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Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/c2b62705-e1f9-4fd0-a2e3-386323406432

Collection: Military Collection

Title: Military Collection

Object ID: MG0078

Date Range: 1764-present

1 document

Collection: Military Collection

Title: Military Collection

Description: This collection contains documents beginning with the American Revolution and continuing through the War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. There are account books, notes and written letters, vouchers, inspections of camps, receipts of payments, honorable discharge certificates, lists of absentees, envelopes used during the Civil War, and lists of unpaid fines during the service of the Pennsylvania Militia soldiers. There are also newsletters and articles relating to World Wars I and II and the Korean War for advertisement and description of items including the history of the Philadelphia Naval Base.

Date Range: 1764-present

Date of Accumulation: 1764-present

Creator: LancasterHistory (Organization)

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 03

People: Alexander, Peter; Andre, John; Andrews, George; Auxer, Jacob; Barton, David R.; Baughman, George; Bausman, Frederick; Bethel, Samuel; Bevins, George; Biddle, George; Bietz, George; Billman, William L.; Bitner, Abraham; Bowers, George; Bowers, Lerina; Bowers, M. F.; Bradd, John; Brant, John; Brenner, Henry; Brush, George; Buchanan, James; Calwell, James; Cassidy, John; Cockley, David; Coleman, Robert; Comstock, Elmo; Comstock, Willard; Conyngham, G.; Cooke, Jacob; Crider, David; Dallas, A. L.; Demuth, William D.; Diffenderfer, Jacob; Diller, Adam; Duchman, John H.; Eshleman, John; Eugstler, Philip; Ewing, William; Fulton, Eleanore J.; Gardner, Daniel; Garrison, Lindley M.; Gidy, Peter; Graeff, Matthias; Haerrs, Dane; Hamilton, William; Hamilton, Robert; Hand, Edward; Haughman, George; Hayes, Rutherford Birchard; Heitler, Richard R.; Hiester, Gabriel; Hubley, Adam; Irvine, William; Jackson, Cyrus E.; Jacobs, Barnet; Jameson, Samuel; Johnson, Edward; Johnson, Relief; Johnson, Thomas; Kearns, Christian; Keller, Adam; Kendig, Adam; Kendig, Benjamin F.; King, Alexander; King, Robert, Jr.; Kirkpatrick, William; Kissel, Frederick; Landis, Bertha Cochran; Landis, Charles; Light, John; Lloyd, Thomas; Longenecker, John; Lutz, John; McCarty, Isaiah; McConnel, Abraham; McElhattan, Alexander; McKean, Thomas; McSherry, J. L., III; Megrady, Patrick; Mifflin, Thomas; Morgan, Thomas; Morrison, A. K.; Morrison, Alexander W.; Morrison, Samuel W.; Neal, Thomas; Nicholson, John; Ohlen, John; Paster, Peter; Patterson, James; Price, Rebecca L.; Price, Robert C.; Reigart, Adam; Reigart, Christopher; Reinoehl, Adolphus; Roath, E. D.; Ross, James; Russell, A. L.; Sample, Nathaniel W.; Scarritt, Jeremiah M.; Scott, Hugh; Shippen, Joseph; Skiles, William; Skillings, Charles W.; Smith, John M.; Smith, Richard; Snyder, Eberhart Michael; Snyder, Eugene; Speel, Alexander R.; Strickler, M. M.; Sutherland, Thomas Jefferson; Thompson, R. W.; Wager, Philip; Weller, John; White, John; Witmer, David M.; Witmer, Sarah; Wolf, Joseph; Work, Joseph; Wright, Horatio G.; Zahm, Mary; Zeilin, William F.; Buchen, Martin L.; Hildebran, James; Pratt, J. E.; Elias, C. Harry; Martin, E. K.; McClain, Frank B.; Hewitt, A. G.; Negley, J. S.; Ritner, Joseph; Burrowes, Thomas; Eckman, Joseph

Subjects: United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; United States--History--War of 1812; Mexican War, 1846-1848; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Letters; Business records; Programs (Publications)

Search Terms: Business records; Civil War; Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.); Correspondence; Discharge certificates; Envelopes; Finding aids; Jackson Riflemen; Korean War; Lancaster Militia; Letters; Manuscript groups; Mexican War; Military history; Military records; Monuments; Newsletters; Pennsylvania Militia; Programs; Receipts; Revolutionary War; Soldiers and Sailors Monument; War of 1812; World War I; World War II; Reunions

Extent: 2 boxes, 36 folders, 1 oversized item 1 cubic ft.

