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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.
Less detail
Collection
Wolpert Family Papers
Title
Wolpert Family Papers
Object ID
MG0685
Date Range
1861-1945
  1 document  
Collection
Wolpert Family Papers
Title
Wolpert Family Papers
Description
This collection contains letters from Private Peter Wolpert to his brother during the Civil War. In addition here are records of Peter Wolpert's military service including the Company E, Regiment 1, Pennsylvania Reserves Infantry Muster Roll, plus that unit's Casualty Sheet and an information card from the Pennsylvania State Archives, all which indicate he died in action at Antietam. And the collection also has a Lancaster Intelligencer Journal newspaper article about Peter Wolpert's son, Charles, as he remembers President James Buchanan's funeral.
Date Range
1861-1945
Year Range From
1861
Year Range To
1945
Date of Accumulation
1861-1864, 1945
Creator
Wolpert family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 14
People
Wolpert, Peter
Wolpert, Lorenz
Wittlinger, Johann
Wolpert, Charles
Buchanan, James
Subjects
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Letters
Family records
Search Terms
Civil War
Family records
Finding aids
Letters
Manuscript groups
Military records
Extent
1 box, 4 folders
Object Name
Archive
Language
English, German
Object ID
MG0685
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The items in Folder 4 are restricted.
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
Wolpert Family Papers (MG-685), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.
Other Numbers
MG-685
Classification
MG0685
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared 25 March 2013. Added to database 16 January 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Eleanor Fulton, Presbyterian Collection
Title
Eleanor Fulton, Presbyterian Collection
Object ID
MG0050
Date Range
1703-1991
  1 document  
Collection
Eleanor Fulton, Presbyterian Collection
Title
Eleanor Fulton, Presbyterian Collection
Description
The work of Eleanor Fulton, a professional researcher. Contains information on the Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, including First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Donegal Presbyterian Church. Also, genealogy notes for local families and St. James Episcopal Church.
System of Arrangement
Organized by subject, arranged chronologically.
Date Range
1703-1991
Year Range From
1703
Year Range To
1991
Date of Accumulation
1703-1991
Creator
Fulton, Eleanor
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 02
People
Ashmead, William
Buchanan, James
Fulton, Robert
Woodhull, John
Subjects
Genealogy
Letters
Presbyterian Church
United States--History--War of 1812
Search Terms
Booklets
Correspondence
Diaries
Donegal Presbytery
Ephemera
Genealogy
Letters
Newspaper clippings
Presbyterian Church
War of 1812
Extent
2 boxes, 56 folders, .75 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0050
Location of Originals
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-50
Classification
MG0050
Description Level
Fonds
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Thaddeus Stevens Collection
Title
Thaddeus Stevens Collection
Object ID
MG0115_P01
Date Range
1812 - present
, February 13, 1867.” Consideration of the bill to provide for the more effectual government of the insurrectionary states. He felt that Congress had done nothing for the people of the South, who were hurt severely by the Civil War and Reconstruction. The bill is proposed to protect the loyal men from
  1 document  
Collection
Thaddeus Stevens Collection
Title
Thaddeus Stevens Collection
Description
The Thaddeus Stevens Collection contains items related to Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith.
Date Range
1812 - present
Date of Accumulation
1812 - present
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Smith, Lydia Hamilton
Stevens, Thaddeus
Subjects
Abolitionists
Antislavery movements
Estates (Law)
Ku Klux Klan (19th century)
Lawyers
Legislators--United States
Letters
Politicians
Programs (Publications)
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
Slavery
United States. Congress. House
Search Terms
Abolition
Abolitionists
Antislavery movements
Congressmen
Correspondence
Estate settlement
Finding aids
KKK
Ku Klux Klan (19th century)
Lawyers
Legislators
Letters
Manuscript groups
Programs
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
Slavery
Stevens and Smith Center
United States Congress, House of Representatives
Extent
1 box, 30 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0115_P01
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
George M. Steinman Papers (MG0184_S01; MG0184_S02)
Sally E. Nungesser Collection (MG0839)
See also the Photograph Collection
See also the Curatorial Collection
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Thaddeus Stevens Collection (MG0115), Part 1, Box #, Folder # or Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level.
