Gustavus F. Jocknick Papers: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Brooke M. Black, January 13, 2010.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2010
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.


Overview of the Collection

Title: Gustavus F. Jocknick Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1853-1922
Collection Number: mssHM 72615-72667
Creator: Jocknick, Gustavus F., 1817-
Extent: 57 items in 2 boxes
Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of American Civil War Captain Gustavus Ferdinand Jochnick (1817-1890). Chiefly consists of correspondence from Gustavus F. Jocknick to his friend John Wilkin, including discussion of the Civil War and discussing army movements, battles, and political events. Some of the later letters also discuss Jocknick's work as a clerk at the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., and as a farmer in Colorado.
Language: English.

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Administrative Information

Publication Rights

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Gustavus F. Jocknick Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Gift of Betty Freymond, July 13, 2009.

Biographical Note

Gustavus Ferdinand Jochnick (1817-1890) (he later modified his name to Gustavus F. Jocknick - in some Civil War records he is referred to as the further Americanized name George F. Jocknick) was born in 1817, probably in Göteborg, Sweden. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1840, and in 1846 was one of the Swedish emigrants to obtain a patent for 40 acres of public land in Lockbridge, Jefferson County, Iowa. In July 1847, he again enlisted in the army and served in Mexico. He married Beatrice Nicholson (1826-1910) in November 1848.
In 1853 and 1854, Jocknick was living in San Francisco, California (his occupation is unknown). In 1860, he and his family were living in Newark, New Jersey. By April 1861 he was out of work and contemplating joining a regiment of volunteers. On October 1, 1861 he enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of New York Cavalry and commissioned Captain of Company I. He fought in North Carolina and Virginia, taking part in the bloodiest campaigns of the war. After the war, he briefly enlisted in the regular army, and by 1866 was employed as a clerk at the Office of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior. In 1869, he was summoned to witness the distribution of a million dollars of government money to the Cherokee Indians. He found himself under arrest, charged with conspiracy to defraud the Indians. In 1874, Jocknick was cleared of all charges by Congress and awarded full compensation (Congressional Bill HR 1151 of June 14, 1874).
The Jocknicks had four children: Sidney (b. 1849), Dehlia, Blanche (b.1858), and Clifton (b.1868). Sidney Jocknick was the author of Early days on the western slope of Colorado first published in 1933.
Around 1870, Sidney Jocknick moved to Colorado and in 1876, the Jocknick family also moved to Colorado. They settled in Ouray County where Gustavus began farming. In 1886 he moved to San Diego for health reasons.

Scope and Content

The collection, which is arranged chronologically, contains mostly correspondence from Gustavus F. Jocknick to his friend John Wilkin. In the first two letters, which are written from San Francisco, Jocknick talks about San Francisco and his life in California. In his letters of 1860, Jocknick talks about his attempt to find work in New Jersey, the news of the upcoming war, and secession, the possibility of enlisting in the army, Abraham Lincoln, James G. Bennett and Nehemiah Perry. In his letters from 1861 to 1865, Jocknick talks about the impending war, his decision to enlist, William H. Seward, John C. Ten Eyck, Nathaniel Banks, and the election of Abraham Lincoln; he also talks about his enlistment in the 3rd Regiment of New York Cavalry under James Van Alen and John Mix. Jocknick also talks much about the movements of the armies and possible battles and mentions specifically: George McClellan, Charles P. Stone, Ambrose Burnside, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin F. Butler, August V. Kautz, G. T. Beauregard, George Mead, and Winfield Scott Hancock. Jocknick also mentions the Emancipation Proclamation and his fellow soldiers’ reaction to it which were mostly negative.
After the war, Jocknick began working as a clerk at the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. In his letters from this time (1865-1876) he talks about his job and duties as well as James Harlan and President Andrew Johnson. He also talks about the presidential election of Ulysses S. Grant, and the possibility of William Tecumseh Sherman running for president.
In his letters after 1876, May 2, Jocknick is living in Ouray County, Colorado, as a farmer and talks about his life in the West as well as the Ute Indians, land and possible gold and silver mines. There is one letter by Jocknick in 1886 (written from San Diego) to the Pension Bureau. It includes three items regarding his pension.
The last item in the collection is an incomplete letter by Jocknick’s son Clifton to his brother Sidney Jocknick. In this letter (written circa 1922) Clifton talks about living in Southern California, and real estate prices and problems in Los Angeles and Pasadena.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Indexing: Added Entries

Jocknick, Sidney, 1849-1930.
  • Addressee of Clifton Jocknick letter [c.1922]. HM 72667.

