Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

University of Michigan professor of law, Detroit, Michigan, attorney, Michigan Supreme Court justice. Family correspondence, journal of trip to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1844, and lecture materials; also papers of Valeria Campbell, corresponding secretary of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Detroit, U. S. Sanitary Commission, concerning the society, the Detroit Soldiers' Home, and other relief agencies; and University student letters, 1872-1876, of Henry M. Campbell.

The James V. Campbell papers include materials documenting Campbell's career as professor of law at the University of Michigan, lawyer, and Michigan State Supreme court justice as well as papers of other Campbell family members. The papers include family correspondence, a journal of a trip to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1844, and lecture materials; also papers of Valeria Campbell, corresponding secretary of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Detroit, U. S. Sanitary Commission, concerning the society, the Detroit Soldiers' Home, and other relief agencies; and University student letters, 1872-1876, of Henry M. Campbell.

Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan, area family; correspondence, diaries, and other family materials.

The Campbell family collection includes correspondence and other family materials. Items of interest include Civil War correspondence of Gabriel Campbell and John S. Farnill; correspondence, diaries, and teaching materials of William Campbell; personal correspondence of Mary and Sarah (Sadie) Campbell concerning farming, local Republican politics, and school affairs; and printed materials concerning the Free Silver question and the election of 1896. The papers of Robert C. Campbell include diaries and University of Michigan student notebooks. Of interest are the notes he took from the lectures of John Dewey in philosophy, Henry Carter Adams in political economy, Burke A. Hinsdale in pedagogy, Joseph B. Steere in zoology, and A.A. Stanley in music, among other professors. The collection also includes high school notebooks of Carrie Read and E. Mabel Read.

Genealogical materials as well as Civil War letters relating to Captain Ebenezer Butterworth of Co. C, 1st Michigan Infantry. Correspondence includes a letter (Apr. 29, 1861) from the "Coldwater Young Ladies" presenting Butterworth's regiment with a token; also includes letters relating to Butterworth's death from George Rhodes (Aug. 21, 1861) and from Wells Walbridge (Dec. 27, 1861). The collection also contains family portraits, including ones of Captain Ebenezer Butterworth.

Letters (typescripts and handwritten transcripts) written from friends serving in the Civil War, including Joseph Bardwell, Horace Charles, and Charles J. Pierce, all of Battery I, 1st Illinois Artillery; Heman D. Parrish of Co. C, 70th New York Infantry; Hiram Saxton of Co. H, 9th Michigan Infantry; Milo C. Webb of Co. D, 11th Illinois Infantry; and Edson Woodman of Co. H, 13th Michigan Infantry.

Excerpts from a letter written while Bush was garrisoned near Fairfax, Virginia and sent to his wife in Dexter, Mich. Bush tells of the first battle of Bull Run (Manassas Junction), the guns that can be heard in the area, the foraging expedition and search for food in which he participated; and of the plight of the families in the area.

Family historian; collected materials relating to the Burt family and other related families.

Historical documents, family papers, and photographs accumulated and maintained by Flora Burt relating to the Burt family and to other family lines. Included are materials and information pertaining to James P. McKinstry, officer in the U.S. Navy in the 19th century, and to John R. Williams, 1st mayor of Detroit. The collection also contains letters, 1839-1846, to William A. Burt from his son Alvin Burt, then doing survey work in Iowa; also letter, 1845, from William Burt to Alvin Burt, describing the solar compass that he patented.

Settlers in Englishville, Michigan. Family correspondence, diaries, legal papers, newspaper clippings and other materials relating to farm life, personal affairs, and the Civil War.

The Buck family collection includes correspondence, diaries, legal papers, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to farm life, personal affairs, and the Civil War. Included are letters of Curtis Buck and Andrew Buck relating to the Civil War. Also of interest is a letter of John Bettis, June 10, 1864, regarding his running a saw and grist mill in Chattanooga during the war. Other family members represented in the collection are Charles W. Buck and Myron and Susan Field Buck.

Civil War and Spanish-American War letters, family photographs, and other materials relating to the Buckbee and Church families from Illinois and Michigan.

The Buckbee Family Papers includes a variety of material but is most significant for its documentation of the Civil War service of Julian E. Buckbee and for the many letters exchanged with his sons Henry Cheever and Julian Edward, Jr., who served in the military during the Spanish-American War. These later letters provide a unique look into daily life during the war and at home in Illinois at the turn of the century. The letters contain both original and photocopied letters, along with transcriptions, to and from Julian Edward Jr. and Henry Cheever Buckbee during their service from April to September 1898. The photocopies all have matching original letters except for letter dated August 21, 1898, and those that were small notes probably sent with packages.