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.
Other Numbers
MG-115
Other Number
MG-115, Part 1
Classification
MG0115
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Re-processed and finding aid prepared by SB, 2007-2008. Added to database 14 April 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Papers of the Warfel Family of Conestoga Township
Title
Papers of the Warfel Family of Conestoga Township
Object ID
MG0982
Date Range
ca. 1751 - 1869
Collection
Papers of the Warfel Family of Conestoga Township
Title
Papers of the Warfel Family of Conestoga Township
Description
Deeds, patents, letters, family papers of the Warfel, Bachman, Hess, Herr, Haverstick families of Conestoga Twp. and Manor Twp., c. 1751 to 1860s:
11 deeds, deed polls, patents, property records - ten are for property in Conestoga Twp., most at Slackwater; one is for land in Manor Twp.
Land drafts
Property records
Probate records: Estate inventory for Abraham Warfel, 1851; Administrators' account for Abraham Warfel, 1853
Personal papers of Jacob Warfel, 1833-1852
Abraham Warfel correspondence (Ohio and Iowa), 1846-1862
Martin B. Warfel correspondence (Indiana), 1856-1864
Lewis A. and Rachel Warfel Geiger correspondence (Pennsylvania and Texas), 1850s, 1862, 1869
J. Warfel correspondence (Illinois), 1860
Aaron Goode Bachman correspondence (Kansas), 1862
Benjamin R. Bachman correspondence (Tennessee), 1866
Hiram W. Bachman correspondence (Texas), 1865
John Bachman correspondence (Conestoga), 1842
David Bair correspondence (Ohio), 1840
J. C. Geiger correspondence (Texas), 1858
Samuel Hess correspondence (Salunga), 1869
John and Margaret Good, birthdates of their children, 1818-1842
Agreement for Conestoga Schoolhouse, 1828
Advertising for Thomas W. Evans & Co., Philadelphia, no date
Store account for Miss E. C. [Hess] from Fondersmith & [Son], Lancaster, 1851
Some Warfel and Haverstick genealogy, mostly copied from published sources with annotations
"Speech of Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, of Pennsylvania, of the National Finance," 20 January 1863
Date Range
ca. 1751 - 1869
Year Range From
1751
Year Range To
1869
Date of Accumulation
ca. 1751-1869
Creator
Warfel family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives North
Storage Wall
Side 13
People
Bachman, Aaron Goode
Bachman, Benjamin
Bachman, Benjamin R.
Bachman, Hiram W.
Bachman, John
Bachman, Susan A. Barton
Bair, David
Breneman, Adam
Buchanan, James
Charles, Henry
Charles, Jacob
Dayton, William Lewis
Dunkle, George
Fillmore, Millard
Fremont, John Charles
Geiger, John C.
Geiger, Lewis A.
Geiger, Rachel H. Warfel
Good, Adam
Good, Catharine
Good, Christian
Good, Elizabeth
Good, Fanny
Good, Jacob B.
Good, John E.
Good, Margaret
Good, Margaret Brunner
Good, Valentine
Gramer, Peter
Harnish, Martin
Haverstick, Anna B. Miller
Haverstick, Charles Arthur
Haverstick, Clara May
Haverstick, Elvina C. Warfel
Haverstick, Florence Ray
Haverstick, Harry Hoyt
Haverstick, John M.
Haverstick, Levi H.
Hess, Christian
Hess, Elizabeth
Hess, John
Hess, Joseph
Hess, Samuel
Hess, Susan Good
House, John
Kaigey, Henry
McClelland, William Bloomfield
Mennert, Frederick
Mennert, Jacob
Morgan, John
Musser, John
Puterbaugh, Elizabeth Warfel Bachman Mennert "Lizzie"
Ross, Indiana McClelland Warfel
Schoch, Jacob
Shank, Michael
Shenk, John
Stauffer, Abraham
Stevens, Thaddeus
Stoner, Christian
Sweigart, Jacob H.