Indexing: Subjects

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Sep. 7) to John Wilkin. HM 72634.
Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1864, June 10) to John Wilkin. HM 72645.
Bennett, James Gordon, 1795-1872
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1860, Oct. 31) to John Wilkin. HM 72625.
Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1862, Feb. 27 & June 12) to John Wilkin. HM 72636-72637.
Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1864, May 22) to John Wilkin. HM 72644.
Emancipation Proclamation
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1863, Mar. 11-13) to John Wilkin. HM 72638.
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1863, Mar. 11-13) to John Wilkin. HM 72638.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1865, Jan. 21) to John Wilkin. HM 72649.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1868) to John Wilkin. HM 72655-72657.
Hancock, Winfield Scott, 1824-1886
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1865, Jan. 21 & Feb. 8) to John Wilkin. HM 72649-72650.
Harlan, James, 1820-1899
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1866, Mar. 24 & Nov. 8) to John Wilkin. HM 72652-72653.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1866, Mar. 24) to John Wilkin. HM 72652.
Kautz, August V. (August Valentine), 1828-1895
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1864, May 22) to John Wilkin. HM 72644.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1860, Oct. 31 & Nov. 22) to John Wilkin. HM 72625-72626.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Mar. 28) to John Wilkin. HM 72629.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1863, Mar. 11-13) to John Wilkin. HM 72638.
Los Angeles (Calif.)
  • Subject in Clifton Jocknick letter [c.1922] to John Wilkin. HM 72667.
McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1862, Jan. 3) to John Wilkin. HM 72635.
Mead, George Gordon, 1815-1872
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1864, June 10) to John Wilkin. HM 72645.
Mines and mineral resources – Colorado
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1878, Apr. 15) to John Wilkin. HM 72665.
Mix, John
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Oct. 1) to John Wilkin. HM 72632.
Ouray County (Colo.)
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1876, May 2 & 1878) to John Wilkin. HM 72663-72665.
Pasadena (Calif.)
  • Subject in Clifton Jocknick letter [c.1922] to John Wilkin. HM 72667.
Perry, Nehemiah, b. 1816
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1860, Nov. 22) to John Wilkin. HM 72626.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Mar. 15) to John Wilkin. HM 72628.
San Francisco (Calif.)
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1853-1854) to John Wilkin. HM 72615-72616.
Secession – Southern States
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1853-1854) to John Wilkin. HM 72615-72616.
Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Mar. 15) to John Wilkin. HM 72628.
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1866, Nov. 8) to John Wilkin. HM 72653.
Stone, Chas. P. (Charles Pomeroy), 1824-1887
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1862, Jan. 3) to John Wilkin. HM 72635.
Ten Eyck, John C. (John Conover), 1814-1879
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Mar. 15) to John Wilkin. HM 72628.
United States. Office of Indian Affairs
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1865, Oct. 10, 1866, Mar. 24 & Nov. 8) to John Wilkin. HM 72651-72653.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letters (1870 & 1876, Jan. 27) to John Wilkin. HM 72659-72661.
Ute Indians
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1878, Apr. 15) to John Wilkin. HM 72665.
Van Alen, James H.
  • Subject in Gustavus F. Jocknick, b. 1817 letter (1861, Oct. 1) to John Wilkin. HM 72632.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.  

Subjects

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894.
Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893.
Bennett, James Gordon, 1795-1872.
Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881.
Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893.
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885.
Hancock, Winfield Scott, 1824-1886.
Harlan, James, 1820-1899.
Jocknick, Gustavus F., b. 1817.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875.
Kautz, August V. (August Valentine), 1828-1895.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885.
Mead, George Gordon, 1815-1872.
Perry, Nehemiah, b. 1816.
Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872.
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891.
Stone, Chas. P. (Charles Pomeroy), 1824-1887.
Ten Eyck, John C. (John Conover), 1814-1879.
United States. Office of Indian Affairs.
United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln). Emancipation Proclamation.
Mines and mineral resources -- Colorado.
Secession -- Southern States -- Sources.
Ute Indians.
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Description and travel.
Ouray County (Colo.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources.
Pasadena (Calif.) -- Description and travel.
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Description and travel.
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Correspondence.

Forms/Genres

Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century.
Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 20th century.

Additional Contributors

Jocknick, Sidney, 1849-1930, recipient.


 

Correspondence

Box 1

1853-1863

 

1853, Nov. 15. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72615

 

1854, Apr. 15. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72616

 

1860, May 1. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72617

 

1860, July 18. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72618

 

1860, Aug. 16. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72619

 

1860, Aug. 27. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-. Northern Lodge, No. 25, F. & A. M. Resolution. HM 72620

 

1860, Aug. 29. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72621

 

1860, Sep. 14. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72622

 

1860, Sep. 25. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72623

 

1860, Oct. 4. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72624

 

1860, Oct. 31. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72625

 

1860, Nov. 22. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72626

 

1860, Dec. 26. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72627

 

1861, Mar. 15. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72628

 

1861, Mar. 28. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72629

 

1861, Apr. 24. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72630

 

1861, May 17. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72631

 

1861, Oct. 1. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72632

 

1861, Nov. 28. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72633

 

1861, Sep. 7. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72634

 

1861, Jan. 3. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72635

 

1862, Feb. 27. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72636

 

1862, June 12. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72637

 

1863, Mar. 11-13. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72638

 

1863, May 4. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72639

 

1863, June 24. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72640

Box 2

1864-[approximately 1922]

 

1864, Feb. 11. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72641

 

1864, Apr. 9. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72642

 

1864, Apr. 30. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72643

 

1864, May 22. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72644

 

1864, June 10. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72645

 

1864, June 15. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72646

 

1864, July 7. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72647

 

1864, Aug. 14. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72648

 

1865, Jan. 21. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72649

 

1865, Feb. 8. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72650

 

1865, Oct. 10. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72651

 

1866, Mar. 24. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72652

 

1866, Nov. 8. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72653

 

1867, June 18. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72654

 

1868, Jan. 10. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72655

 

1868, Mar. 27. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72656

 

1868, Dec. 4. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72657

 

[1868]. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72658

 

1870, Aug. 11. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72659

 

1870, Sep. 10. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72660

 

1876, Jan. 27. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72661

 

1876, Feb. 14. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72662

 

1876, May 2. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72663

 

1878, Feb. 7. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72664

 

1878, Apr. 15. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to John Wilkin. HM 72665

 

1886, Oct. 27. Gustavus F. Jocknick, 1817-, letter to United States. Pension Bureau. HM 72666

Includes three items regarding Jocknick’s pension. With two envelopes.
 

[Approximately 1922]. Clifton Jocknick letter to [Sidney Jocknick, 1849-1930]. HM 72667