F. Ray Risdon Collection of Lincolniana and American Political Life COL-039

Finding aid prepared by Jonathan Sudholt

Occidental College Library

1600 Campus Road

Los Angeles, CA, 90041-3314

(323) 259-2852

November, 2010

Title: F. Ray Risdon Collection of Lincolniana and American Political Life

Identifier/Call Number: COL-039

Contributing Institution: Occidental College Library

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 85.0 Linear feet 175 document boxes 3248 monographs

Date: 1799-1972

Abstract: F. Ray Risdon collected Lincolniana for almost fifty years. His collection passed to Occidental College Library in 1957, by which time he had amassed 3000 monographs, 1500 pamphlets, and 85 linear feet of non-book items. Of special interest to Mr. Risdon were the myriad ways in which people choose to commemorate President Lincoln, and this collection includes not only a wide variety of commemorative material, but also correspondence regarding the creation of a Lincolniana collection between Mr. Risdon, the Lincoln Society of Los Angeles of which he was a member, and the booksellers who helped Mr. Risdon locate the items.

creator: Risdon, F. Ray, 21 Jan 1888-7 Oct 1958

Related Materials

William Jennings Bryan Collection, F.D.R. Collection, John Lloyd-Butler Railroadiana Collection, Elizabeth Chevalier Collection, Collection of U.S. Army rolls

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish or quote from holdings must be submitted in writing to the Special Collections Department. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical and Administrative History

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th president of the United States. Before his election to the presidency in 1860, he had been a lawyer, a member of the Illinois state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives, and had failed in two attempts at gaining a seat in the U.S. Senate. His career tracked the major political movements of the mid-nineteenth century, as his support of the Whigs shifted to the anti-slavery Republican Party after the former party split along sectional lines in the wake of the compromises on slavery in legislation of the early 1850s. Shortly after his triumph in the 1860 election, and even before his inauguration, the Southern states began the process of secession in reaction to the first election since 1848 (of Zachary Taylor) of a president who would not favor the pro-slavery faction in Congress. Lincoln’s conduct during the Civil War has placed him among the most renowned of presidents. John Wilkes Booth assasinated him on the night of April 14, 1865, and he died the next day.

F. Ray Risdon (1888-1958) was a Los Angeles lawyer, Republican party booster, and member of the Lincoln Fellowship of Southern California. Between 1910 and the mid-1950s he amassed what Lincoln bibliographer Jay Monaghan called, “the largest private collection of Lincolniana on the Pacific Coast.” Occidental Library Special Collections purchased these materials in 1957. Risdon’s primary source for Lincolniana and other rare books and manuscripts was Dawson’s Book Shop, which opened in 1905 and is the oldest continuously operating bookshop in Los Angeles. He collected broadly, buying, in addition to books and pamphlets, art, letters, legal documents, and many items not directly relating to Lincoln, but which provide contextual information about American politics of the nineteenth century. Risdon kept records of his purchases, and these receipts, along with his correspondence with other Lincoln collectors, are also housed in the collection. After his death, the collection received funding of approximately $500 per year until the late 1960s. This money was primarily directed to the purchase of new books, so that the date range of items in this collection runs from the late-eighteenth century to Richard Nixon’s first administration.

Preferred Citation

Suggested citation of records contained in this collection is: [Identification of item], F. Ray Risdon Collection of Lincolniana and American Political Life, Special Collection Department, Mary Norton Clapp Library, Occidental College.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Carman, Ezra Ayers, 1834-1909 -- Correspondence

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- History

Morse, Ephraim W., 1823-1906 -- Correspondence

Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878 -- Correspondence

Elections--United States

Presidents--United States--Election

Presidents--United States--Miscellanea

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Correspondence

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Equipment & supplies

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Pictorial works

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Regimental histories--Massachusetts Infantry--34th

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Songs and music

United States--History--Civil War--1861-1865--Collectibles

United States--Politics and government

Series 1: Published Works

Scope and Contents

Special Collections holds over 3000 monographs and 1000 pamphlets related to Lincoln, the American Civil War, and American politics. Items of note include first editions of Alexander Herndon's biography of Lincoln, U.S. Diplomatic Correspondence of 1865, Wells' Campaign Handbook of 1860 (with biographies of the candidates for President and Vice President), and the General Orders of the Department of the Gulf (Benjamin Butler, Commanding). While the bulk of these items focus on Lincoln, his Presidency, and the Civil War, these are not the only topics or eras represented here. Information about the full range of American political life from George Washington to the Civil Rights Movement is available for research. Items include well-known volumes from major publishing houses , as well as obscure documents from small and fine presses, and state and county governments. Likewise, a wide variety of ideological standpoints receive treatments, giving the researcher access to myriad interpretations of Lincoln and the American political life. Catalog records can be found by searching http://oasys.lib.oxy.edu/search.

Risdon collection call numbers are unusual, because they follow Risdon's own system. To find monographs and pamphlets in the collection follow these directions:

Go to the Call Number search page. Select "Dewey or Other Call Number" from the drop-down menu. Enter "2/x" where x=a number between 2-9, 14, or 16-19. The numbers refer to different genres. The list of call numbers and the genres to which they refer is as follows: 2/2 - Bibliography, 2/3 - Works by Lincoln, 2/4 - Works about Lincoln and the American Civil War, 2/5 - Books Lincoln Read, 2/6 - Lincoln's Family, 2/7 - Slavery, 2/8 - Oversize, 2/9 - Lincoln Societies, 2/14 - Lincoln Interest, 2/16 - Lincoln Pamphlets, 2/17 - Pamphlets to 1877, 2/18 - Pamphlets 1877-1972, 2/19 - Oversize

Series 2: Correspondence 1798-1957

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 7.0 boxes

Scope and Contents

Includes over 300 letters from major political and military figures of the 19th and 20th centuries. Risdon collected for autographs, which resulted in a collection of greater breadth than depth. There are, however, themes and conversations that are sustained through the series. Correspondence between Civil War generals is one such area, and letters to the 19th-century San Diego attorney Ephraim W. Morse comprise another. Other letters discuss concerns about veterans' pensions and homesteads, and the deaths of presidents and other public figures (e.g. letters from Lucretia Garfield, wife of James A. Garfield, to fellow mourners).