Taylor, Zachary
Warfel, Abraham
Warfel, George W.
Warfel, Jacob
Warfel, John Brenneman
Warfel, Leah Good
Warfel, Martin B.
Warfel, Mary B. Good
Wissler, Jacob
Worley, Caleb
Subjects
African Americans
African Americans--History
Deeds
Family archives
Letters
Real property
Slavery
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Real property surveys
Search Terms
Accounts
Agriculture
Cedar Grove, Kaufman County, Texas
Civil War
Clermont, Marion County, Indiana
Conestoga Schoolhouse
Conestoga Twp.
Correspondence
Crops
Deeds
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Elections
Family archives
Finding aids
Galveston, Texas
Genealogy
Ice
Iowa
Land drafts
Letters
Manor Twp.
Manuscript groups
Martic Twp.
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
Mexico
Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad
Ohio
Persons of color
Politics
Postal service employees
Presidential candidates
Presidential elections
Real estate
Real property surveys
Rocky Mountains
Safe Harbor, Conestoga Twp.
Slackwater, Conestoga Twp.
Tennessee
Texas
Thomas W. Evans and Company
Washington County, Iowa
Wayne County, Ohio
Wayne Twp., Marion County, Indiana
Weather
Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana
Extent
66 items
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0982
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Series #, Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
This collection was given in memory of the donor's maternal grandparents, David S. Warfel and Clara Haverstick Warfel.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
This collection has not been cataloged. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
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
Accession Number
2023.053
Other Numbers
MG-982
Classification
MG0982
Description Level
Fonds
Less detail
Collection
William McCaskey Civil War Papers
Title
William McCaskey Civil War Letters
Object ID
MG0355
Date Range
1862-1865
  1 document  
Collection
William McCaskey Civil War Papers
Title
William McCaskey Civil War Letters
Description
The William McCaskey Civil War Papers contain letters written by William Spencer McCaskey to his brother, Jack and sister-in-law, Ellen during his service in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. In most letters, he writes about politics, life in camp, members of his unit, their brothers, and the campaigns in Georgia and South Carolina with General Sherman. Related biographical data and images are among the contents of this collection.
Admin/Biographical History
William Spencer McCaskey was born near Paradise, Lancaster County, in 1843. The family moved to Lancaster in 1855, where William received his education in public schools. And in 1859, he began an apprenticeship at the printing office of the Examiner, where he worked until the outbreak of the Civil War.
Just days after Fort Sumter was fired upon in April 1861, William joined the army and served with Company F of the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry until he mustered out in July. He joined Company B of the 79th Pennsylvania Regiment as 1st Sergeant in September of that year; this company of Lancastrians served under Col. Henry A. Hambright and Lt. Col. David Miles. They engaged in battles in Kentucky and Tennessee before they returned to Lancaster in 1864 and re-enlisted. Company B joined Gen. Sherman's army in May 1864. As they moved through Georgia and South Carolina in Sherman's March to the Sea, William wrote about the campaign, the residents, and affects that the Union Army's actions had on the South.
Capt. McCaskey mustered out in July 1865, and in spite of the many objections he had voiced about army life, he re-enlisted in 1866 after receiving a recommendation of the commission of second lieutenant from Thaddeus Stevens. William commanded troops throughout his career on the frontiers of Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Texas, and Missouri and also during the Spanish-American War in Cuba and the Philippines. He retired at the rank of Major General in October 1907.
John Piersol "Jack" McCaskey is better known to Lancastrians as J. P. McCaskey, a teacher and publisher. He began teaching at the Boys' High School in Lancaster in 1855, accepted the position of principal in 1865, and later became superintendent. Jack married Ellen Margaret Chase in 1860.
Date Range
1862-1865
Year Range From
1862
Year Range To
1865
Date of Accumulation
1862-1865
Creator
McCaskey, William Spencer, 1843-1914
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 09
People
Brown, Daniel
Brown, Mrs.
Hambright, Henry Augustus
Johnston, Joseph E.
