Overview of the Collection
Access
Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Indexing Terms
Overview of the Collection
Title: Frank McGregor Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1862-1915
Collection Number: mssHM 72510-72606
Creator:
McGregor, Frank.
Extent: 97 items + ephemera in 3 boxes
and an oversize folder
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 collection contains family correspondence, manuscripts, and ephemera of American Civil War soldier and Ohio floral
shipping merchant Frank McGregor (1838-1920), including letters from McGregor about his experiences during the Civil War.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
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]. Frank McGregor Papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Provenance
Purchased from William Reese Company at Cowan's auction, June 24, 2009.
Biographical Note
Francis "Frank" McGregor (1838-1920) was born to Peter McGregor and Christine Ross on June 19,
1838, in Nottinghamshire, England. He was one of ten children and lived with his
grandparents in the northern part of Scotland until he was 13 years old. In 1850, he
moved with his family to the United States where they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1862, Frank joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. He served for three
years in the 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E. Frank is credited with
participating in eleven important battles and never being wounded. Throughout his
service, he wrote detailed letters about the war to his immediate family and to
Susan "Susie" Brown, a school teacher who later became his wife.
In 1865, Frank was in Galveston, Texas, where he received an honorable discharge
from the Army. Afterwards, he returned home and established a career in business
supplying seeds and plants to the retail trade. Eventually, Frank moved to
Springfield, Ohio, where he and his brother, David, formed a partnership and
established McGregor Brothers. They built a one hundred and twenty-five thousand
square foot greenhouse and created a general floral shipping business, selling both
wholesale and retail.
On June 28, 1866, Frank married Susan Brown in Lockland Hamilton, Ohio. The two had
seven children: Allan, Bertha, Grace, Harold, Helen, Olive, and Robert. During the
latter part of their lives, Frank and his wife traveled extensively, visiting such
countries as England, Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and
France. In addition to his business career, Frank also served on the board for park
commissioners. Frank died in 1920 in Clark, Ohio.
Scope and Content
This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, and ephemera of Frank McGregor.
The Correspondence series is arranged chronologically and contains letters from
Frank to his family members, most notably his sisters and to Susan, about his
experiences during the Civil War. Also included in the series are letters from Frank
and Susan to their children when they traveled around Europe in 1892 visiting such
cities as Rome, Glasgow, Oban, Dingwall, Edinburgh, London, Brussels, Berlin,
Vienna, Venice, Florence, Naples, Interlacken, and Paris. There are also letters
from their children, most notably their daughters Bertha, Grace, and Olive, as they
traveled around the United States.
The Manuscripts series is arranged alphabetically and contains a typed collection of
letters written by Frank McGregor titled "Letters to the Folks at Home from Frank
McGregor of the 83rd Regiment O.V.I. Army of the Mississippi." The letters date from
1862-1865 and span McGregor’s time in the Civil War. Also included, is a short
composition written by Susan B. McGregor recalling details about a story her mother,
Olive W. Wilder liked to tell about going to a ball.
The Ephemera series is arranged alphabetically and contains such items as a
photocopy of images of Frank and Susan, pamphlets from the annual reunion of the
survivors of the 83rd Ohio Voluntary Infantry, a copy of a questionnaire about
Frank’s military service, biographical information about Frank McGregor, a copy of a
newspaper dated September 22, 1864, and a copy of the book Dearest Susie: A Civil
War infantryman’s letters to his sweetheart (1971) which is signed by the book’s
editor, Carl E. Hatch.
The Oversize Folder contains two sepia photographs: one is a headshot of Frank
McGregor and the other is what appears to be the 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Arrangement
The papers are arranged in the following series: 1. Correspondence (Boxes 1-3); 2.
Manuscripts (Box 3); 3. Ephemera (Box 3); 4. Oversize Folder.
Indexing Terms
Subjects
McGregor, Frank --
Archives.
United States. Army --
Military life -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Sources.
United States. Army --
Officers.
United States. Army.
Ohio Infantry Regiment, 43rd (1861-1865)
California --
Description and travel.
United States --
History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.
United States --
History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories -- Ohio.
Forms/Genres
Letters (correspondence) -- 19th
century -- United States Civil War, 1861-1865.
Military documents -- United States
Civil War, 1861-1865.
Personal papers -- United States Civil
War, 1861-1865.
Photographs -- United States Civil
War, 1861-1865.
Additional Contributors
McGregor, Susan B.