gentlemen," (Nov. 21, 1865).

Folder 2           O. O. Howard, Washington City, War Department, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, to Hon. T[homas] D. Eliot of Massachusetts, Feb. 18, 1868.

 

IV. Correspondence, Military Command Period

Inclusive dates: 1861-1892

 

The series of correspondence written during the military command period was donated, in part, by Justin G. Turner.

 

The twelve (12) letters span the years 1861-1892, with the following recipients (O. O. Howard, original sender or signer, with the exception of the card to "Mon cher General, from Rochambeau):

 

f. 22                 Simon Cameron (1861)

f. 23                 Copy of special requisition, from 1st Lieutenant Wm. Wheeler, Commander, 13th N. Y. Battery--approved by Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard (1863)

f. 24                 Hon. Henry Wilson (1863)

f. 25                 Gen. Hardee

f. 26                 Professor John F. Weir (1879)

f. 27                 Dr. Cullis (1883)

f. 28                 Louis Gareschi (1883)

f. 29                 Rochambeau (1884)

f. 30                 Miss Emily J. Peck

f. 31                 John M. Burt, Esq. (1889)

f. 32                 Henry Baldwin, Esq. (1891)

f. 33                 [Professor] Edward Bernard (1892)

 

 

V. Addresses, Articles, and Reports (Typescript)

Inclusive dates:  ca. 1898-1909; n.d.

 

The material consists of General O. O. Howard's typewritten articles, addresses, and reports used for lectures given to audiences across the nation.  The folders are arranged alphabetically. The titles are:

                  

American Volunteer. (Includes margin notes; n.d.)

American Volunteer. (ca. 1898)

Battle of Gettysburg. (n.d.)

Boyhood and Youth of Notable Associates: United States Senator Wm. P. Frye. (n.d.)

Campaign of Major-General McDowell, including the Battle of Bull Run, 1861. [1st lecture]. (n.d.)

Campaign of Major-General McDowell, including the Battle of Bull Run, 1861. [2nd lecture]. (n.d.)

George H. Thomas. (n.d.).

Grant and his Generals. (2nd copy; ca. 1898)

Grant and his Generals. (ca. 1898)

Indian Sieges. (ca. 1900).

Past Successes and Present Needs of Our Nation. (ca. 1900).

Personal Recollections: Strategy and Battles of Sherman and Johnston, Illustrated in    Active Campaigns. (ca. 1902-1909).

Sherman's March to the Sea. (n.d.)

Sherman's March to the Sea. (notes; n.d.)

Sherman's March to the Sea. (Second lecture; n.d.)

War of 1812-1814. (Delivered by General O. O. Howard at the unveiling of tablet to the memory of the soldiers of 1812-14, given July 10th, 1909).

 

VI. Addresses, Articles, and Reports (Published)

Inclusive dates: 1867-1900; n.d.

 

                        Consists of published material, chiefly about General O. O. Howard.  Acquired as a gift donation from Captain Harry S. Howard; some materials donated by Justin G. Turner.  The titles, arranged alphabetically by main entry are:

 

f. 7       Addresses by Major General O. O. Howard and Rev. Edwin Johnson at the Laying of the Cornerstone of the First Congregational Church. (1867)

f. 8       Annual Report of Brevet Major General O. O. Howard … Made to the Secretary of War for the Year 1870.

f. 9       Annual Report of Brevet Major General O. O. Howard … for the Fiscal year Ended June 30, 1871. (1871)

            f. 10     "Biographical Sketch." ca. 1898

f. 11     Bourke, Captain John G.: Mackenzie's Last Fight with the Cheyennes: A Winter Campaign in Wyoming and Montana. (1890)

f. 12     "The Case of Gen. O. O. Howard, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C." (ca. 1874)

f. 13     Howard, O. O.: Major General Adna R. Chaffee. (ca. Oct. 1900)

f. 14     "Military Career of O. O. Howard." (n.d.)

f. 15     Report of Brevet Major General O. O. Howard … to the Secretary of War, Oct. 20, 1869.

f. 16     Statement: Br. Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard, Before the committee on Education and Labor in Defense Against the Charges Presented by Hon. Fernando Wood, and Argument of Edgar Ketchum, Esq.,…(1870)

f. 17     U. S. Congress (41st). House of Representatives. Report No. 121. (1870)

 

Additional published articles and pamphlets, relative to General O. O. Howard are available.

 

VII. Memorabilia, Ephemera, and Memorial Sermon

Inclusive dates: 1872-ca. 1925; n.d.

 

These ten (10) folders consist of the following: stationery; a Christmas card; Howard's autograph; addressed envelopes; and an invitation.  Additional material consists of poems and other items found in Bessie [Howard] Bancroft's Bible, and various published articles and illustrations.

 

And: a rank sheet in the handwriting of General Howard, donated by Foreman M. Lebold.

 

And: a published memorial sermon delivered at the First Church, Burlington, Vermont, October 29, 1909 by Reverend Ernest Graham Guthrie at the funeral of General Oliver Otis Howard.

 

VIII. Scrapbook

Inclusive dates: ca. 1883-ca. 1885.

 

The scrapbook belonged to James Waite Howard.  The newspaper clippings were arranged in the scrapbook by his wife, while at Omaha, Nebraska, during March 1885.  Most of the articles were written by General O. O. Howard, primarily when he was at Omaha, Nebraska.

 

The newspaper clippings were taken from the National Tribune of Washington, D. C., published during 1883-1885.

 

IX. Engagement Books and Bible