Box 79 1848-1865

Lincoln, Abraham to Horace Warren (believed to be a forgery) Oct 17, 1860

Adams, Charles Francis to Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton Jan 13, 1887

Mr. Adams to Mr. Burd Apr 7

Arnold, Isaac W. to Samuel B. Ruggles Nov 18, 1861

Augur, Christopher C. to Mr. Clarkson Apr 22, 1869

Badeau, Adam to "My Dear Uzman" Mar 15, 1867

Badeau, Adam to Mr. Clarke Jun 5, 1886

Bancroft, Hubert Howe to Mr. Morse Oct 12, 1869

Banks, Nathaniel P. to [unknown] Sep 8, 1861

Banks, Nathaniel P. to Mr. Pussey May 23

Barnard, John G. to "My Dear Sir" Apr 2, 1870

Barnard, John G. to "My Dear Sir" Apr 8, 1871

Barnard, John G. to "Dear General" Jun 11, 1874

Barnard, John G. to "Dear Sir" Jul 17, 1874

Barnard, John G. to [illegible] Nov 24, 1876

Bates, Edward to Daniel J. Ross May 31, 1852

Beveridge, Albert J. to Don C. Seitz Nov 2, 1925

Bingham, Henry H. to Henry Bacon Jan 7, 1887

Bingham, Judson D., endorsements for promotion (official copy) Oct 1889

Birney, David B. to Mrs. Susan A. Dougherty Aug 11, 1864

Briggs, George N. to Mr. J. Richards Jan 28, 1861

Browning, O.H. to William J. Cullen: Indian Agent Appointment Apr 9, 1868

Bulloch, Alex H. to Mr. H.L. Parish Oct 31, 1865

Bulloch, Alex H. to Mr. Stedman Nov 3, 1865

Bussey, Cyrus to A.E. Bostwick Dec 31, 1887

Busteed, Richard to Susan C. Doughty Mar 28, 1864

Butler, Benjamin to James Redpath May 16, 1873

Butler, Benjamin to Nehemiah G. Ordway May 22, 1873

Butler, Benjamin to Simon Stevens July 28, 1874

Butler, Benjamin F. to Judge G.W. Nesmith Apr 23, 1890

Butler, Nicholas Murray: 1939 Christmas greetings 1939

Butler, Nicholas Murray to Mrs. John Percival Jefferson Apr 9, 1940

Cameron, Simon to William Cullen Bryant Nov 23, 1861

Chandler, Z. to Frank D. Newberry Jun 28, 1878

Childs, George W. to Henry Wilson Oct 22, 1863

Chiniquy, Charles to Reverend Patterson Sep 9, 1864

Clifford, John H. to Mister Richards Jan 15, 1861

Cobb, M.N. to Gordon William Childs Dec 30, 1862

David, C.A. to A.E. Keck Sep 19, 1895

Denison, C.W. to Samuel B. Ruggles Jul 14, 1867

Dickinson, Anna E. to Ira L. Hurd Mar 26, 1865

Dickinson, Anna E. to Luther Briggs Jun 26, 1865

Dix, John Adams to Major Brantz Mayor (Pay Dept.) Aug 28, 1863

Durant & Horner (Attorneys at Law, New Orleans) to Nathaniel P. Banks May 4, 1863

Everett, Edward to Miss Peabody Dec 24, 1845

Everett, Edward to Rev. Dr. W.B. Sprague Mar 6, 1857

Everett, Edward to Rev. Dr. W.B. Sprague Feb 25, 1859

Everett, Edward to Otis Parker Francis Mar 4, 1861

Farragut, David G. to Brigadier General Alexander Asboth Jul 16, 1864

Gardner, Henry Joseph to Mr. J. Richards Dec 26, 1860

Grant, Frederick Dent to Charles R. Deacon Sep 12, 1887

Grant, Frederick Dent to "My Dear Mrs. Townsend" Jun 30, 1895

Grant, Frederick Dent to Mr. Van Cleave Feb 17, 1909

Gurley, Phineas D. to Abraham Lincoln Aug 21, 1862

Hamlin, Hannibal to [unknown] Jan 1861

Harlan, John Marshall to James R.B. Van Cleave Feb 18, 1909

Harlan, John Marshall to James R.B. Van Cleave Mar 4, 1909

Harlan, John Marshall to James R.B. Van Cleave May 25, 1909

Healey, [illegible] to Z. Allen, Esq. Aug 2, 1848

Hendrie, James A. to F.J. Lippitt Jan 2, 1868

Howe, Julia Ward to Editor Mar 19, 1894

Hughes, Charles Evans to F. Ray Risdon Apr 27, 1922

Hughes, Charles Evans to F. Ray Risdon Mar 6, 1924

King, Preston (Republican Executive Congressional Committee) to Theo. Clancy Apr 11, 1860

King, Preston to Theodore Clancy May 11, 1860

LaFollette, Robert M., Sr. to Allen H. Wright Nov 19, 1904

Lewis, Charles Wheeler to Edwin Greble Jan 18, 1864

Lincoln, Levi Jr. to Otis Parker Francis, Esq. Mar 18, 1861

Mann, Horace to J.S. Durfee Dec 18, 1856

McCollum, Owen to Cyrus Bussey: pension Feb 14, 1893

Merritt, Mosley to Miss Mason May 9

Miller, Wendell to "Dear Stafford" Mar 11, 1876

Morton, Marcus to Edward E. Richards, Esq. Mar 18, 1861

Mulliky, Comdell to Sanborn n.d.

