U. S. Army Department of the Northwest records
mssUSDept
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
April 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: U. S. Army Department of the Northwest records
Creator:
United States. Army.
Department of the Northwest
Identifier/Call Number: mssUSDept
Physical Description:
6.0 Linear Feet
(4 cartons, 4 boxes, 3 oversize folders)
Date (inclusive): 1861-1904
Date (bulk): 1861-1865
Abstract: The major portion of this collection
consists of an assortment of U.S. Army Civil War documents, 1861 to 1865, related to the
work of Paymaster John Oscar Culver; included are muster and pay rolls, correspondence,
applications, certificates, vouchers, and receipts.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. U.S. Army Department of the Northwest records, The Huntington
Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
One portion of the papers was acquired from Hazel Young January 1956; the other portion was
acquired from Stanford University Library March 1964.
Biographical / Historical
John Oscar Culver (approximately 1830-) of Sandy Hill, New York, served during the Civil
War as a major in the office of the paymaster for the Department of the Northwest.
Scope and Contents
A collection of approximately 6,000 items from 1861 to 1904, it consists of documents,
ledger books, receipts, muster rolls, payrolls, correspondence and other military records.
The material details the workings of the paymaster's office of the U.S. Army Department of
the Northwest primarily for the period 1861 to 1865. Although there is material for
virtually all Union states, the documents are fullest for regiments from Illinois, Missouri,
and Wisconsin. The collection also contains a few papers concerning the life and business
affairs of John Oscar Culver after the Civil War, particularly the period 1880 to 1900 while
he was living in California.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1965. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject and format.
General
Original collection name: John Oscar Culver papers; former call number: mssUSDept of the
Northwest.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California -- History -- 19th century
Northwestern States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
United States -- History -- Civil War,
1861-1865
Ledgers (account books) -- United States -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century
Military records -- United States -- 19th century
Muster rolls -- United States -- 19th century
Payrolls -- United States -- 19th century
Receipts -- United States -- 19th century
Culver, John Oscar
Carton 1
U. S. Army Department correspondence, documents, vouchers, and muster
rolls
1861-1865
Scope and Contents
Box contains miscellaneous correspondence, documents, muster out rolls for Arkansas,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and various other states.
Carton 2
Ephemera, muster rolls, pay rolls, miscellaneous
1861-1865
Carton 3
Northwest paymasters, vouchers, muster out rolls
1861-1865
Carton 4
Vouchers, muster rolls, pay rolls
1861-1865
Scope and Contents
Box contains documents for Illinois and Missouri; abstracts for payments made by John
Oscar Culver.
Box 5
Vouchers, applications for exemption, muster out rolls, documents
1861-1865
Scope and Contents
Box contains miscellaneous vouchers, applications for exemption and certificates of
disability, muster out rolls, discharge applications and other documents for the states
of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Box 6
U. S. Army Department of the Northwest documents; John Oscar Culver personal
papers
Scope and Contents
Box contains U. S. Army Department of the Northwest documents, John Oscar Culver's
personal papers, his essays on love and poetry, documents related to the U. S. Army
Wisconsin, and U. S. Army Veterans Reserve Corps.
Box 7
John Oscar Culver Civil War papers
1861-1865
Scope and Contents
Box contains certificates, discharges, payrolls, muster rolls, receipts, and a
typewritten rough draft of a history of the U. S. Quartermaster's Department.
Box 8
John Oscar Culver correspondence and business papers; ephemera
1862-1904
Scope and Contents
Box contains John Oscar Culver's personal correspondence and business papers; also,
miscellaneous personal letters relevant to others, letters related to the U. S. Army,
and ephemera.
Folder 1
John Oscar Culver U. S. Army ledgers
1861-1865
Scope and Contents
Folder contains 2 unbound ledgers.
Folder 2
John Oscar Culver U. S. Army ledger - State of Wisconsin
1864-1865
Scope and Contents
Ledger is printed on each page: "State of Wisconsin in account with James Ross."
Folder 3
John Oscar Culver American Legion of Honor Benefit Certificate
approximately 1882