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Object ID: MG0078

Location of Originals: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Related Item Notes: Curatorial Collection

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Restrictions are noted at the item level.

Copyright: Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Other Numbers: MG-78

Classification: MG0078

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Processed and finding aid prepared by DD, Summer 2000. Updated by HST, 2010, 2011.

Documents

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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/1768d5d3-090d-40da-8431-464649668045

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Object ID: MG0828

Date Range: 1839-1932

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers is a collection of original correspondence, official documents, and ephemera. Many of the papers were created by or directed to Thomas Welsh between approximately 1843 and his death in 1863. They provide glimpses into his youth, his experiences in the Mexican War, his life in Columbia between the wars, and his rise in rank to Brigadier General during the Civil War.; The collection contains correspondence with his wife and family from 1861-1863. There are also official correspondence and documents related to Welsh's military service, autobiographical pieces, correspondence following his death, obituaries, and family papers into the early twentieth century. Other items in the collection include genealogy pages from the family bible, photographic images of Thomas Welsh and family members, two scrapbooks, newspaper issues and newspaper clippings, written notes from recollections of one of Welsh's daughter, and a biographical sketch of Welsh written by his son.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1839-1932

Year Range From: 1839

Year Range To: 1932

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

People: Welsh, Thomas; Welsh, Annie Eunice Young; Welsh, Blanton Charles; Welsh, Effie; Welsh, Lilian; Welsh, Mary Young "Mazie"; Buchanan, James

Subjects: Letters; Mexican War, 1846-1848; Military orders; Military promotions; Personal correspondence; Political campaigns; Presidents--Election; Speeches, addresses, etc.; United States. Army--Military life; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Search Terms: Civil War; Correspondence, Personal; Letters; Mexican War; Military life; Military orders; Military promotions; Political campaigns; Presidential elections; Speeches; United States Army

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Fair to good

Condition Date: 2020-12-18

Condition Notes: Items are in fair to good condition.

Object ID: MG0828

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Almost all of the papers have been passed down through successive generations of Welsh's descendants, from Thomas Welsh's wife and children to his granddaughter, Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin, to her daughter Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. After Nancy Townsend's death, her son Charles Townsend passed them on to his cousin, Richard Wiggin (grandson of Emilie Benson Wiggin) in 2015.; A few papers passed out of the family's possession and found their way into other collections. Richard Abel of Columbia, PA began collecting Welsh papers and artifacts some years ago, and subsequently transferred this collection of Welsh materials to Richard Wiggin in 2012.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/6daebf57-e932-4018-b9a7-382700241180

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E Post Civil War

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesE

Date Range: 1866-1925

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E Post Civil War

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series E is a collection of eight documents, which covers the years 1866 through 1925 and consists primarily of recollections by various family members of the life of Thomas Welsh. The series also includes a family history and poems written by Thomas Welsh and his daughter Effie Welsh.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1866-1925

Creation Date: 1866-1925

Year Range From: 1866

Year Range To: 1925

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

Storage Container: Box 0001

People: Welsh, Thomas

Subjects: Autobiographies; Letters; Mexican War, 1846-1848; Poetry; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Search Terms: Autobiographies; Civil War; Family history; Genealogy; Letters; Mexican War; Poetry

Extent: 8 folders

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Poor to excellent

Condition Date: 2020-12-29

Parent Object ID: MG0828

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesE

Notes: Added to PP 12/29/2020 by HST; Provenance: Most items passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Series

Custodial History: Organized by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/6697af68-5c50-4606-a98e-814511042041

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-61 Civil War, 1861

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-61

Date Range: 1861

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-61 Civil War, 1861

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-61 contains fifteen documents from 1861. The series consists of letters written by Thomas Welsh to his wife and children describing his experiences as an officer in the Union Army. The series also includes letters written by Welsh's wife and children describing events at home in Columbia. The letters show Welsh to be a devoted husband and father and his family to miss him very much. Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County. The regiment served most of its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley from where many of the letters were written. The series also includes a pass for Camp Curtin, Dauphin County where Welsh served as Commandant and a letter from Otter Island, South Carolina where Welsh later served as a Colonel in the 45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1861