Newton, Isaac (Department of Agriculture) to Solomon Foot Jan 30, 1865

Pinchot, Gifford to John Carman Aug 22, 1910

Seward, Frederick W. to Samuel B. Ruggles Aug 31, 1864

Seward, Frederick W. to Samuel B. Ruggles Aug 25, 1876

Seward, William H. to Loring Willard Jun 3, 1845

Seward, William H. to Henry Willard Mar 17, 1859

Sewell, William to William Buell Franklin Jan 12, 1887

Sherman, William T. to Mrs. E.F. Hall May 1, 1886

Sigel, F. to William Gilchrist May 29, 1892

Smith, Gerrit to "Dear Friend" Jan 21, 1865

Smith, Gerrit to Robert Allen Feb 1, 1865

Sogun, John A. to Ulysses S. Grant Aug 31, 1872

Totten, Joseph Gilbert to Lieutenant J.J. Stevens Mar 31, 1848

Van Vliet, Stewart to Mrs. Huntrilman May 13, 1894

Van Vliet, Stewart to Adam Badeau "Friday"

Wade, Benjamin to General Benjamin Grierson Jan 27, 1867

Warner, J.J. to A.S. Ensworth Oct 21, 1863

White, Andrew Dickson to Moncure D. Conway Apr 20, 1892

White, Andrew Dickson to Allen Thorndyke Rice n.d.

Wilson, James Grant to John Chester Buttre Feb 27, 1889

Wilson, James Grant to Richard Watson Gilder Nov 10, 1902

Wilson, James Grant to Funk & Wagnalls Co. Oct 31, 1903

Wilson, J.H. to John William Weidemeyer Oct 11, 1888

[unknown] to General James Grant Wilson Aug 9, 1900

Wood, Thomas J. to [unknown] Jan 22, 1896

Wright, Silas to James K. Polk Jul 3, 1846

Wyman, Sarah M. to Horace Greeley Dec 6, 1870

Box 80 1824-1929

Allen, George B. to "My dear son Edward" Dec 8, 1878

Beecher, Henry Ward to Mechanics Bank Dec 22, 1886

Blaine, H.S. to Allen H. Wright Nov 9, 1891

Mrs. Blaine to Board of Trade of Minneapolis Apr 13, 1893

Blair, Henry W. to General Stephen Thomas Apr 14, 1887

Booth, Edwin to Marion Andrews May 14, 1872

Brown, C.C. to C.W. Thomas (attorney of Bellville, IL) Dec 3, 1900

Buchanan, James to Lucy W. Say: Land warrant Jan 10, 1860

Burroughs, John to J.J. Shirley, M.D. Sep 10, 1890

Carlisle, John Griffin to M.D. Phillips Jul 30, 1884

Carpenter, Frank B. to "Dear Carroll" Apr 1, 1884

Cheever, George Barrell to J.M. Ashley Mar 27, 1866

Chittenden, Simeon B. to Commodore James W. Nicholson, Brooklyn Navy Yard Jul 14, 1877

Clapps, Egbert I. to William Collins Whitney Mar 17, 1885

Clay, Henry to James Riker, Jr. (typed copy) Sep 1, 1848

Cross, Osborne to Major George P. Andrews Jan 27, 1853

Curtis, George William to "Dear Madame" Mar 31, 1890

Dana, Charles Anderson to Stilson Hutchins, Esq. Mar 6, 1879

Daniel, George E. to Herbert Hoover (copy) Feb 4, 1929

Davis, David (Justice) to C.P. Jacob, Esq. undated

Devens, Charles: "First Century" undated

Dixon, James to "My Dear Sir" Mar 16, 1864

Endicott, William Crowninshield to Mayor M.D. Hamilton of San Diego Oct 14, 1887

Fairchild, Charles Stebbins to "Dear Sir" Dec 9, 1908

Francis, David Rowland to Rev. Lawrence F. Bower Apr 5, 1900

Garland, Augustus H. to Martin I. Townsend Apr 10, 1885

Garland, Augustus H. to Martin I. Townsend Jun 29, 1886

Gresham, Walter Q. to E.T. Perrine Dec 21, 1884

Hallock, Charles to City Editor-San Diego Tribune Mar 6, 1905

Hamlin, Charles and Hannibal Emery to Allen H. Wright Mar 1, 1909

Hanna, Marcus Alonzo to L.A. Sheldon Jan 4, 1896

Hayes, Rutherford B. to Mrs. M.L. Wood Mar 13, 1882

Henderson, Thomas J. to Allen H. Wright Jul 30, 1910

Hendricks, Thomas A. to Russell Sage Mar 19, 1857

Hobart, George to Earle H. Eaton, Esq. Jun 30

Holland, G.G. to John L. King Oct 22, 1866

Hoover, Herbert to F. Ray Risdon Nov 16, 1922

Hoover, Herbert to George E. Daniel Feb 14, 1929

Hughes, Charles Evans to Robert Underwood Johnson Feb 17, 1910

Johnson, Reverdy to "Gentlemen" Jan 19, 1861

Keene, Laura to Marion Andrews Jan 15, 1869

Keene, Laura to Marion Andrews Feb 27, 1869

Keene, Laura to Marion Andrews Aug 16

Keene, Laura to Marion Andrews undated

Keeps, Simon to Anna Young: on seeing Lincoln in a hospital Apr 9, 1865

Kendall, Henry (D.D.) to "Dear Brother Wright": Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church Feb 23, 1888

King, J.L. to Mr. Bingham Feb 26, 1864

Lamon, Ward Hill to Henry H. House, Esq. Mar 30, 1886

Lamont, Daniel S. to Calvin E. Keach: regarding pardon of Seth Morrison July 23, 1884

Lamont, Daniel S. (Mrs.) to Allen H. Wright Nov 4

Lyon, Nathaniel to Francis Hinton May 30, 1851

Lyon, Nathaniel to Frank Ames Jun 5, 1860

Lyon, Nathaniel to Commanding Officer, San Diego Jan 15, 1861

MacVeagh, Wayne to Charles Elmer Rice Jun 9, 1891

Manning, Daniel (Mrs.) to Allen Henry Wright Jun 6, 1906

Oliver, Robert to "My Dear Caroline" (daughter-in-law) Aug 1, 1857

Orendorff, Alfred to Allen H. Wright Apr 1, 1909

Otto, W.T. to H.B. Anthony Feb 23, 1863

Phillips, Wendell to [illegible]: regarding Lieutenant Earle and Charles Sumner Sep 18, 1852