Kaufman, Innis
Locher, Michael H.
McBride, John S.
McCaskey, Cyrus Davis "Cye"
McCaskey, Ellen Margaret Chase "Ellie"
McCaskey, John
McCaskey, John Piersol "Jack"
McCaskey, Joseph
McCaskey, Walter
McCaskey, William Spencer
Miles, David
Riley, George
Riley, George, Mrs.
Sherman, William Tecumseh
Stevens, Thaddeus
Subjects
Letters
Personal correspondence
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 79th (1861-1865). Company B
Wounds and injuries
Search Terms
Alexandria, Virginia
Atlanta, Georgia
Camp McCloud, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Civil War
Correspondence
Correspondence, Personal
Finding aids
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Letters
Louisville, Kentucky
Manuscript groups
Martha's Vineyard, North Carolina
Milledgeville, Georgia
Moorsville, North Carolina
Nashville, Tennessee
Richmond, Virginia
Savannah, Georgia
Washington, DC
Extent
1 box, 6 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0355
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
The original letters in Folders 2 and 3 may not be used. Transcriptions have been provided in Folder 1 for patron use.
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-355
Classification
MG0355
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Added to database 14 January 2021.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Bushong Diary Collection
Title
Bushong Diary Collection
Object ID
MG0278
Date Range
1850-1862
Collection
Bushong Diary Collection
Title
Bushong Diary Collection
Description
This collection contains the diaries of Gilbert and Edith Bushong.
The first diaries in this collection (Folder #1), written by Gilbert Bushong who is 14 years old, are dated from 3m 17 1850 - 5m 29 1852 and April 20, 1853. The topics covered are the everyday events of family life and farming activities. He also writes about school life, and butchering hogs, and trips to visit family and friends.
The second part of this collection (Folder #2-5) was written by Edith Paxson Bushong and dates from December 31, 1858 - April 5, 1862, after Gilbert presents her with a new diary journal on his return from a trip to Lancaster. Edith writes mostly about the welfare of her family and friends, including news of marriages, births, illnesses, and deaths.
She also writes about life on the farm, her housework routine, and news of the Civil War, including the battle at Gettysburg.
Admin/Biographical History
Gilbert Bushong was the son of Henry Bushong and Esther Valentine. He was born on 2 December 1836 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and died on 10 December 1911 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer in Eden Twp., Lancaster County. Gilbert was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and an abolitionist who helped, with family members Henry and Jacob Bushong, to run the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves during the Civil War at Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.
Edith D. Kinsey Paxson was born on 14 January 1836 and died 2 December 1914 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She was the second daughter of Elwood H. Paxson and Elizabeth Moore White. She married Gilbert Bushong on 20 December 1855. The Bushongs owned a farm along what is now Valley Road, Route 372, on the eastern side of Eden Twp. and received their mail at May Post Office. They are buried together at Sadsbury Meeting Cemetery in Chester County.
Children of Gilbert and Edith Bushong:
1. Dr. Charles Henry Bushong (1 October 1856-20 December 1903). He was married twice, to sisters who were twins, Anna W. Keene and Nora E. Keene. One died and he married the other.
2. Frances E. Bushong (18 May 1858-16 November 1861).
3. Marion E. Bushong (20 March 1860-March 1937). She married Sanders M. Collins on 20 December 1884. Their children were Edith Bushong Collins (1886-1966) and Wallace Collins (b. 1899). Edith never married. She kept house for her father and was a school teacher. Wallace married Marion Chandler.
4. Marvin E. Bushong (7 June 1878-27 October 1936). He married Lydia Rakestraw on 10 September 1903. Their children were Henry Rakestraw Bushong (b. 28 July 1904) and Gertrude (b. 4 August 1909). At 21, Marvin was appointed a Justice of the Peace of Eden Twp. and in 1908 was elected Clerk of Quarter Sessions at Lancaster County. Later, he was associated with the Pennsylvania Water and Power Company, and in 1933 was vice-president of the Safe Harbor Water Power Corp.