Creation Date: 1861

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

Storage Container: Box 0001

People: Welsh, Thomas

Subjects: United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Letters; Personal correspondence

Search Terms: Civil War; Letters; Correspondence, Personal

Extent: 16 folders

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Fair to good

Parent Object ID: MG0828

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-61

Notes: Added to PP 12/23/2020 by HST; Provenance:; Most passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.; MG0828_SeriesD-61_F15 is a transcription provided by Dennis Buttacavoli via email. The original is presumed by donor to be in his possession.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Series

Custodial History: Cataloged by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/81fa4de3-4957-47bb-b149-040089796190

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-62 Civil War, 1862

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-62

Date Range: 1862

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-62 Civil War, 1862

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-62 contains twenty-two documents from 1862. The series consists of letters and official papers related to the military activities of Thomas Welsh, in command of the 2nd Brigade of General Orlando Willcox's 1st Division, General Burnside's 9th Army Corps, command consisting of Regiments 45th and 100th Pennsylvania, 46th New York, and 8th Michigan. The series includes letters written by Welsh to his family and letters from his family written to him. Welsh's command participated in several battles during the year including South Mountain and Antietam. Official correspondence includes reports by General Willcox and others as well as Willcox's recommendation that Welsh be promoted to Brigadier General for his bravery and conduct in battle.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1862

Creation Date: 1862

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

Storage Container: Box 0001

People: Welsh, Thomas

Subjects: United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Letters; Personal correspondence

Search Terms: Civil War; Letters; Correspondence, Personal; After action reports

Extent: 22 folders

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Fair to excellent

Parent Object ID: MG0828

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-62

Location of Originals: The original of MG0828_SeriesD-62_F20 is in the Antietam National Battlefield Library, 45th Pennsylvania Regimental File.; Transcription of MG0828_SeriesD-62_F21 is in the Antietam National Battlefield Library, 45th Pennsylvania Regimental File. Original claimed to be in the collection of Dennis Buttacavoli.

Notes: Added to PP 12/26/2020 by HST; Provenance:; Some items: Passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.; Some items: Transcription and photocopy acquired from Antietam National Battlefield Library, 45th Pennsylvania Regimental File.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Series

Custodial History: Cataloged by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/d9352a5a-5267-4a3f-a0ce-401968883248

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-63 Civil War, 1863

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-63

Date Range: 1863

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-63 Civil War, 1863

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series D-63 is a collection of thirty-three documents, which covers the year 1863 and consists of letters and official papers related to the military activities and death of Thomas Welsh. The series continues the exchange of letters between Welsh and his family until his untimely death on August 14, 1863. Military correspondence includes Senate confirmation of Welsh's field promotion to Brigadier General on March 13, 1863 and Welsh's new command of the 1st Division of General Burnside's 9th Army Corps. Welsh participated in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, but took ill soon after. He died in Cincinnati, Ohio. Correspondence includes condolences offered to the family of General Welsh by individuals and members of the Union Army present at his death.; Note: Original series also contained two photographs.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1863

Creation Date: 1863

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

Storage Container: Box 0001

People: Welsh, Thomas

Subjects: United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Letters; Personal correspondence; Telegraph; Military orders

Search Terms: Civil War; Letters; Correspondence, Personal; Telegrams; Military orders

Extent: 35 folders

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Poor to excellent

Condition Date: 2020-12-26

Parent Object ID: MG0828

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesD-63

Notes: Added to PP 12/26/2020 by HST; Provenance:; Most items passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.; Transcription of MG0828_SeriesD-63_F15 provided by Dennis Buttacavoli via email. The original is presumably in his possession.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Series

Custodial History: Cataloged by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/70276986-e501-4b67-bbd2-663220423919

Collection: Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection

Title: Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection

Object ID: MG0360

Date Range: 1774-1916

1 document

Collection: Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection

Title: Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection

Description: The Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection contains a deed for property in Lancaster Borough, an early collection of recipes, a receipt book for the Hamilton Lots, a valentine, stock certificate books for the New Process Steel Corporation, and Civil War letters. The Honorable Paul A. Mueller, Jr. is a descendant of the Zahm, Shreiner, and Cochran families on his mother's side. The items in this collection were passed down through the family for several generations.

