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Eldred J. Simkins Papers: Finding Aid
mssSIM 1-475  
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Description
This collection chiefly contains the correspondence of the family of lawyer and Texas state senator Eldred J. Simkins (1838-1903). Subjects discussed include the California Gold Rush and life in Mariposa County, Calif., during the 1850s and 1870s; the Civil War in Charleston, South Carolina, from a confederate soldier's point of view; life in South Carolina and Florida after the Civil War; and life in Austin and Corsicana, Texas, during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Background
Eldred J. Simkins (1838-1903) was born October 13, 1838, in the Edgefield District of South Carolina. In 1843, his parents, Eldred Simkins and Pattie (Bythewood) Simkins, moved their family (which included children William Stewart and Pattie) to Monticello, Florida. Soon after the move, both parents died and the children returned to the Beaufort District of South Carolina where they were raised by their maternal grandparents, Sarah (Fickling) Bythewood and Benjamin Russell Bythewood. Among the other residents of the Bythewood's Beaufort plantation household were Anne Maria (Bythewood) Trescot, a married daughter, and her two children, Eliza Josephine Trescot and E. Bocquet Trescot. Anne Maria Trescot's physician husband, Edward Henry Trescot (probably the brother of William Henry Trescot, diplomat and historian) went to California in 1849 to search for gold and never returned to South Carolina.
Extent
Approximately 475 pieces in 10 boxes
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.