Date Range
1850-1862
Year Range From
1850
Year Range To
1862
Creator
Bushong, Gilbert, 1836-1911
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 08
People
Albright, Esther
Alexander, James
Alexander, Rachel
Bacon, Martha
Bacon, Tom
Baer, Joel
Baily, Rachel
Bair, David
Barnhouse, Pusey
Barton, Mavis
Beatol, Ely
Beecher, Henry Ward
Bernard, Louisa
Bolton, Mary
Bolton, Sallie
Bolton, Susanna
Bonsall, Daniel
Bower, Hiram
Bowers, H.
Bromell, Isaac
Brown, Elas
Brown, John
Bushing, Francis Elwood
Bushong, Jesse G.
Bushong, Anna W. Keene
Bushong, Charles Henry
Bushong, Edith D. Kinsey Paxson
Bushong, Edith K.
Bushong, Edwin
Bushong, Esther Valentine
Bushong, Frances E.
Bushong, Gilbert
Bushong, Henry
Bushong, Henry Rakestraw
Bushong, Israel
Bushong, Jacob
Bushong, John
Bushong, Lydia Rakestraw
Bushong, Margaret
Bushong, Marion E.
Bushong, Marvin E.
Bushong, Mary
Bushong, Nora E. Keene
Bushong, Gertrude
Carter, Benjamin
Carter, John
Carter, Tish
Cato, Jesse
Chanley, Hannah
Clarkson, Mary Ann
Coats, Simmons
Colfax, Schuyler
Collins, Edith Bushong
Collins, Marion Chandler
Collins, Marion E. Bushong
Collins, Sanders M.
Collins, Wallace
Cooper, Elwood
Cooper, H. W.
Cooper, Mary
Cramer, Cyrus
Cramer, Sheldon
Davis, Abner
Dewberries, Nathan
Dickinson, Annie
Dingee, Hannah
Dubell, Lydia Ann
Dubree, Nathan
Eavensen, Mary
Eavensham, Alvin
Eavensham, Martha Ellen
Eavenson, Albin
Eavenson, Alvin
Eavenson, Elwood
Eavenson, Emily
Eavenson, Jones
Eavenson, Mary
Eckhart, William
Eckman, Isaac
Evenson, Pierce
Everett, Hamilton
Everett, Rebecca
Everson, Reese
Ferguson, Annie
Field, Mary
Fisher, Conrad
Garrettson, Oliver
Garrison, P.
Garrison, William Lloyd
Gauge, Elizabeth
Gilbert, Abama
Gilbert, Alben
Gilbert, Amos
Gilbert, Bell
Gilbert, Catherine
Gilbert, Emily
Gilbert, Florence
Gilbert, Hannah
Gilbert, Harding
Gilbert, Howard W.
Gilbert, Jesse
Gilbert, Joshua
Gilbert, Mary
Gilbert, Newton
Gilbert, Omar
Gilbert, Sallie
Gilbert, Sarah
Gillton, Theodore
Gockley, Annie
Gockley, Sebastian
Grant, Ulysses S.
Green, Louisa
Griest, Ellwood
Hanna, Edie
Harding, Isaac
Haslem, William
Hauches, Phebe
Hauser, Edie
Hawkes, Joseph
Hayes, Mrs. William
Hayes, Nathaniel
Heaslem, William
Heidelbaugh, Margaret
Heidlebaugh, Albert
Heidlebaugh, Milton
Heidlebaugh, Samuel
Heidlebaugh, Susan
Hensel, George
Herr, Anna
Hicks, Rachel
Hobson, Jane
Hobson, Phebe
Hobson, Thebe
Hobson, Thomas
Hodson, John
Holson, Irene
Hood, James
Hopkins, Hannah
Hopkins, Maria
Hopkins, Samuel
Hopkins, Stanton
Hoskens, John
Houston, Joseph
Hunt, John
Hunter, Joe
Hunter, John
Hunter, Mary
Jackson, James
James, Harriet
Johns, John
Johns, Scott
Johns, Susan
Johnson, Hannah
Johnson, Henry
Johnson, Jacob
Johnson, Martha
Johnson, Mattie
Johnson, Moses
Johnson, Rachel
Johnson, Sarah
Johnston, Henry
Johnston, Moses
Jones, Emerson
Jones, Emma
Jones, Jael
Jones, Mary
Kauffman, Lewis
Kennedy, Hal Patterson
Kent, Nancy
Kent, Vince
Kern, Frank
King, Anna
King, Jerry
King, Samuel
Kirk, Benjamin
Kirk, Sarah
Kuhn, Lizzie
Lamborne, Alicia
Livingston, John B.
