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Croghan family papers, 1794-1855

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Summary

Creator:
Croghan, George, 1791-1849 and Croghan, John, 1790-1849
Abstract:
This collection holds the family and business papers of George Croghan, a hero in the War of 1812 and the inspector general of New Orleans from 1825-1845.
Extent:
101 items
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Philip Heslip, September 2009

Background

Scope and Content:

The Correspondence series holds the family and business papers of George Croghan. The earliest item is a brief letter from Christopher Clark to Francis Meriwether, May 26, 1794, regarding land. The items from 1814 to 1840 are primarily official missives to Croghan, when he served in military and governmental capacities as a major, postmaster, and inspector general. These concern enlistments, operational expenses, and debts. Beginning in 1837, many of the letters are addressed to George's brother, Dr. John Croghan, including 27 letters written by George. Another personal item is a brief letter from Croghan to his mother, dated 1837.

The Documents and Financial records series consists primarily of Croghan family land purchases and transactions in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. An item from May 28, 1817, contains a small map of a plot of Kentucky land being sold. Other documents include receipts for baggage transportation; an account for the income and expenses of the New Orleans Post office, dated 1825; and a number of debtors’ notes and bank receipts that document his money problems from 1825 until his death.

The Printed Material series contains three items: a memorial pamphlet printed by Croghan Bank, Fremont, Ohio, honoring Colonel Croghan for his heroism at Fort Stevens, with a portrait of Croghan as a young man; an informational circular, addressed to Dr. John Croghan (1846), from Lyman C. Draper, advertising his book, Lives of the Pioneers, a biography of prominent pioneers of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the western borders of Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia; and a brief from the Edmonson Circuit Court on George Croghan's petition for the removal of Nicholson and others as trustees of the Mammoth Cave estate, 1902.

Biographical / Historical:

George Croghan, son of Major William Croghan and Lucy Clark, was born near Louisville, Kentucky, on November 15, 1791. His mother was the sister of William Clark, the famous explorer, and George Rogers Clark, the Revolutionary War General. George graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1810 and studied law briefly before volunteering as a dragoon to fight Indians in the Northwest Territory. He joined the U.S. Army in 1812 and was quickly promoted to major. In 1813, at the age of 21, Croghan gained national acclaim from his successful defense of Fort Stephenson in northeastern Ohio, when he repelled a large British force lead by General Proctor.

Croghan left the military in 1816 and traveled east to New York, where he met and married Serena Eliza Livingston, daughter of J. R. Livingston. Together, they had seven children. The family moved to New Orleans in 1824, where Croghan worked first as postmaster, and then, in 1825, as inspector general of the U.S. Army, a position he kept until 1845. Croghan often gambled and was perpetually in debt. To pay off his debts, he worked, for a time, managing construction near Mammoth Cave on a lot owned by his brother, Dr. John Croghan. He escaped a court martial for repeatedly requesting double payments for his wages, and left New Orleans to fight in the Mexican War. After contracting cholera in Monterrey, Mexico, he returned to New Orleans and died soon after in 1849.

Acquisition Information:
1965. M-1363 .
Custodial History:

This collection was originally part of a 1935 donation to the University of Michigan Library. The Croghan family papers were transferred to the Clements Library in 1965.

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project.

Arrangement:
This collection is organized into three series:
  • Series I: Correspondence
  • Series II: Documents and Financial Records
  • Series III: Printed Materials.
Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

Croghan Family Papers, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan

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Collection

Croghan family papers, 1794-1855
Total components 17
Last indexed 2025-02-09