Other files in the collection include newspaper articles, genealogical information, and other various materials related to the Buckbee family from 1859 to 1999; photographs (duplicates and originals) of family members, scenes from the Spanish-American War, and of the family-owned Winnetka Inn located in Winnetka, Illinois; various letters to and from Julian Edward Buckbee Sr., military documents, and other materials relating to E.J. Buckbee's service in the Civil War; and later family papers which include reminiscences of Julian Buckbee Sr., and letters from Cheever D. Buckbee during his military service in 1942. There are also letters of William L. Church written during the Civil War and relating to his visits to various Illinois regiments. Of special note is a letter he received from Colonel William Gamble describing the operation of Illinois troops at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Correspondence and miscellaneous business papers including Civil War letters exchanged between John C. Buchanan and his wife, Sophia Bingham Buchanan, while he was serving as first lieutenant in Co. D. of the 8th Michigan Infantry. Many of the letters are almost sermons and philosophical essays about his home and family, religion, his country and the war and its leaders. Others are detailed descriptions of camps and camp life, such as Seabrook plantation in South Carolina and its Negroes, James Island and its reptiles; his quarters and food; sea transports; marches, skirmishes and battles with the Army of the Potomac in the Maryland campaign and around Fredericksburg. The collection also includes letters from Claude Buchanan while he was a student at the University of Michigan; letters (1847-1858) of J. Irwin Beaumont of Mississippi and Minnesota to Angie Bingham (Gilbert); notebooks, speeches, business papers, and a diary of a trip to the South in 1884 made by Claude Buchanan.

Residents of Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Mich., John Briggs and his sons George and Clark served in the Union army during the American Civil War. John and George volunteered in the Michigan 6th Cavalry while Clark served in the 20th Infantry. The collection consists of approximately 100 letters written by the Briggs between 1862 and 1864 addressed to Mary Briggs, the wife of John and mother of George and Clark. Also, photocopies of George Briggs' military papers and information about the Briggs family.

Approximately 100 letters written by soldiers John, George, and Clark Briggs between 1862 and 1865, constitute the bulk of the collection. The majority are addressed to Mary Briggs, the rest to Van Rensselaer Tyler. Most of the letters are matched with the envelope in which they were originally housed, although a number of letters and envelopes remain unmatched. Other materials include a chronological list and a brief summary of Briggs letters, a list of Briggs family members born between 1794 and 1876, photocopies of George Briggs military papers, and modern-day background biographical information about the Briggs.

Dwight J. Brewer served in the Michigan Twentieth Infantry during the Civil War. Collection includes family correspondence and Brewer's military papers and diary.

Letters written to the family by Dwight Brewer during the Civil War. Some letters were written together with Edwin Stearns, who served with Brewer. Photocopies and originals of Brewer's military papers and a modern color photograph of an original 1898 family photo.

Correspondence and other materials concerning life in Germany and Civil War service; and record book, 1868-1877, listing German settlers in the Dieckerill section of Niles brought to the United States by Brethschneider. Three letters written in July 1861 and one in November 1861 are chiefly love letters to his wife. But he also speculates on possible offensives and the end of the war; then writes of the casualties after the battles,saying: "It is sad to see thousands slaughtered through the ignorance of their leaders, but the Americans have to learn and pay for it. All our fancy officers here are sick or not worth the powder it would take to shoot them." However, he expresses a very high opinion of himself and his worth as an officer. The letters are written in German, and the collection contains the originals and translations, as well as his commission, dated April 25, 1861 and application for invalid corps dated June 23, 1863. The collection also includes a letter from Colonel Francis Quinn of the12th Michigan Infantry (May 2, 1862) and affidavits of James Vandemark and Robert Hardy, also of the 12th Infantry (June 4, 1862) relating to the Battle of Shiloh

25 letters (Jan.-May 1864) to his wife describing his wartime experiences.

Correspondence, legal papers, bills and receipts dealing with personal and business affairs as well as military service (including court martial records). Correspondence contains a letter dated March 19, 1865 from Frederick Schneider, written after his parole from Confederate prison; letters, January 15 and March 12, 1865, from Joseph Moody containing detailed descriptions of Traverse City, Michigan; a letter dated March 27, 1865 to Major C. A. Lounsberry describing the attack on Fort Stedman; and letter, April 1865, mentioning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Also includes photographic portraits of John C. Boughton.

Original and typescript of diaries (1862-1865) written while Boston was serving in Company H, 20th Michigan Infantry. The entries are chiefly descriptions of army life and battles in the campaign of Fredericksburg, first and second Kentucky campaigns, Vicksburg, the Wilderness, and Petersburg. National Park Service maps with a synopsis of the campaigns have been added to the typescript copy. The April 22, 1863 entry speaks of Frank Thompson (Sarah E. E. Seelye) as their brigade postmaster. The collection also contains thirty-seven letters (Jan. 1863-Apr. 1865) written to his aunts while Boston was serving in the 20th Michigan Infantry. He was sick and in hospital camps before Petersburg; once there, he gives accounts of activities there (Sept. 1864-Apr. 1865): picket duty, building fortifications, battles. He comments on food, the coming election, an African American regiment, General Burnside, the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, boxes from home, prisoners, the draft, and the reaction to the death of Lincoln. He describes two Thanksgiving dinners, and especially the fall of Petersburg. The collection also include's Boston's discharge certificate from the Union Army.