Love, Alfred H.
Lyle, William
Marsh, Mary
Marshlands, Belle
Massey, Isaac
Massey, Mary
Massey, Samuel
Matthew, Lydia
Matthews, Thomas
McClintick, Martha
McGill, Eliza
McGill, Sarah
Mercer, Rachel
Miller, Frank
Miller, Joseph
Minnich, Isaac
Moore, Gainer
Moore, Isaac
Moore, Mary
Morrison, Caroline
Morrison, Emma
Morrison, Henry
Morrison, Joseph
Moses, Thomas
Murry, Harvey
Neal, Susan
Newswanger, Joseph E.
Oran, James
Parke, William
Paxson, Alice
Paxson, Alvin
Paxson, Elizabeth Moore White
Paxson, Elwood H.
Paxson, Frankie
Paxson, James
Paxson, Matilda
Paxson, Mavis
Paxson, Tillie
Peart, Lewis
Peart, Rebecca
Peart, Roland
Pennock, Maggie
Pickering, M. H.
Pickering, Elias
Pierce, Edith
Pierce, George
Pierce, Levi
Proctor, Caroline
Rakestraw, Abraham
Rakestraw, Carrie
Rakestraw, Connie
Rakestraw, Eliza
Rakestraw, Ester
Rakestraw, Henry
Rakestraw, Liddy
Rakestraw, Mary
Rakestraw, Sarah
Rakestraw, William
Resh, James
Reynolds, John F.
Rich, Sallie
Risk, James
Risk, Mary
Ritz, Jack
Roberts, Anna
Roberts, Henry
Roberts, Martha
Robinson, Moses
Rockey, Mrs. Jacob
Royer, Hannah
Rusel, James
Russell, Mary B.
Scott, Barbara
Scott, John
Sheldon, Hannah
Sheldon, William
Slate, Henry
Slater, John
South, Benjamin
Sprecher, Jonathan
Sproul, Anne
Stauffer, Jacob
Stauffer, John
Stauffer, Mattie
Stauffer, Mrs.
Stauffer, Peter
Stevens, Thaddeus
Stowe, Mrs.
Stuart, Mary
Sutter, Joe
Swisher, Patrick
Taylor, Jacob
Taylor, Joseph C.
Thomas, Ann
Thomas, Callie
Thomas, Caroline
Thomas, John
Thomas, Orza A.
Thompson, George
Thompson, Harriet
Valentine, Anna L.
Valentine, Emmaline
Valentine, Francis
Valentine, Joseph
Valentine, Rachel
Valentine, Rebecca
Valentine, Thomas
Walker, John
Walker, Washington
Walter, Jesse
Walters, George
Watson, Matilda
Way, Martha
Webb, John P.
Webster, Elizabeth
Webster, Ezra
Wells, Gilbert
Wells, Joseph
Wells, Mary
Westley, Ellen
Westley, Joseph
Westly, John
Whinney, Sarah Pusey
White, Addie
White, Clara
White, Lettie
White, Oliver
Whitson, Ester
Whitson, George
Whitson, Jacob
Whitson, Matilda
Whitson, Merce
Whitson, Micah
Whitson, Moses
Whitson, Thomas
Whitson, Webster
Whitson, William
Wilhelm, Mrs.
William, Henry
Williams, Carrie
Williams, Edwin
Williams, Frank
Williams, Henry
Williams, Sue
Wilson, Tillie
Winston, George
Withers, Anna
Withers, Augustus
Withers, William
Zook, Morris
Other Creators
Bushong, Edith K., 1836-1914.