Pierpont, John to President of the United States (Abraham Lincoln) Jan 15, 1863

Risdon, F. Ray to Charles Evans Hughes (copy) Apr 19, 1922

Ruffin, Edmund to "Dear Harrison" Jul 16, 1824

Schofield, John McAllister to Benjamin Grierson Nov 1, 1886

Sherman, James S. to Mr. Allen H. Wright Nov 10, 1894

Sherman, James S. to Allen H. Wright Jan 29, 1904

Sherman, John to Benjamin Grierson Apr 18, 1882

Sherman, William Tecumseh to W.H. Yale Feb 22, 1889

Stanton, Edwin M. to J.M. Ashley Mar 31, 1868

Stevens, Thaddeus to "Dear Sir" Apr 25, 1868

Stimson, A.E. to W.L. Scott Mar 1, 1889

Taft, William Howard to G.A. Davidson Aug 6, 1921

Townsend, George Alfred to William John McGee Jul 5, 1885

Tyndale, Sharon, bond of $3000 to Charles R. Hurst Jul 7, 1865

Warner, Charles K. to "Dear Sir" May 20, 1908

Whitney, William Collins to Messrs. Townsend and Weed Aug 25, 1879

Wright, Allen H. to Mrs. Daniel S. Lamont Jul 30, 1913

[illegible], Judd (of Plainfield, NJ) to "Dear Mr. King" Feb 15, 1916

[illegible], William to Allen H. Wright Feb 18, 1907

Signature cards and images

Andrew, John Albion, signature n.d.

Banks, Nathaniel P., signature n.d.

Bayard, Thomas F. Sr., signature card undated

Bissell, Wilson Shannon, signature card undated

Carlisle, John G., signature card undated

Cleveland, Grover, image 1907

Colman, Norman Jay, signature card undated

Dickinson, Don M., death notice Oct 15, 1917

Fairchild, Charles S., signature card undated

Garfield, Eliza, signature cards

Gresham, Walter Q., signature card undated

Harmon, Judson, image undated

Lamar, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, signature card Apr 14, 1892

Lamont, Daniel S., image undated

Manning, Mrs. Daniel, President of the Board of Lady Managers, image undated

Manning, Daniel, signature card undated

Morton, J. Sterling, image 1901

Olney, Richard, signature card undated

President Cleveland's First Cabinet, image undated

Smith, M. Hoke, signature card undated

Stevenson, Adlai E. and Herbert S. Hadley, image undated

Taft, William Howard, signature cards n.d.

"Typical Americans": Mrs. Grover Cleveland, and Winthrop Murray Crane, image 1908

Vilas, William Freeman, signature card Oct 7, 1891

Signature cards for Presidents Grant, McKinley, and Fillmore n.d.

Box 81 1798-1937

Civil War Soldiers

[unknown, Henry to "My dear Mother" Oct 21, 1864

[illegible], James to My Dear Nephew: New York Draft Riots July 14, 1863

Aunt Nellie to D.A. Pollard (3rd Co, 7th Regt) June

Moses (at "Camp near Staford Corthouse") to "Dear Brother" May 31, 1863

Paar, Benjamin L. (at Fort Barnard) to "Friend James" May 14, 1862

Treadwell, Marcus M. (12th Regt. Mass Vols) to "Friend James" May 10, 1862

Tunney, John to "My Darling Mother" about the death of Lincoln Apr 15, 1865

Watts, James W. (at Port Albany) to "Friend James" Mar 3, 1862

Watts, James W. (14th Regt. Mass. Vols.) to "Friend Webber" May 31, 1863

Wilson, Andrew, Bugler in the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry 1863-1864

Ten letters to his family, one letter from a friend to Wilson in the hospital (though after Wilson's death), and the death notice to his family from a surgeon at Lincoln General Hospital.

Letters to Ezra A. Carman 1858-1885

Blaine, James G. to Ezra A. Carman Apr 8, 1885

Corbin, H.C. to Ezra A. Carman July 13, 1881

Everts, to Ezra A. Carman Sep 8, 1879

Garfield, James A. to Ezra A. Carman Jan 9, 1880

Garfield, James A. to Ezra A. Carman Mar 16, 1880

Henry, Joseph to Ezra A. Carman Dec 21, 1858

Johnson, Bushrod Rust to Ezra A. Carman regarding Carman's Masters diploma Jun 27, 1859

Slocum, Henry W. to Ezra Carman Dec 24, 1865

Stockton, Robert F. to Ezra A. Carman Mar 1, 1865

Other letters

S.E. Allen: Marksman's certificate for Sergeant W.N. Hutchinson Target year 1886

Arthur, Chester A.: commission of Edward G. Bush to Major in the US Army Apr 11, 1882

Arthur, Chester A.: Timber Culture Certificate for Alza M. Stewart Mar 10, 1883

Ayer, Lewis M. Jr. to Robert Barnwell Rhett, Sr. regarding the Charleston Mercury Feb 6, 1858

[illegible] to Robert Barnwell Rhett Jan 21, 1860

Bangs, E.L. to Calvin Coolidge (copy) Sep 19, 1923

Beecham, Eliot to Allen H. Wright Oct 24, 1919

Blaine, James G. to George B. Lossing Oct 13, 1881

Brewster, Benjamin H. to The President [Chester A. Arthur] Dec 12, 1884

Brewster, Benjamin Harris to Benjamin Perley Poore Dec 18, 1884

Buchanan, James: Land Grant to Jonathan Owen, Private in the Georgia Militia, for service in the Creek War Dec 1, 1857

Buchanan, James: land grant to Elizabeth Hodges, widow of Daniel Hodges, Private in the Tennessee Militia May 1, 1860