Admin/Biographical History: Klein, Huffnagle, and Mussertown; The deed shows the sale of property in Mussertown by innkeepers Leonard and Rosina Klein to Peter Huffnagle. Leonard (1725-1793) married Amalia Rosina Waidlin (1732-1795) at Warwick, Lancaster County in December 1749. At that time he was a saddler in Lancaster. Although they did not have children, they were sponsors at several baptisms at the Moravian Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Lancaster. Peter Huffnagle (1746-1806) and his wife, Charlotte, had their children baptized at the First Reformed Church in Lancaster. They were also buried in that churchyard. Mussertown was laid out in 1760 by John Musser, and was later added onto by Henry Musser. Its original boundaries were the streets now called Church, Strawberry, Locust, and Rockland.; Hamilton Lots; In 1730, Andrew Hamilton, a skilled lawyer, purchased a tract of land in the newly incorporated Lancaster County and convinced the commissioners to place the county seat within his holdings. Queen Street and King Street run through that tract. James Hamilton (1710-1783) acquired 500 acres of land from his father in 1734, and started selling lots by 1735. Although Hamilton sold the lots, he imposed ground-rents so tenants had to pay for the right to occupy and improve the land that they owned. Tenants were also required to build dwellings on their property within two years and to meet certain building specifications. He continued to acquire and sell lots until 1773. Ground-rents were still being collected on the Hamilton Lots after World War II.; Zahm and Shreiner; Godfried Zahm was a brushmaker in Lancaster. His son, Michael (d.1883), learned the brushmaking business from his father and then learned the watchmaking and jewelry business from his brother-in-law, Martin Shreiner, Jr. (1767-1866). Godfried's daughter, Maria, married Martin Shreiner who is best remembered as a Lancaster clockmaker. Maria kept a trimming shop on North Queen Street in Lancaster.; Cochran and New Process Steel Corporation; Harry B. Cochran, great-grandfather of Paul A. Mueller, Jr., was the president of New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. New Process Steel Co. began as New Process Steel Wire Manufacturing Co. and was renamed in 1907. This manufacturer of drill rods and special steel shapes became a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation in 1919. It is significant that Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. owned stock in the New Process Steel Corporation in 1916. Sloan was president of Hyatt Roller Bearing Company when it merged with the United Motors Corporation in 1916. He then became president of United Motors which merged with General Motors Corporation in 1918. Sloan was president and CEO of General Motors from 1923-1946.

Date Range: 1774-1916

Year Range From: 1774

Year Range To: 1916

Date of Accumulation: 1774-1916

Creator: Mueller, Paul A., b. 1930

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 09

People: Albright, F. S.; Angeoine, Harry W.; Balsbach, Andrew; Barrett, Richard L.; Bough, Mathias; Bubach, Gerhart; Buback, Garret; Bugie, Henry A.; Burkhart, Samuel H.; Burkholder, I. Dora; Burkholder, John D.; Cochran, Harry B.; Cochran, John S.; Cochran, Thomas; Curtis, John; Eberman, P. G.; Eshleman, Benjamin; Fairer, A.; Frantz, Carrie B.; Goble, Jacob; Godshalk, Earl M.; Good, Henry; Hamilton, John; Hamilton, William; Harnish, Aaron B.; Hartman, John K.; Hinerdeer, Henry G.; Hite, Edward B.; Hoofnagle, Peter; Hostetter, A. H.; Ingersoll, Charles H.; Ingersoll, Fred R.; Keller, A. S.; Kline, Leonard; Kline, Rosina; Knell, Henry; Kreider, Elizabeth; Kunkle, Aaron; Lefever, George D.; Lenher, Philip; Leonard, Philip; Loucks, Aaron; Lowry, William; Martin, Samuel O.; McCleery, Carpenter; McClure, H. L.; McClure, Harry L.; McCoy, Sarah A.; Messenkop, John A.; Michenfelder, Caspar; Moore, John; Moore, Martin A.; Mueller, Jane Moffat; Mueller, Paul A.; Musselman, Amos; Musser, Ann; Musser, Henry; Nauman, David; Newman, Charles; Parry, Vaughn Ingersoll; Price, John; Reichenbach, William; Scott, George A.; Shertz, Jacob; Sherwood, Warren A.; Shreiner, John F.; Shrum, William; Sloan, Alfred P. Jr.; Stoddard, Williston B.; Stoner, C. L.; Turbett, Samuel; Weaver, Henry M.; Weidler, David; Weiss, Jay G.; Wenger, A. D.; Wenger, D. H.; Wenger, D. M.; Wentz, Henry; Witmer, Amos K.; Yeates, Jasper; Zahm, Godfried; Zantmiller, Kate; Zercher, Jacob