Subjects
African Americans--History
Agriculture
Bereavement
Canning and preserving
Enslaved persons--Emancipation
Farms
Health
Housekeeping
Mental health
Quakers
Seances
Slavery
Spiritualism
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Search Terms
Agriculture
Barr's Bookstore
Bereavement
Births
Canning and preserving
Civil War
Columbia - Wrightsville Bridge
David Bear's Dry Goods
Death
Diaries
Emancipation
Farming
Funerals
Gardening
Health
Housekeeping
Illnesses
Lancaster County Mutual Insurance Company
McGlaughlin's Auction
Mental health
Octoraro Relief Association
Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind
Persons of color
Quakers
Quarryville Aid Society
Sadsbury Friends Meeting
Seances
Slavery
Spiritualism
Travel
York Furnace
Extent
1 box, 5 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0278
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
Family Papers, 1833-1872 at Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Credit
Bushong Diary Collection (MG-278), Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Classification
MG0278
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed, finding aid started by PK, Spring-Summer 2010; Finding aid completed by NS, RS, 2013.
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 6
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1, Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 is arranged into three subseries of miscellaneous materials.
Subseries 1 is sheet music dedicated to James Buchanan, including the Wheatland Polka, The Schottisch, and Buchanan's Union Grand March.
Subseries 2 is published and print materials, including newspaper cartoons and illustrations, pamphlets for the 1824 election of John Quincy Adams, a tourist card, and meeting minutes.
Subseries 3 includes government documents, an act to alter and amend the several acts imposing tariffs, commercial treaties, supplementary acts, a document signed by Secretary of State William L. Marcy, a passport signed by James Buchanan, land grants, and other government documents, including some in French, Spanish, English, and German.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer. He was the second child born out of ten children, and he would go on to outlive all but one of his siblings. Most popularly remembered as Pennsylvania's only President and as a lifelong bachelor, Buchanan committed a lifetime to politics. In 1821, he left his law practice and embarked on his political career after having been voted into the U.S. House of Representatives. He would remain in the House for five consecutive terms before serving as the U.S. Minister to Russia, a Senator in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, and finally, the 15th President of the United States. He died in his bedchamber at Wheatland at 8:30 AM on June 1, 1868. He was 77 years old. [https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 1 Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Subseries 1 Sheet Music
Subseries 2 Published and Print Materials
Subseries 3 Government Documents
Year Range From
1813
Year Range To
1929
Creator
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Pierce, Franklin
Jackson, Andrew
Lincoln, Abraham
Other Creators
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868
Subjects
Land grants
Political cartoons
Sheet music
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
Bounty land warrants
Buchanan Collections
Civil War
Finding aids
James Buchanan
Land grants
Manuscript groups
Political cartoons
Sheet music
Wheatland
Newspaper clippings
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 65 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Clipping, Newspaper
Music, Sheet
Language
English, German
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 6
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
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.
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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Charles Kessler Papers
Title
Charles Kessler Papers
Object ID
MG0432
Date Range
1939-2004
H. Buchanan, James Johnston, Harriet Lane Subject Headings: Authors Family records Jewish veterans Letters World War, 1939-1945 Search Terms: Authors Correspondence Family records Finding aids Jewish veterans Letters Manuscript groups World War II World War, 1939-1945 Processing History: The
  1 document  
Collection
Charles Kessler Papers
Title
Charles Kessler Papers
Description
The Charles Kessler Papers contain some personal and professional correspondence, research for articles and books, and manuscripts for published and unpublished works. Kessler authored several pamphlets and books on local history including Lancaster in the Revolution in 1975 and President Buchanan: Trapped in a Whirlwind in 2003.
Admin/Biographical History
Charles H. Kessler, a World War II veteran, began his career as a reporter for the Reading Eagle Times, and later worked for the Lancaster New Era until his retirement in 1984.