Michigan Democratic congressman, 1847-1851, Republican governor, 1855-1858, and U.S. Senator, 1859-1861; correspondence and genealogical papers of the Bingham and Warden families of Livingston County, including letters from Kinsley, his wife Mary Warden, his son James (First Lieutenant, Sixteenth Michigan Infantry, who died in 1862), and Robert Warden, Jr.; correspondence concerning family affairs, political and legislative matters, Bingham's inauguration in Lansing, Michigan, in 1857, and the Civil War; letters to Warden from friends in Scotland and Camillus, New York including one from Henry S. Sinn about slavery and the Civil War; and diary, 1862-1863, kept by Mrs. Bingham.

The Bingham papers are comprised of two series, Correspondence and Other Materials, reproduced on four rolls of microfilm. The Correspondence series includes personal letters (originals and typescripts) between members of the Bingham and Warden families. There is extensive correspondence (1848-1861) between Bingham and his wife, Mary Warden Bingham, during his absences while serving in government offices in Lansing, Michigan and Washington, D.C. There is also a substantial correspondence from James W. Bingham, writing to his parents during his boarding school years at the Normal School in Ypsilanti, Michigan and one year while studying at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Later letters between James and his mother were written while James was serving with Co. H, 1st Michigan Infantry at Alexandria, Va., and then in Chicago and Peoria, Ill., as a recruiting officer in Co. B, 2nd Battalion, 16th U.S. Infantry (with which he was later on active duty in Kentucky). The letters concern the attitude of the citizens of Alexandria towards the Michigan troops, the assassination of Colonel Ellsworth, the Zouaves, social and camp life, marches and skirmishes, political news of the day and the towns in which he was encamped. Bingham died of disease at Bardstown, Ky., Nov. 9, 1862. The collection also includes three letters from Kinsley S. Bingham concerning the Battle of Bull Run. Also of interest are letters in 1850 referring to John, a nephew who participated in the California Gold Rush, where he died. The Other Materials series includes political speeches written by Kinsley S. Bingham, as well as newspaper clippings related to his death and memorial, and to the deaths of both of his sons. There is also genealogical notes made by family members for both the Bingham and Warden families, newspaper clippings about later family members, letters between extended family members, and miscellaneous and ephemeral materials.

Translations of letters, 1847-1850, of Gotthardt Bechtold describing his trip to, impressions of, and settlement in America; also diary, 1861-1865, of Frederick W. Bechtold, soldier in Co. B, 12th Missouri Volunteers during the Civil War (partially in German); typescript translations of Bechtold's diary and of his letters, 1862-1864; and miscellaneous other family letters (some in German).

Businessman, of Washtenaw County, Michigan, publisher of Ann Arbor Courier, and chairman of Executive Committee, Michigan Republican Party. Correspondence, account books, business records, receipts, deeds, and other financial records.

The Rice Aner Beal collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Political and Legal papers; and Financial records. Among Rice Beal's correspondents were such personages as James B. Angell, Henry P. Baldwin, Zachariah Chandler, Isaac P. Christiancy, Omar D. Conger, Thomas M. Cooley, Charles M. Croswell, Byron M. Cutcheon, Thomas W. Ferry, James F. Joy, James McMillan, Thomas W. Palmer, John T. Rich, Moses C. Tyler, Henry Waldron, Edwin Willits, and Alexander Winchell. Within the Political and Legal papers series there are materials relating to litigation with Alvin W. Chase and Silas Douglas. His political career is partially documented in ledger volumes that he maintained while attending the Republican State conventions in 1878 and 1880. In these volumes, Beal listed the names of delegates with comments on their candidate preferences and abilities.

Dexter, Michigan, farmer and chairman of the Washtenaw County Committee of the Greenback Party. Correspondence concerning activities of Greenback Party in county, particularly relating to election of 1878, and other papers concerning the Bates family during the Civil War.

The Charles Franklin Bates collection consists of correspondence, clippings, and miscellaneous relating to his war-time service and to his activities with the Knights of Labor and the Greenback Party. The collection is arranged into three series: Correspondence, Correspondence - Family, and Topical Files. Of particular interest is the Greenback Party correspondence which discusses the party's strategies, meetings, and speakers in the Ann Arbor area, the 1878 election, and local figures in the party. A letter, November 2, 1878, includes comments on the potential black vote for the Greenback party in the coming election. Much of the correspondence conveys personal and business information about Bates, especially correspondence with Emma and DeForest Lichfield and Gilett Salmon. There is, however, also letters about the Knights of Labor, especially a letter, 1886, from T.V. Powderly.

The microfilm is a duplicate of Greenback's Party correspondence folder with additional correspondence of family and friends.

This collection contains two letters. The June 6, 1862 letter speaks of battles, but his regiment was held in reserve and not involved in action. The August 6, 1862, letter thanks his mother for a package received, tells her of being on the march for three weeks, and that he is sending money home.