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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/876f08a0-4c7c-49f1-988e-679435375930
Collection
American Revolution Bicentennial of Lancaster County Collection
Title
American Revolution Bicentennial of Lancaster County Collection (MG-20)
Object ID
MG0020
More detail
  1 document  
Collection
American Revolution Bicentennial of Lancaster County Collection
Title
American Revolution Bicentennial of Lancaster County Collection (MG-20)
Description
This collection gives information on the activities of the 200th celebration of the American Revolution in the Lancaster area. Folders 32 to 41 cover the celebration in Greater Lancaster. Folders 42 to 51 touch upon the activities of Lititz, Solanco, Lampeter-Strasburg, Elizabethtown, Cocalico, Columbia, New Holland, Pequea Valley, Washington Boro, Penn Manor, Millersville, and Marietta. The collection contains minutes, programs, photos, financial vouchers and newspaper clippings, audio tapes. The six volumes that make up the Bicentennial Celebration, April 1971- February 1977 scrapbooks are a compilation of published materials such as newspaper articles, magazine articles, broadsides, brochures and pamphlets. The materials relay information about the actions of the Lancaster County Bicentennial Committee including meetings, mailings and events. The committee chose the "Hands of Liberty" theme for the committee and upcoming celebration. The theme was present on every mailing sent out by the committee and can be found on most of the materials within the scrapbooks.
System of Arrangement
Organized by subject and area celebrations.
Year Range From
1971
Year Range To
1977
Date of Accumulation
1971-1977
Creator
Lancaster County Bicentennial Committee
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Albright, J. R.
Heil, Paul
Miller, Sally
Rebman, Earl
Other Creators
Lancaster County Historical Society (Pa.)
Subjects
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1976
Business records
Scrapbooks
Letters
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1976
Broadsides
Business records
Correspondence
Newspaper clippings
Scrapbooks
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
5 boxes, 77 folders,19 tape reels, 6 scrapbooks, 6 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0020
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory; PV7
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The audio tapes in Box 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
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-20
Classification
MG0020
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database 8 May 2018.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/040d0169-60b4-4933-9b59-270355050435
Collection
Lancaster County Sunday School Collection
Title
Lancaster County Sunday School Collection
Object ID
MG0026
Date Range
1898-1954
Manuscript groups Programs Sunday school conventions Sunday schools Processing History: Processed and finding aid prepared 1998-1999. This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional museum and archives standards. The finding aid was updated using DACS conventions. �230
More detail
  1 document  
Collection
Lancaster County Sunday School Collection
Title
Lancaster County Sunday School Collection
Description
The Lancaster County Sunday School Collection contains the annual convention publications, under various titles, of the Lancaster County (Pa.) Sunday School Association. The contents of the publications vary, but generally include directories and Sunday school attendance statistics from the churches in each district. Many publications contain commercial advertisements while a few contain pictures or drawings of churches and entertainment sites.
Date Range
1898-1954
Year Range From
1898
Year Range To
1954
Date of Accumulation
1899-1954
Creator
LancasterHistory (Organization)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Whitteker, J. E.
Laury, Preston A.
Subjects
Associations, institutions, etc.
Sunday school conventions
Lancaster County Sunday School Association
Sunday schools
Directories
Programs (Publications)
Search Terms
Sunday school conventions
Sunday schools
Advertisements
Churches
Directories
Programs
Lancaster County Sunday School Association
Associations, institutions, etc.
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
2 boxes, 16 folders, 1.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0026
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory
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-26
Classification
MG0026
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Collection cataloged circa 1998; added to database 8 May 2018.
Documents
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/c11bf2da-2ae2-446b-8e6a-623660517050
Collection
Michael Haverstick Collection
Title
Michael Haverstick Collection
Object ID
MG0030
More detail
  1 document  
Collection
Michael Haverstick Collection
Title
Michael Haverstick Collection
Description
Collection contains information on the Haverstick family, and includes wills, estate papers, genealogies, greeting cards and memorabilia. Large number of photographs and negatives transferred to Photograph Collection on 21 June 2016.
Year Range From
1741
Year Range To
1931
Date of Accumulation
1741-1931
Creator
Haverstick, Michael
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Abern, Mazie
Acheson, Annie L.
Bachman, Myrtle L.
Berge, Clara
Buherean, Marie
Esbenshade, Anna
Esbenshade, Isaac B.
Hanck, Rhonda A.
Haverstick, Amelia B.
Haverstick, Anna M.
Haverstick, Henry B.
Haverstick, Mary B.
Haverstick, Michael
Haverstick, Paul
Haverstick, Ruth
Haverstick, Ruth E.
Hoke, Mrs. P.M.
Hopkins, Bessie
Kell, Anna H.
Kirk, Alice L.
Mathiat, Lillian
Pierce, Elva
Roberts, Elma G.
Umble, Christian
Umble, Christy J.
Umble, Jacob K.
Wolff, Sarah M.
Subjects
Family records
Wills
Photographs
Search Terms
Family records
Photographs
Wills
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
2 boxes, 55 folders, 1.5 cubic feet