Chandler, William E. to J.D. Lyman Sep 26, 1884

"W.E. Chandler Dead" undated

Chapman, James Jr. to Robert Barnwell Rhett, Sr. Sep 18, 1859

Clay, Henry: consular certificate for Thomas M. Rodney to Havana May 17, 1825

Coolidge, Calvin to E.L. Bangs Sep 22, 1923

Coolidge, Calvin to G.A. Davidson Sep 25, 1923

Crowninshield, Benjamin William to Francis Silsten, Esq. Jun 9, 1837

Davis, Henry Winters to "Sir" Oct 7, 1859

Fillmore, Millard: regarding the Steamer California Feb 25, 1853

Floyd, R.J. (Captain), report of San Francisco Baker's Strike undated

Folger, Charles J. to [unknown] undated

Frelinghuysen, Frederick T. to Henry Moore Teller: regarding a pension application Apr 27, 1883

"General Garfield's Favorite Hymn" Sep 26, 1881

Garfield, Lucretia to Mrs. Sheldon Jan 13, 1882

Garfield, Lucretia to Joseph F. Tuttle Jan 16, 1882

Garfield, Lucretia to Joseph F. Tuttle Jan 20, 1882

Garfield, Lucretia to Mrs. Sheldon undated

Garrison, William Lloyd to unknown, poem of women's suffrage Mar 31, 1878

Graham, George to The President of the United States (James Monroe): proposed Military Academy entrants Feb 21, 1817

Grant, Gilbert A. to My Dear Sir, from the Republican Central Committee of the State of California Aug 17, 1860

Harding, Warren G. to G.M. Saltzgaber regarding Civil War soldier pension Aug 8, 1916

Harding, Warren G. to Mayor L.J. Welde, regarding naval improvement of San Diego Bay Apr 3, 1918

Harding, Warren G. to E.C. Tieman Jan 10, 1920

Hay, John Milton: three pages from diaries (copies) Dec 29, 1862

Hilles, Charles D. to Mr. Allen H. Wright Dec 4, 1911

Hoover, Herbert to Mayor Harry C. Clark Jul 1, 1929

Howe, Timothy O. to E.B. [illegible] Mar 9, 1869

Hunt, William Henry to Benjamin H. Brewster Apr 7, 1882

James, Thomas L. to Joseph Harriman, Esq. Mar 23, 1881

Johnson, Andrew: seal authorization Jun 27, 1868

Johnson, Herschel V. (Governor) to Thomas H. Ellis about R.L. Hunter, surveyor Mar 27, 1857

Leyna, Ignacio M. to Juan Basilio De Leyva Febrero 23 de 1834

Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian

Madison, James: permission for the Schooner Louisiana to leave port Dec, 1809

Markham Edwin, inscribed poem to Frederick Ray Risdon August, 1922

McLean, John to William Skinner Sep 26, 1828

Risdon, F. Ray to Mrs. Woodrow Wilson requesting President Wilson's signature Oct 20, 1917

Risdon, F. Ray to Calvin Coolidge (copy) Apr 19, 1922

Risdon, F. Ray to Calvin Coolidge (copy) May 13, 1922

Risdon, F. Ray to Calvin Coolidge (copy) Jun 20, 1922

Risdon, F. Ray to Sergeant-at-Arms Sep 3, 1923

Rosenburg Family Record 1847-1881

Rush, Richard: travel permit for William Preston Apr 3, 1817

Sayre, Jessie Wilson to Dr. Hunter (copy) Feb 1, 1926

Scudder, Henry J. to "My Darling" March, 1864

Senator [illegible] to E. Barrows, Esq. Feb 7, 1878

Southard, Samuel L. to G.N. Drury Jan 15, 1839

Taft, Helen H. to "Mr. Davidson" Sep 26, 1937

Teller, Henry Moore to Mr. Henry B. Dawson Dec 15, 1883

Thompson, Smith: bond of $630 to Thomas Pearsall Mar 24, 1798

Tompkins, Daniel: appointing Samuel Cheever and Josiah Granger justices of the peace Mar 23, 1816

Tumulty, Joseph P. to Vernon P. McCombs Aug 21, 1918

Wilson, Edith Bolling to Mrs. G. Aubrey Davidson Oct 21, 1935

Wilson, Jessie to Charles Ferguson Aug 2, 1913

Wilson, Margaret W. to Padre [Charles Ferguson] Nov 9, 1913

Wilson, Woodrow to Allen H. Wright Jan 4, 1911

Wilson, Woodrow to Mr. C.A. Davidson Dec 30, 1920

Lyric: the Dying Californian undated

postmarked envelope with T. Roosevelt stamp Oct 27, 1924

Box 82: Civil War Generals 1852-1899

Adams, Charles Francis to General Walker

Allen, Robert to Lieutenant Colonel Judson D. Bingham July 21, 1863

Allen, Robert to Lieutenant Colonel Judson D. Bingham July 29, 1863

Allen, Robert to Lieutenant Colonel Judson D. Bingham Aug 15, 1863

Allen, Robert to Lieutenant Colonel Judson D. Bingham Oct 21, 1863

Allen, Robert to Lieutenant Colonel Judson D. Bingham Feb 2, 1864

Amory, Thomas J.C. (Thomas Jonathan Coffin) to Major William R. Gibson Jan 12, 1864

Andrew, J.A. (John Albion) to "My Dear Doctor" May 24, 1864

Babcock, O.E. (Orville Elias) to "Conner" Sep 6, 1872

Badeau, Adam to Mr. Pikes Dec 2 1879

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss to Mr. Wrightman Jan 22, 1861

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss to Edward De Forest Jan 31, 1867

Captain Beckwith to Seth Williams Dec 23, 1864

Bingham, Henry Harrison to Katherine Bartot Dec 10, 1890

Bingham, Judson David to Captain A. Woolfolk May 30, 1863

Brice, Benjamin William to "Maj? Dennison" (William Neil Dennison) Jan 11, 1866

Brice, Benjamin William to Major S.C. Warbeck April 27, 1865

Buckland, Ralph Pomeroy Feb 4, 1880

Bussey, Cyrus to William Worth Belknap Jan 15, 1873

Butler, Benjamin Franklin to William Buel Franklin Aug 10, 1880

Butler, Benjamin Franklin to William Buel Franklin Jan 5, 1881

Cormack, James, Jr. to Seth Williams Apr 13, 1864

Ford, Thomas, to George Gordon Meade Mar 8, 1864

Hufty, Samuel to Paymaster General Aug 18, 1865

Ingalls, Rufus to Captain Peter Perkins Pitkin Sep 29, 1862

Ingalls, Rufus to William Worth Belknap n.d.