Other Creators: Shreiner family; Cochran family; Zahm family

Subjects: Cookbooks; Deeds; Letters; Recipes; Stock certificates; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Valentines

Search Terms: Boswell and McCleery; Civil War; Cookbooks; Correspondence; Finding aids; General Motors Corporation; Hamilton lots; John Meaner and Company; Letters; Manuscript groups; Mussertown, Lancaster; New Process Steel Corporation; New Process Steel Wire Manufacturing Company; Recipes; Stock certificates; Valentines

Extent: 1 box, 10 folders, .5 cubic ft.

Object Name: Archive

Language: English, German

Object ID: MG0360

Location of Originals: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Related Item Notes: Shand, William and Dean Keller. 1965. "Twentieth Century Industrial Development of Lancaster." Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 69: 151-162.; Wood, Stacy B. C. 1994. "Martin Shreiner: from Clocks to Fire Engines." Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 96: 114-137.

Notes: Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Paul A. Mueller, Jr. Collection (MG0360), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: No restrictions.

Copyright: Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Other Numbers: MG-360

Other Number: MG-360

Classification: MG0360

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Folders 1-9 cataloged in 2005. Folder 10 cataloged in 2009. Added to database 7 September 2017.

Documents

Finding Aid

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Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/80d2c370-4015-4107-a1c7-244448042133

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesB

Date Range: 1846-1848

Collection: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers

Title: General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848

Description: The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series B contains fourteen documents, which cover the period 1846 through 1848 and chronicles Welsh's military service during the Mexican War. The series consists of letters written by Thomas Welsh to various family members, friends and government officials (including James Buchanan) describing his experiences as a volunteer soldier, the wounds he received at the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847 and his efforts to secure a pension for the injuries he received in battle. The series also includes documents related to his subsequent appointment as a second lieutenant, his ongoing support for the war despite the injuries he received and his desire to continue to serve in the peacetime army.

Admin/Biographical History: Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.; Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.; When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.; Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.; When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.; Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.; In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.; In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.; The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1; 1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.

System of Arrangement: The collection is arranged in series:; Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War; Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848; Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861; Series D Civil War; Series E Post-Civil War; Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers; Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh

Date Range: 1846-1848

Creation Date: 1846-1848

Year Range From: 1846

Year Range To: 1848

Creator: Wiggin, Richard C.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 19

Storage Container: Box 0001

People: Welsh, Thomas

Subjects: Mexican War, 1846-1848

Search Terms: Mexican War

Extent: 14 items

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Condition: Fair to good

Parent Object ID: MG0828

Object ID: MG0828_SeriesB

Notes: Added to PP 12/19/2020 by HST; Provenance: Passed down through the family, Blanton Charles Welsh to Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin to Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. Acquired from: Chuck Townsend, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2016/05/15.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.

Copyright: Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.; Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Classification: MG0828

Description Level: Series

Custodial History: Cataloged by Richard C. Wiggin prior to donation.

Archive

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/eb1b9348-c1ce-4d6f-8307-160850554114

Collection: Jacob N. Beam Collection

Title: Jacob N. Beam Collection

Object ID: MG0224

Date Range: 1758-1940

. Zimmerman, Heinrich Subject Headings: Churches Genealogy Letters Scrapbooks Search Terms: Churches Correspondence Donegal Presbyterian Church Dr. Robert Smith’s Academy Family history Finding aids Genealogy Lancaster Morning News Leacock Presbyterian Church Leacock Twp. Letters Manuscript groups Paradise

1 document

Collection: Jacob N. Beam Collection

Title: Jacob N. Beam Collection

Description: The Jacob N. Beam Collection contains information and papers relevant to Dr. Beam's research and writing on the history of the Leacock Presbyterian Church, which he presented in the church's bicentennial address in 1940. Materials in this collection include letters and correspondences, family histories, military and land records, and other publications, as well as copies of drafts and final publication of the bicentennial address.