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0030
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-30
Classification
MG0030
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Photographic items were transferred to the Photograph Collection June 2016. Added to database 8 May 2018.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/81be846d-e894-4d66-8227-886427782510
Collection
E. Oscar Sneath Collection
Title
E. Oscar Sneath Collection (MG-31)
Object ID
MG0031
Date Range
1925-1982
More detail
  1 document  
Collection
E. Oscar Sneath Collection
Title
E. Oscar Sneath Collection (MG-31)
Description
This collection contains a high school yearbook, high school and college diplomas, high school and college commencement programs, college pennant and Niagara Falls pennant, and a college letter of E. Oscar Sneath. There are also newspapers and a newspaper article. Photographs, including several of the Low Grade Railroad at Frey's Hollow near Highville, Pa. Also includes photograph album, corn husk doll, and Father Christmas ornament.
Date Range
1925-1982
Year Range From
1925
Year Range To
1982
Date of Accumulation
1925-1982
Creator
Sneath, E. Oscar
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 01
People
Benedick, Janet
Benedict, H.
Bleacher, J.
Bleacher, M.
Bleacher, Maurice
Hallman, Alfred
Henry, Ada
Henry, Lloyd
Hoover, Maye
Mann, R.
Miller, Warren
Pickle, Paul
Ressel, Reba
Rice, Willis
Rineer, Earl
Shaifley, Willis
Shopf, Phares
Shopf, Willis
Sneath, E. Oscar
Sneath, Gertrude
Storch, Dorothy
Urban, Nand
Urban, Ralph M.
Urban, Susan Lines
Vengrin, Mrs. George
Subjects
Family records
Personal belongings
Photographs
Search Terms
Family records
Finding aids
Lebanon Valley College
Manuscript groups
Millersville High School
Pennsylvania State University
Personal belongings
Photographs
Extent
2 boxes, 11 folders, 4 items, 1 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0031
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-31
Classification
MG0031
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged by AS, 1998. Added to database 8 May 2018.
Documents
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/763353b8-8d27-45c9-807b-549348155546
Collection
Dodge Family Papers
Title
Dodge Family Papers
Object ID
MG0836
Date Range
1879-2003
More detail
Collection
Dodge Family Papers
Title
Dodge Family Papers
Description
The Dodge Family Papers collection consists of materials related to the Dodge family and their various business and personal concerns. The contents of the collection include a variety of materials, including personal papers, historical memorabilia, objects, ledgers, albums, patents, and Safety Buggy Company records.
Box 1
Legal papers, Richard K. Dodge (1914-1996) & Nancy Howle Dodge (1918-2003)
Box 2
Papers of Byron G. Dodge
Box 3
Box 4
Papers of Byron G. Dodge & Arthur B. Dodge, Sr.
Box 5
Papers of the Dodge Cork Company
Box 6
Box 7
Objects Produced by and for the Dodge Cork Company
Box 8
Plaque and Account Books, G.W. Dodge & Sons, Byron G. Dodge
Box 9
Account Books and Ledgers: The Safety Buggy Company and Dodge Cork Company
Date Range
1879-2003
Creation Date
1879-2003
Year Range From
1879
Year Range To
2003
Creator
Dodge, Clifford H.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Dodge, Arthur Byron, Sr.
Dodge, Byron Griswold
Dodge, George Washington
Dodge, Nancy Howle
Dodge, Richard Keller
Subjects
Business records
Search Terms
Business records
Cork
Dodge Cork Company
G. W. Dodge and Sons
Manuscript groups
Safety Buggy Company
Extent
9 boxes
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0836
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
2021.019
Other Numbers
MG0836
Description Level
Fonds
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/5dbdcf43-d314-480e-8b28-984790502749
Collection
William McCaskey Civil War Papers
Title
William McCaskey Civil War Letters
Object ID
MG0355
Date Range
1862-1865
More detail
  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.
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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
More detail
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.
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https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/f7c1ae40-3f91-4924-b258-419716617217
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C Between the Mexican War and Civil War, 1848-1860
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesC
Date Range
1848-1860
More detail
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C Between the Mexican War and Civil War, 1848-1860
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers, Series C contains thirteen documents, which cover the period between the end of the Mexican War and the outbreak of the Civil War. The series consists of letters written by Thomas Welsh to his wife Annie, invitations to a number of social events in Columbia, and observations related to various political issues of the era. A successful businessman and community leader, a business card in the series also identifies Welsh as a Justice of the Peace and as agent for the Commonwealth Fire Insurance Company and the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.
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
1848-1860
Creation Date
1848-1860
Year Range From
1848
Year Range To
1860
Creator
Wiggin, Richard C.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
Storage Container
Box 0001
People
Welsh, Thomas
Extent
13 items
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Fair to excellent
Parent Object ID
MG0828
Object ID
MG0828_SeriesC
Notes
Added to PP 12/21/2020 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.
Less detail

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
More detail
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.
Less detail

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
More detail
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.
Less detail

10 records – page 1 of 1.