Meigs, Montgomery C. to Robert Allen (true copy) July 28, 1863

Miles, Nelson Appleton to Mr Loury July 5, 1896

Sewell, William Joyce to Major George Montague Wheeler Feb 7, 1899

Stringfellow, Robert to General Patrick, Marsena Rudolph Dec 8, 1863

Thomas, C.W. to Capt. Judson David Bingham June 12, 1863

Thomas, C.W. to Maj. S.C. Harbert Nov 21, 1863

Totten, Joseph to James B. McPherson July 5, 1861

Totten, Joseph to Secretary of State, Ohio May 12, 1852

Totten, Joseph to Secretary of State, Ohio Dec 4, 1852

Townsend, Edward Davis to Benjamin Parley Poore Dec 9, 1875

Townsend, Edward Davis to Marcus Joseph Wrigh Feb 14, 1863

Treat, R.B. to E. Henry Aug 25, 1864

Whipple, William D. to Mrs. E.F. Blackman May 4, 1890

Williams, Seth to Isreal B. Richardson Sep 13, 1861

Williams, Seth to Provost Master General Feb 25, 1863

Williams, Seth Dec 17, 1864

Williams, Seth Oct 22, 1864

Williams, Seth to Major Munroe April 10, 1845

Williams, Seth to George Gordon Meade, 1815-1872 July 29, 1863

Wilson, James Grant to John Page Nicholson July 25, 1900

Wilson, James Grant to General Lloyd Bryce 21 Aug, 1891

Wright, Horatio Gouverneur to Captain J. Dixon March 19, 1887

Wright, Horatio Gouverneur to Captain J. Dixon Mar 17, 1893

Box 83 1857-1894

Fremont, John Charles 1857-1894

Abstract: Includes letters (as noted), signature cards, newspaper clippings, and part of Fremont in the Conquest of California, and The Discovery of Gold in California.

Bryant, William Cullen to Col. John C. Fremont Oct 9, 1856

Fremont, Jessie Benton to Captain de Arnaud October 25 [no year]

J.C. Fremont to Mr. Blair Tuesday Morning

J.C. Fremont: a Bond of $6000 to Charles Gould Jan 1, 1857

Fremont, John C. to [unknown] Aug 16, 1861

Rosecrans, William S. (William Starke) 1867-1883, 1918

W.S. Rosecrans, reproduction from the original painting by Chappel

Rosecrans to E.D. Morse, of San Diego Jul 19, 1867

Rosecrans to E.W. Morse, of San Diego Aug 6, 1867

Rosecrans to E.B. Morse, of San Diego Dec 15, 1867

Rosecrans to E.B. Morse, of San Diego Jan 4, 1868

Rosecrans to E.B. Morse, of San Diego Jan 12, 1868

Rosecrans to E.B. Morse, of San Diego Apr 5, 1868

Rosecrans to E.W. Morse, of San Diego Jun 22, 1868

Rosecrans to The President and Directors of the San Diego and Gila City South Pacific and Atl Railroad Co. Sep 24, 1869

Rosecrans to E.W. Morse, of San Diego Jun 27, 1871

Rosecrans to E.W. Morse, of San Diego Jan 24, 1883

Rosecrans to A.E. Rosecrans, power of attorney

Senate Bill 4171, to appropriate the sum of $10,000 to erect a monument to mark the grave of Major General William S. Rosecrans

Welles, Gideon 1861-1867

Curtin, Andrew Gregg to Welles March 18, 1861

Corwin, Thomas to Welles 29 March, 1865

Rice, Alex H. to Welles June 3, 1865

[illegible] to Welles Nov 20, 1865

Fulton, R.E. to Welles Dec 21, 1864

Newell, W.A. to Welles Jan 5, 1867

English, James E. to Welles Oct 31, 1867

Morgan, E.D. to Welles May 5, 1863

Sprague, William to Welles Feb 12, 1862

Smith, James Youngs to Welles Dec 21, 1863

Cannon, William to Welles Oct 11, 1864

Pennington, William to Welles May 18, 1861

Goodwin, Ichabod to Welles Aug 31, 1868

Morgan, George D. to Gideon Welles Jan 31, 1861

Welles to Rear Admiral A.H. Foote: regarding four steamers at Port Royal Jun 13, 1863

Welles to John A. Andrews (Governor): regarding a request for Naval vessels to protect undefended ports in Massachusetts Feb 3, 1863

Buckingham, William A. to Gideon Welles: secession Feb 4, 1861

Other letters 1861-1924

Brown, N.W. to E.W. Morse Nov 15, 1889

Brown, N.W. to E.W. Morse Sep 21, 1892

Brown, N.W. to E.W. Morse Oct 13, 1892

Brown, N.W. to Arthur Luring Oct 13, 1892

Brown, N.W. to Stewart H. Morse Oct 27, 1892

Darnall, Tom to Mr. Morse Apr 30, 1861

Darnall, Tom to Mr. Morse Jun 15, 1861

Ensworth, A. to Mr. Morse Apr 19, 1865

Ensworth, A. to Mr. Morse regarding death of John Wilkes Booth Apr 27, 1865

Ensworth, A. to Mr. Morse May 3, 1865

Ensworth, A. to Mr. Morse regarding sale of property May 18, 1865

Heintzelman, Samuel P. to E.W. Morse Feb 15, 1877

Heintzelman, Samuel Peter to E.W. Morse Feb 18, 1877

Heintzelman, Samuel Peter to E.W. Morse Mar 20, 1877

Heintzelman, Samuel Peter to E.W. Morse Dec 20, 1877

Heintzelman, Samuel P. to E.W. Morse Dec 21, 1877

Lincoln, Robert Todd 1899-1924

Abstract: Letter to the Attorney General in his capacity as Sec. of War, two copies of letters from R.T. Lincoln to a Mr. Burnham, brief correspondence with F. Ray Risdon, and a copy of a letter to Deweitt Miller repudiating Herndon's book.

