Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This collection contains letters that German immigrant Christian August Weihe wrote to his parents and siblings in Herford, Germany, after he settled in San Francisco, California. He wrote regularly about his financial affairs and other aspects of his life in the United States between his arrival in California in 1849 and the year 1877.

The Christian August Weihe correspondence is primarily made up of 167 letters that Weihe, a German immigrant, wrote to his family in Germany after settling in San Francisco, California, in the mid-19th century. Also included are 2 money orders.

The Correspondence series contains Weihe's letters to his parents and siblings, who remained in Herford, Germany, after he moved to the United States in 1849. Though most of his letters are addressed to his father, Philip, Weihe also corresponded with his mother, Luise, and with his siblings, Louise and Theodor. He traveled from Germany to California between February and September 1849, and by December had settled in San Francisco, where he found work in a bank. He wrote of his life in the United States, discussing his life and finances and occasionally mentioning politics; in his letter of July 22, 1861, for example, he explained U.S. political parties. Weihe spent much of the Civil War era in Stockton, California, and later returned to San Francisco, where he became known primarily by his middle name, August. He continued to write regularly until the 1870s, then wrote less frequently through May 1897. One later letter addressed to Luise Weihe includes a brief greeting in English from his daughter Florence, who mentioned her sister's recent birthday and expressed her own desire to learn German (April 25, 1875). At least two letters were written on decorated stationery, including one from California's Highland Springs Resort, which includes a printed map with directions to the property (August 4, 1896).

The Money Orders series includes 2 money orders sent in 1854 from Goddefroy, Sillem, and Co., in San Francisco, California, to Philip Weihe via the Hamburg firm J. C. Godeffroy and Son.

This diary records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. The author described his daily life and commented on current events, such as the European revolutions of 1848 and Fourth of July celebrations in the United States.

This diary (approximately 180 pages) records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. This volume, the fifth in a series, begins on May 30, 1847, and the author sent the previous diaries to his family in Lüchow, Germany. He wrote fairly regularly between May 1847 and May 1848, and less frequently between June 1848 and August 26, 1849, describing his life and recording observations about European and American politics. He shared his thoughts about Fourth of July celebrations in 1847 and 1848 and commented favorably on the various European revolutions taking place in the summer of 1848, particularly those in France and Germany. Other entries reveal his opinions on economic issues, such as the effects of hunger on poor Germans, and his religious views. On April 19, 1852, the author stated his intention to leave Middleport. A birth and baptismal certificate for Georg Philipp Weber, written in German and dated July 1, 1847, is enclosed in a flap in the volume's front cover. The diary was also accompanied by a carte-de-visite portrait of a man standing beside a chair and hanging drapery, top hat in hand, which was transferred to the Graphics Division. The photograph was taken by J. B. Smith in Utica, New York.

The Heinrich Spaeth papers contain letters, documents, photographs, and a diary, most of which relates to Spaeth's service with the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a German-American regiment that fought in the Civil War.

The Heinrich Spaeth papers contain 82 items: 33 letters, 29 photographs, 13 pieces of ephemera, 3 legal documents, 3 newspaper clippings, and a diary. The materials span 1862 to 1949, with the bulk of items covering the period between 1910 and 1915.

The Correspondence and Documents series contains letters to and from Spaeth, spanning 1871-1918. Though written many years after the Civil War, most of these relate to the experiences of the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, particularly at the Battle of Chickamauga. Several men who served in Van Derveer's Brigade wrote letters to Spaeth with accounts of the closing hours of the engagement. They attempted to refute the claims of Archibald Gracie, who wrote in his book The Truth about Chickamauga that the soldiers under General Ferdinand Van Derveer had been routed and driven off Snodgrass Hill on the evening of September 20, 1863. The soldiers from the 9th Ohio Infantry who provided these accounts were George A. Schneider (May 24, 1912), C.W.H. Luebbert (June 7, 1912), Ferdinand Zimmerer (June 17, 1912), Alvin Arand (June 18, 1912), and Herman Gerbhardt (June 20, 1912). Though written almost 50 years after the battle took place, the letters provide many details in support of their claims. Also included is an undated letter from Spaeth to Gracie, which contradicts Gracie's claims and states, "the third and last stand on Snodgrass Hill was as perfect as any man could or would ask." In the letter, Spaeth also discussed the official and revised casualty figures for the engagement.

Additional letters from the same period relate to controversy over Civil War monuments in Chattanooga, Tennessee, commemorating actions during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. On November 26, 1910, Colonel Judson W. Bishop of the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry wrote to Spaeth, complaining of efforts "persistently made during the past fifteen years by the Turchin's Brigade association to appropriate for [General John B.] Turchin" ground allegedly captured by Van Derveer's Brigade at Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863. Bishop called the claims for Turchin "preposterous." Spaeth seconded the opinion in a letter to Captain Philip Rothenbush of the 35th Ohio Infantry, in which he called the actions "contemptble [sic]." An additional letter, dated July 5, 1915, also further addresses the issue of monuments in Chattanooga.

The Diary series contains Spaeth's diary, kept during his service with the 9th Ohio Infantry. The volume was written entirely in German Kurrentschrift or old German blackletter handwriting; it describes his wartime experiences.

The Photographs series contains 29 graphic items, most of which are undated and unlabeled, spanning ca. 1860s-1949. The photographs are in a variety of formats and depict many members of the Spaeth family, including Heinrich Spaeth at various stages of life. One photograph shows a parade float advertising Spaeth's business with the sign, "Spaeth's Big Free China and Stove Show," and another shows Heinrich Spaeth in front of a home in Aurora, Indiana.

Ephemera series contains a roster for the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.) Association and the Loyal Legion of the United States, newspaper clippings, German money, and a few miscellaneous items.