Date Range: 1758-1940

Year Range From: 1758

Year Range To: 1940

Date of Accumulation: 1758-1940

Creator: Beam, Jacob Newton, 1869-1954

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 05

People: Adams, John Quincy; Anderson, Robert; Barton, John; Bausman, Lottie M.; Beam, Jacob Newton; Beam, Victor S.; Bishop, Louis Faugeres Jr.; Boehm, John Philip; Bower, Michael; Boyd, John; Brown, George; Buyers, William B.; Carpenter, Henry; Carpenter, Jacob; Clark, John; Clark, Robert L. Jr.; Clark, William; Connell, Moore; Cooke, William B.; Cooper, John; Craig, John; Crawford, David; Crawford, James; Crawford, Jessie; Creighton, Thomas; Creighton, William; Ellmaker, Watson; Ferree, David; Finley, John H.; Hamilton, James; Hamilton, William; Hasson, Alexander; Hawthorn, James; Hawthorn, Samuel; Hawthorn, William; Henry, John; Herbert, Stewart; Hinke, William J.; Huston, Alex; Kaufman, Jay Warren; Knox, James; LeFevre, Samuel; Le Rue, Jonas; Lyon, John; McCamant, Isaac; McCaskey, John; McCausland, John; McCausland, Mary W.; McCausland, William; McClung, Charles; McClung, Matthew; McCurdy, James; McCurdy, Robert; McFadden, Alexander; McGowan, John; McIlwain, Robert; McIlwain, William B.; Mercer, James; Montgomery, James; Moorehead, William; Morris, Roland S.; Parker, Robert; Patterson, Samuel; Patton, Robert; Pepley, Elizabeth; Porter, William; Quigley, James; Reese, John; Rodgers, William; Scott, Phillip; Slaymaker, Matthias; Smith, Robert; Stewart, George; Tetley, John; Timlow, P. J.; Torbet, John; Tout, Jacob; Truslow, John; Van Tyne, Claud Halstead; Vernor, John; Watson, John; Whitehill, James; Whitehill, John; Williston, Seth; Winslow, Ola Elizabeth; Wood, George; Woodhull, John; Woodhull, Sally; Woods, Adam; Woods, Thomas; Workman, David R.; Zimmerman, Heinrich

Subjects: Churches; Genealogy; Letters; Scrapbooks

Search Terms: Churches; Correspondence; Donegal Presbyterian Church; Dr. Robert Smith's Academy; Family history; Finding aids; Genealogy; Lancaster Morning News; Leacock Presbyterian Church; Leacock Twp.; Letters; Manuscript groups; Paradise Twp.; Pennsylvania State Archives; Presbyterian Historical Society; Revolutionary War; Scrapbooks; Strasburg Twp.

Extent: 2 boxes, 26 folders, 1 cubic ft.

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Object ID: MG0224

Location of Originals: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Notes: Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Jacob N. Beam Collection (MG0224), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Access Conditions / Restrictions: No restrictions.

Copyright: Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Other Numbers: MG-224

Classification: MG0224

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Processed and finding aid prepared by KV, Fall 2013. Added to database 3 February 2022.

Documents

Finding Aid

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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/2233eaab-6463-43c0-b788-149756332089

Collection: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Title: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Object ID: MG0217

Date Range: 1809-1843

certificate, invoices, legal papers, proposals, receipts, stockholders, promissory notes, by-laws, settlement of stage tolls with Samuel Slaymaker 1813, salary receipts, circulars and announcements, bridge tolls, orders for payment, correspondence, and a stock certificate from 1842. Creator: Goodell, Robert

1 document

Collection: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Title: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Description: The Columbia Bridge Company Collection is a valuable source of information concerning construction of bridges in the early 1800s. Documents concern the building of the first two bridges across the Susquehanna River in 1814 and 1832. Items in the collection include minutes, form for stock certificate, invoices, legal papers, proposals, receipts, stockholders, promissory notes, by-laws, settlement of stage tolls with Samuel Slaymaker 1813, salary receipts, circulars and announcements, bridge tolls, orders for payment, correspondence, and a stock certificate from 1842

