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Stoneman Family Papers
mssHM
71383-71454
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Title: Stoneman Family Papers
Dates: 1891-1920
Collection Number: mssHM
71383-71454
Creator:
Stoneman Family
Extent:
72 items in 1 box
Repository: The Huntington Library,
Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts
Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This small collection contains papers of the family of
American Civil War Major General George Stoneman (1822-1894), dating from 1891 to 1920,
including legal agreements; estate and financial records; correspondence, chiefly penned after Stoneman's death and
directed to his estate administrator; and some ephemera. Notable
participants include William B. Allison, Thomas Updegraff, and the United States
Army.
Language of Material: The records are in English.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Stoneman Family Papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Purchased from Henry Carter, April 1969.
Although best known for his service in the Union cavalry during the Civil War, Major
General George Stoneman (1822-1894) extended his career into civil and political
spheres after the war. Near the end of the conflict, he married Mary Oliver Hardisty
of Baltimore, Maryland, with whom he eventually had four children: George J., Adele,
Katherine, and Cornelius. After poor health forced him to resign as commander of the
Department of Arizona in 1871, Stoneman relocated with his family to the "Los
Robles" estate in the greater Los Angeles area. His political career in California
began with his appointment as Railroad Commissioner in 1879, and culminated in his
tenure as the state’s Democratic governor from 1883 to 1887. Domestic, health, and
financial troubles vexed Stoneman by the end of this governorship, apparently
compelling him to seek respite in his native New York circa 1892. While staying with
his sister, Charlotte S. Williams, wife of New York Senator Benjamin H. Williams,
his health continued to worsen, precluding his return to California. He suffered a
stroke in April 1894 from which he was unable to recover. Stoneman died in Buffalo,
NY on September 5, 1894 and was interred at Bentley Cemetery in Lakewood, NY. His
brother, John T. Stoneman, assumed the role of administrator of the ex-general’s
estate from the time of Stoneman’s death to 1897.
Related Materials in the Huntington Library
- Stoneman family letters, 1885-1899 (Call number: mssStonemanFamilyletters)
- Stoneman family papers addenda, 1830-1985. (Call number: mssStoneFamilyAddenda)
This small collection contains papers of the family of American Civil War Major General George Stoneman (1822-1894), dating
from 1891 to 1920,
including legal agreements; estate and and financial records; correspondence, chiefly penned after Stoneman's death and
directed to his estate administrator; and some ephemera. Notable
participants include William B. Allison, Thomas Updegraff, and the United States
Army.
The papers consist of the following series:
- The chronologically-arranged documents reveal the range of legal, financial, and estate-related transactions initiated by or concerning the Stoneman Family and their associates. Included in this series are legal agreements, banking statements, inventories of the Stoneman’s estate, and general financial records.
- The chronologically-arranged correspondence includes personal and business letters to and by the Stoneman Family members and their associates. Two letters dated January 1889 were written by General George Stoneman while he was still living in Los Angeles. Most of the letters were penned after the generals’ death in September 1894, and directed to John T. Stoneman, administrator of his brother’s estate.
- Finally, ephemera are subdivided into two sections: newspaper clippings and miscellaneous. The first subdivision includes 15 obituaries and accounts of the funeral of George Stoneman, all of which were reported in Buffalo, NY newspapers. The second subdivision contains one invoice to A. Chapin to pay E. Stow, signed by James Crawford and dated Jan. 19, 1891; one postcard dated Dec. 13, 1919 and addressed to Asahel Chapin; a typewritten postcard addressed to A. Chapin from L. Ernest Thornton, Deputy Secretary of State of Maine, and dated Jan. 5, 1920; the stamped face of a mutilated envelope addressed to A. Chapin from the District Court of Elkader, Iowa, and postmarked Apr. 13, 1894; one letter-sized envelope addressed to Florence S. Chapin of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and three oversized, fragile envelopes that originally housed the papers of this collection.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Stoneman
family.
Stoneman, George,
1822-1894.
Allison, William B.
(William Boyd), 1829-1908.
Updegraff, Thomas,
1834-1910.
Military Order of the
Loyal Legion of the United States. California Commandery.
United States. Army --
Pay, allowances, etc.
Inventories of decedents' estates -- New
York (State)
California -- History --
19th century -- Sources.
Account books 19th century.
Bank statements 19th
century.
Legal documents California 19th
century.
Legal documents New York 19th
century.
Letters (correspondence) California
19th century.
Letters (correspondence) New York 19th
century.
Letters (correspondence) New York 20th
century.