Government appointments 1862-1893

Abstract: Four letters regarding appointments to clerkships, and one for the quartermaster of 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps.

Invitations, power of attorney, and autograph letters

Abstract: Four autograph letters, documents from the State Bank of Ill (1839), Burton B. Linville power of attorney to Abraham Lincoln, a statement from Andrew Johnson about the Hermitage in Tennessee, and an invitation from Henry Clay (Dec 1827)

Autographs

Abstract: Approximately 30 autographs (names only).

Box 131: Frank B. Cowgill

Box 132: Ralph G. Lindstrom

Box 152: Risdon's Lincolniana correspondence and receipts 1910-1925

Box 153: Risdon's Lincolniana correspondence and receipts 1925-1940

Box 154: Risdon's Lincolniana correspondence and receipts 1941-1949

Box 155: Risdon's Lincolniana correspondence and receipts 1950-1957

Box 156: Lincolniana collectors other than Risdon

Boxes 171-174: Risdon personal papers

Series 3: Certificates & Military Registers 1799-1866

Scope and Contents

This series consists of two boxes. The first documents the Civil War experience of the 34th Massachusetts Volunteers Infantry Regiment through quarterly logistical reports, monthly supply receipts, and muster rolls. These reports track supplies at the company level as they went on the march, engaged in combat, or performed garrison duties. Most reports are from their encampment at Harper's Ferry, VA, but other locations include Fort Lyon, VA, Camp Upton Hill, VA, and "In the field." The second box houses approximately 500 small civilian legal documents. These include stock and bond papers, oaths of allegiance, transportation receipts, customs forms, and other administrative documents.

Box 1: 34th Mass. Inf. Quartermaster Reports Oct 1862-July 1865

Box 74: fugitive slave reports, ship customs documents, military orders, poll tax receipts, oaths of allegiance, stock papers, and local government receipts (especially Illinois) 1799-1866

Series 4: Campaign Literature, Paraphernalia, & Songs 1824-1968

Scope and Content

Risdon collected memorabilia from every campaign between 1824 and his death in 1958. Most items are leaflets and ribbons, others include buttons, medallions, and postcards.

Box 10: campaign years 1824, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860

Box 11: campaign years 1864, 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884

Box 12: campaign years 1888, 1892, 1896, 1900, 1904

Box 13: campaign years 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920

Box 14: campaign years 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936

Box 15a: campaign years 1940, 1944

Box 15b: campaign years 1948, 1952, 1960, 1968

Series 5: Memorials (commemorative)

Scope and Contents

Items in this series include broadsheets, ribbons, radio transcripts, and silkscreens. Also included are lists of pamphlets that are not yet cataloged (see box descriptions for specific titles).

Box 17: Advertisements

Scope and Contents

Lists of presidents, first ladies, and other important political figures. These lists are printed by private companies and include advertisements. Companies include Alka-Seltzer, S.S.S. (a skin beautifier), and Blade Paper & Printing Co., among many others.

Box 18: Washington

Scope and Contents

Uncataloged pamphlets: Washington's Farewell Address. Baltimore, 1810. Lessons of Encouragement from the Times of Washington. New York, 1863. Two Addresses, by Joseph Willard and David Tappan. Cambridge, 1800. An Old Relic: Funeral Oration by Captain Dunham. Boston, 1799. Congressional Banquet in honor of George Washington. Washington, 1852.

Box 19: Washington

Scope and Contents

postcards, leaflets, and visitor's guide from organizations including: Union League Club of Chicago, North German Lloyd Steamship Co., and the Sulgrave Institution. Pamphlets: Washington Eulogies, a checklist. NYPL, 1916.

Box 20: Washington

Scope and Contents

Commemorative materials from Hotel Ormond (Fl.), and the National Monument Society. Pamphlets: Plan of Part of Mount Vernon (with map). Authenticated Copy of the Last Will and Testament of George Washington. Washington, 1868. George Washington: Ein Freimaurerisches Lebensbild. Zwickau, 1868. Washington: Sein Lebensbild nach Washington Irving. Zurich, 1872.

Box 21: Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Johnson

Scope and Contents

Report of Fillmore's love letters to Dorothea Dix. Hoover's address at unveiling of statue of Buchanan. Speeches of Buchanan and Pierce. Uncataloged Pamphlet: Biography of Millard Fillmore. Buffalo, 1856.

Box 22: Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and J.Q. Adams

Scope and Contents

Medallions and pamphlets. Uncataloged pamphlets: Eulogy on the Life and Character of James Monroe, by J.Q. Adams. Boston, 1831. Eulogy on the Life and Character of J.Q. Adams, by Edward Everett. Boston, 1848. Oration to the Town of Quincy, by J.Q. Adams. Boston, 1831. Discourse on John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, by Daniel Webster. Boston, 1826. Discourse on Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, by William Wirt. Washington, 1826. Eulogy on John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, by William Alexander Duer. Albany, 1826.

Box 23: Jackson, Van Buren, W.H. Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor

Scope and Contents

Coins, postcards, obituary addresses, and the Mayflower Hotel's Jackson Day Dinner program. Uncataloged Pamphlets: Life and Public Services of Gen. Z. Taylor. NY, 1850.

Box 24: Grant

Scope and Contents

Uncataloged Pamphlets: Report of Gen. Grant on the Operations of the Union Army. The Charge of Packing the Court Against President Grant. Worcester, 1896. Memorial Adress by Gen. Thomas J. Henderson.

Box 25: Hayes and Garfield

Scope and Contents

Sermons and eulogies on Garfield. Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society celebrating Hayes.

Box 26: Garfield

Scope and Contents

Eulogies

Box 27: Garfield

Scope and Contents

Eulogies.

Box 28: Garfield

Scope and Contents

Sciopticon slides.