Date Range
1939-2004
Year Range From
1939
Year Range To
2004
Date of Accumulation
1939-2004
Creator
Kessler, Charles H., 1921-2005
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 10
People
Kessler, Charles H.
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Subjects
Authors
Family records
Jewish veterans
Letters
World War, 1939-1945
Search Terms
Authors
Correspondence
Family records
Finding aids
Jewish veterans
Letters
Manuscript groups
World War II
WWII
Extent
13 boxes, 127 folders, 6.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0432
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Charles Kessler Papers (MG0432), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the folder or 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. 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.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-432
Classification
MG0432
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
The collection has not been fully cataloged. Added to database 22 February 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Gibbons Diaries, Family Papers, and Mill Records
Title
Gibbons Diaries, Family Papers, and Mill Records
Object ID
MG0846
Date Range
1727 - 1980s
; 5 volumes of business records Repository: LancasterHistory (Organization); PV7 Shelving Location: Archives North, Side 28 Scope and Content Note: The Gibbons Diaries, Family Papers, and Mill Records contain letters, family papers, deeds, diaries, and business records from three generations of the
  1 document  
Collection
Gibbons Diaries, Family Papers, and Mill Records
Title
Gibbons Diaries, Family Papers, and Mill Records
Description
This collection contains letters, family papers, deeds, diaries, and mill records from three generations of the Gibbons family. The collection starts with documents focused on James Gibbons, then contains papers central to Daniel Gibbons, and finally end with the third generation papers surrounding Joseph Gibbons. The letters in this collection span from 1783 until 1865. The contents within the letters describe the daily happenings within the family and on their property which was located in Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. The family deeds in the collection detail the exchanging of property to and from the Gibbons family mostly within Lampeter Township and Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County. The deeds span from 1727 to 1879. Also included are some miscellaneous family papers that span from 1799 to 1871. The content of these family papers ranges from anonymous stories about the Gibbons family, an independent order of Good Templars of Joseph Gibbons, to a land draft of James Gibbons' Land. This collection also contains diaries from various members of the Gibbons family, spanning the three generations. These diaries detail the day to day lives of the Gibbons family and also include historical anniversaries of important events or detail the passing of members within the Gibbons family and the surrounding community. The Mill Records in the collection contain information about [ ]. Overall, the Gibbons Family collection includes the regular happenings over the family's three generations in both business and secular life.
Date Range
1727 - 1980s
Creator
Gibbons family
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Bonsall, Daniel
Bonsall, Edward Horne
Bonsall, Rachel
Brinton, William
Brown, Ellen
Brubaker, Marianna Gibbons
Conrad, Abraham
Dunbar, Andrew
Dunbar, Mary
Eaby, Christian
Eaby, Samuel
Earle, Mary Hussey
Evans, Thomas
Evans, Rebecca
Evans, William
Gibbons, Abraham
Gibbons, Caroline
Gibbons, Daniel
Gibbons, Deborah
Gibbons, Joseph
Gibbons, Phebe Hussey Earle
Gibbons, Rachel
Gibbons, Samuel
Gibbons, William
Grigs, Joseph
Hamilton, James
Hertzkey, John
Kendall, John
Kirk, Jeremiah
Lightfoot, Jepthat
Miller, Eliza
Miller, John
Reynolds, Margaret
Stauffer, Christian
Steer, Joseph
Stevens, Thaddeus
Thomas, William B.
Wartnaby, Elizabeth
Subjects
Business records
Deeds
Letters
Mills and mill-work
Quakers
Society of Friends
Westtown Boarding School
Search Terms
Business records
Correspondence
Deeds
Diaries
Finding aids
Lampeter Twp.
Leacock Twp.
Letters
Manuscript groups
Mill Creek
Mills
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Quakers
Society of Friends
Westtown Boarding School
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0846
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Copies
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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.
Accession Number
2021.008
Other Numbers
MG-846
Other Number
MG-846
Classification
MG0846
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Folders 1-30 processed and finding aid prepared from the donor's notes by MB, 8 July 2021. Added to database 12 July 2021.
Documents
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10 records – page 1 of 1.