Admin/Biographical History: First Bridge; Construction of the first Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge was begun in 1812 and completed December 5, 1814, by J. Wolcott, H. Slaymaker, S. Slaymaker at a total cost of $231,771, which was underwritten by the newly formed Columbia Bank and Bridge Company. The bridge was 5,690 feet (1,730 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and had 54 piers and twin carriageways. Constructed of wood and stone, the covered bridge also included a wooden roof, a whitewashed interior and openings in its wooden sides to view the river and surrounding areas. It was considered the longest covered bridge in the world at the time. The bridge accommodated east-west traffic across the Susquehanna River for 14 years before being destroyed by ice, high water and severe weather on February 5, 1832.; Second bridge; Construction of the second Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, also covered, started mid-1832 and was completed in 1834 (opening on July 8, 1834) by James Moore and John Evans at a cost of $157,300. It was 5,620 feet (1,710 m) long and 28 feet (8.5 m) wide and also enjoyed the distinction of being the world's longest covered bridge. The wood and stone structure had 27 piers, a carriageway, walkway, and two towpaths to guide canal traffic across the river. Much of the mostly oak timber used in its construction was salvaged from the previous bridge. Its roof was covered with shingles, its sides with weatherboard, and its interior was whitewashed. The structure was modified in 1840 by the Canal Company at a cost of $40,000 concurrent with the construction of the Wrightsville Dam. Towpaths of different levels and with sidewalls were added to prevent horses from falling into river, as happened several times when the river flooded. The roof of the lower path formed the floor of upper path. In this way, canal boats were towed across the river from the Pennsylvania Canal on the Columbia side to the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal at Wrightsville. Sometime after 1846, a double-track railway was added, linking the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad to the Northern Central Railway. Due to fear of fire caused by locomotives, rail cars were pulled across the bridge by teams of mules or horses.; Information from "Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia%E2%80%93Wrightsville_Bridge. Accessed 3 February 2020.

System of Arrangement: The papers of the First Columbia Bridge built in 1814 are filed in folders #1 to 157. The papers of the Second Columbia Bridge built in 1832 are filed in folders #158 to 181.

Date Range: 1809-1843

Year Range From: 1809

Year Range To: 1843

Date of Accumulation: 1809-1843

Creator: Goodell, Robert Hilliard, 1899-1992.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 05

People: Albright, William; Chew, Benjamin; Coleman, Robert; Dickson, William; Gilpin, Joshua; Gilpin, Thomas; Grimler, Benjamin; Haldeman, C.; Hamilton, William; Harbaugh, Leonard; Hoff, John; Hopkins, James; Hubley, John; Hubley, Joseph; Lloyd, Evan; Mifflin, Joseph; Poulson, Zachariah; Reynolds, John; Rittenhouse, Joseph; Shaffner, Casper; Slaymaker, Henry; Slaymaker, Samuel; Varle, Charles; Wilson, Edward; Wilson, Thomas A.; Witmer, A.; Wright, William; Wolcott, John

Subjects: Bridges; Business records; Columbia (Pa.); Letters; Minutes (Records); Stockholders; Stocks; Susquehanna River

Search Terms: Advertising; Applications; Board of Directors; Bonds; Bridges; Broadsides; Business records; By-laws; Checks; Columbia; Columbia Bridge Company; Construction; Contracts; Correspondence; Farmers Bank of Lancaster; Financial records; Finding aids; Gatekeepers; Invoices; Letters; Loans; Manuscript groups; Minutes; Murray Draper and Company; Promissory notes; Receipts; Reports; Salaries; Stockholders; Stocks; Susquehanna River; Taxes; Tollhouses; Tolls

Extent: 5 boxes, 190 folders, 3 cubic ft.

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Object ID: MG0217

Location of Originals: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Notes: Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. The original items in Folder 69 may not be used due to their fragile condition. All other original documents may be used by researchers--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at Reference Desk.

Copyright: Collection may be photographed. Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org with questions or for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Other Numbers: MG-217

Classification: MG0217

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Added to database 13 January 2022.

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