Box 29: Arthur, Cleveland, and B. Harrison

Box 30: McKinley

Scope and Contents

McKinley Day Banquet programs, McKinley National Memorial posters, and certificates of membership to McKinley commemoration organizations.

Box 31: McKinley

Scope and Contents

Speeches by McKinley, Finance Committee Reports, and Chittenden Hotel promotional material.

Box 32: William Jennings Bryan

Scope and Content

Addresses by and about Bryan, reports on convention, and uncataloged pamphlet: Proceedings in the House of Representatives on the Life, Character, and Public Services of William Jennings Bryan. 1926.

Box 33: Teddy Roosevelt

Scope and Contents

Sketches, poems, and commemorative addresses.

Box 34: T. Roosevelt

Box 35: T. Roosevelt, calendars

Box 36: T. Roosevelt, messages

Box 37: Taft

Box 38: Wilson

Box 39: Wilson

Box 40: Harding

Box 41: Harding

Box 42: Coolidge

Scope and Contents

Includes uncataloged pamphlet: Coolidge: His First Biography. Addresses by His Excellency, Calvin Coolidge.

Box 43: Coolidge

Box 44: Hoover

Box 45: F.D. Roosevelt

Box 46: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, L.B. Johnson

Box 47: Nixon

Box 49: Poetry

Box 50: Lincoln anniversary speeches

Box 51: Freemasons on Lincoln, and other speeches

Series 6: Newspapers, Broadsides, Playbills, & Posters

Scope and Contents

Includes scripts for films and plays, promotional materials for those productions, and thousands of news clippings from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.

Box 57: Lincoln on stage

Box 58: Lincoln on stage

Box 59: Books serialized in magazines

Box 119: Highland Democrat annual Lincoln dinner reports 1904-1925

Box 125: News clippings about Lincoln 1865-1953

Box 126: News clippings about Lincoln 1865-1960

Box 135: 19th-century newspapers

Box 136: clippings about Lincoln

Box 137: Scrapbooks of Lincoln clippings

Box 138: Scrapbooks of Lincoln clippings

Series 7: Pictorial Works

Scope and Contents

Many of the items that relate to Lincoln are post-bellum artistic representations of the Lincoln myth as much as the man. There are also photographs of Lincoln, the Supreme Court, and major government officials such as General John J. Pershing. The series houses accordion booklets with reproduction drawings of Civil War generals. It also contains images of later figures and scenes, including photographs from President McKinley's inauguration, and stereopticon slides of the White House and its visitors, American cityscapes, and the Spanish-American War.

Box 54: Lincoln Photographs

Box 55: Magazine photographs of Lincoln

Box 56: Scenes from the life of Lincoln

Box 60: Scenes from the life of Lincoln

Box 61: Pictures of Lincoln statues and shrines

Box 109: early 20th-century photographs of political and intellectual figures

Box 110: lithographs of Union generals and other public figures

Box 112: five albums of civil war generals and soldiers

Box 115: Reproductions of Lincoln images

Box 116: Photographs of Lincoln and Civil War

Boxes 157-170: stereopticon slides (boxes 164-170 of American political figures)

Oversize

Scope and Contents

Sixteen framed images of Lincoln and other political figures.

Series 8: Sheet Music

Scope and Contents

Campaign and war songs are often in broadsheet and pamphlet format, of which the collection holds over 200. Large books of sheet music for piano and voice are found in boxes 75-78.

Box 16: Campaign and funeral songs of presidents

Abstract: Campaign and War songs

Box 52: Civil War Songs

Box 53: Lincoln songs from campaigns and funeral

Box 75: piano sheet music, classical and show tunes, 20th century

Box 76: Vocal music by Thomas P. Westendorf

Box 77: Lincoln memorial music

Box 78: 19th-century music for the piano

Series 9: Keepsakes & Ephemera

Scope and Contents

Includes commemorative objects in honor of Lincoln, and a few items about holidays and other public figures. Many of these items date from the 20th century, and were purchased on visits to historic sites around the country.

Box 62: Lincoln calendars

Box 63: Lincoln envelopes

Box 64: Lincoln ribbons and other memorabilia

Box 65: Lincoln pennies, buttons, and watch fobs

Box 66: Lincoln Association Badges

Box 67: Lincoln buttons & ribbons

Box 68: Lincoln mementos made of wood

Box 69: Lincoln medallions, and mementos made of wood

Box 70: Thanksgiving Day Proclamations

Box 71: Autographs of famous people

Box 72: Autograph Albums

Box 73: photostats and facsimiles

Box 111: Civil War Battlefield memorabilia

Box 117: programs, invitations, and battlefield memorabilia

Box 118: Thanksgiving Day Proclamations 1865-1920

Box 120: Paperweights

Box 121: Chatauqua cards, calendars, autograph albums

Box 122: Little Journeys to the Homes of American Authors

Box 123: Lincoln memorabilia

Box 124: Lincoln memorabilia

Box 127: ephemera from Lincoln shrines 1920-1950

Box 128: memorabilia including wood from Lincoln's law office

Box 129: memorabilia including marble from Lincoln's sarcophagus

Box 130: keepsakes of the Republican Club

Box 133: Numismatic and Philatelic material, Lincoln calendars 1915-1919

Box 134: Poetry and congressional resolutions

Box 139: Lincoln Clubs (of Los Angeles, Boston, and Colorado)

Box 140: Lincoln Fellowship of Southern California 1940-1949

Box 141: Lincoln Fellowship of Southern California 1950-1959

Box 142: Lincoln Memorial University

Box 143: Lincoln Day Observances (California)

Box 144: Lincoln calendars

Box 145: Lincoln Day Observances (National Republican Club)

Box 146: Lincoln Day Observances (D.C., New York, and Illinois)

Box 147: Lincoln Day Observances (elsewhere in U.S.A.)

Box 148: Lincoln Day Observances (elsewhere in U.S.A.)

Box 149: Lincoln postcards

Box 150: Lincoln greeting cards

Box 151: Commercial uses of Lincoln's name

Series 10: Realia

Scope and Contents

Busts, statues, and other oversize items representing Lincoln and other political figures.