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Woodbridge and Michaelis Families Papers
mssWoodbridge
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Woodbridge and Michaelis families papers
Creator:
Michaelis (Family)
Creator:
Woodbridge (Family)
Identifier/Call Number: mssWoodbridge
Physical Description:
3.84 Linear Feet
(9 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1832-1926
Abstract: A collection of material related to the
Woodbridge and Michaelis families, including Major Francis Woodbridge, Eliza K. Woodbridge,
Kate K. Michaelis, Major Otho Michaelis, and Lieutenant Frank Woodbridge.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Photocopies in box 9 (7) cannot be copied or reproduced in any format.
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]. Woodbridge and Michaelis families papers, The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased for the Huntington from Michael Brown Rare Books, LLC by the Library Collectors'
Council, March 2022.
Francis Woodbridge (1816-1855) was the scion of a prominent New England family and a West
Point graduate (Class of 1837); he began his military career in Florida during the Second
Seminole War and subsequently served in the Mexican American War, on the Niagara Frontier,
and throughout the Midwest. Francis Woodbridge met Elizabeth "Eliza" Cass Kercheval
(1821-1873) the daughter of a prominent Michigan politician, Benjamin Berry Kercheval;
Francis and Eliza married in April 1841, and together they had a daughter Catharine "Kate"
Woodbridge (1846-1926) and, a son, Francis "Frank" Woodbridge (1853-1891). The elder Francis
Woodbridge attained the rank of major for his "gallant and meritorious conduct" but died at
the age of 39, while stationed at Fort Barrancas, Florida. In December of 1868, Kate
Woodbridge married Captain Otho E. Michaelis (1843-1890) who was a German-born New Yorker
and a career soldier; he fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and ended the Civil War as a
chief of ordnance. Throughout his career he oversaw arsenals in New York, Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maine; in September 1881, he accompanied astronomer Samuel P.
Langley on his expedition to California's Mount Whitney. Michaelis was also an accomplished
chess player, ranked 25th in the world by Edo Historical Chess Ratings. Kate and Otho had
nine children, six of whom survived into adulthood. Frank Woodbridge followed in his
father's footsteps and entered the military; in the late 1860s and early 1870s, he held a
clerical job at the U.S. Department of War while working as a part-time journalist. In 1876,
he received a lieutenant's commission and was posted to Fort Shaw, Montana Territory; he
married a cousin, Alice Field (1858-1939) in 1883.
A collection of correspondence, documents, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera related
to the Woodbridge and Michaelis families of Vermont and Michigan. The collection covers
three generations of men and women who served in the American military during the 19th
century; it documents several military campaigns against indigenous peoples in Florida,
Michigan, the Dakotas, Montana, and elsewhere. The papers also describe the Army's role in
scientific exploration and discovery, technological development, involvement in American
political affairs, and the expansion of the United States from the 1830s to the 1880s. Also
addressed are the internal conflicts that existed within the Army's officer corps, including
its class structure and the constant pursuit of advancement followed by officers; and the
relationship between the Army and American society. Courtship letters as well as
correspondence between wives and husbands reveal the evolving patterns of relationships
between men and women. Other subjects in the collection include: engineering, health and
medical care, and the lives of women and children whose husbands and fathers served in the
American military.
Processed by Gayle M. Richardson in October 2022.
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Manuscripts, documents, and
photographs; 3. Ephemera.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Communication in marriage -- United States -- 19th century
Courtship -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Football -- United States -- History
Journalists -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Nez Percé Indians -- Wars, 1877
Seminole War, 2nd, 1835-1842
Women -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Canada -- History -- Rebellion, 1837-1838
Canada -- History -- 19th century
Dakota Territory -- History, Military
Florida -- History -- 19th century
Michigan -- History -- 19th century
Michigan -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
Montana -- History, Military
New England -- History -- 19th century
United States -- History -- 19th century
United States -- History -- 20th century
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
United States -- Social conditions -- 19th century
Documents -- United States -- 19th century
Ephemera -- United States -- 19th century
Family papers -- United States -- 19th century
Family papers -- United States -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century
Love letters -- United States -- 19th century
Manuscripts -- United States -- 19th century
Military documents -- United States -- 19th century
Photographs -- United States -- 19th century
Photographs -- United States -- 20th century
Michaelis, Kate Woodbridge, 1846-1926
Michaelis, Otho
E.
Woodbridge, Eliza Kercheval, 1821-1873
Woodbridge, Francis, 1816-1855
Woodbridge, Frank, 1853-1891
United States. Army -- Military life --
History -- 19th century
United States. Army -- Officers --
History -- 19th century
United States. Army.
Ordnance Corps
Watervliet Arsenal
(N.Y.)