Swett (Leonard Herbert) Papers, 1875-1932, bulk 1875-1885

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Summary

Title:
Leonard Herbert Swett papers
Dates:
1875-1932, bulk 1875-1885
Creators:
Swett, Leonard Herbert, 1859-
Abstract:
Papers belonging to Leonard Herbert Swett, son of Illinois politician and lawyer Leonard Swett, who was a friend of George Armstrong Custer.
Extent:
1.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Leonard Herbert Swett papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The first section of the collection consists mainly of letters written by Leonard Herbert Swett to his parents, Leonard and Laura R. Swett, while spending part of the summer of 1875 with George Armstrong Custer. The letters include descriptions of encounters with Custer and the members of Custer's entourage, of treaty negotiations with the Arikara and Dakota chiefs, of a hunting excursion, and of life with the 7th Cavalry in general, as well as references to the political situation that decided Custer's orders regarding the Native Americans, including to General Sheridan and the War Department. Also included is a telegram sent to Leonard Swett by Custer, reporting on Leonard Herbert Swett's health; an anonymous description of experiences at Fort Lincoln; a description of Charles Eastman's comments on the Battle of Little Bighorn; and a 1932 letter from a university fraternity in Ithaca, New York. The second section of the collection is made up of letters written by Leonard Herbert Swett to his parents, who lived in Chicago, while on a year-long trip around Europe. In the letters he talks in detail about each city he visits and his daily activities, the costs of things, his frustration at trying to learn French, and his homesickness and desire to return to Chicago. Swett visits the following places: London; Brussels; Paris, Marles, Lyon, and Nice, France; Wiesbaden, and Leipzig, Germany; Lausanne, Switzerland; Milan, and Venice, Italy. Leonard Swett is the author of two letters, written to his wife while he was in Paris with his son.

Biographical / historical:

Leonard Herbert "Berty" Swett was the son of Illinois politician and lawyer Leonard Swett. Berty Swett spent part of the summer of 1875 (one year before the Battle of the Little Bighorn) in the Dakota Territory with his parents' friend George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry. In 1880 he participated in the U.S. Geological Survey of the Utah Plateau Region under Captain Clarence E. Dutton. In 1884, he took a year-long trip around Europe. His father was with him on the journey for the first month. Later, in 1886, during the formative period of Western Texas, he worked for the Texas XIT ranch. After his father's death, he published a memoir of his father.

Acquisition information:
First section purchased from Bonham's, June 2005, supported in part through the generosity of Patricia Lester, and second section was a gift of Patricia Lester and Hally Cook Prater, September 2004.
Processing information:

Processed by Brooke M. Black in November 2004 and Dixie Dillon in November 2005. In July 2024, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Organized in two series: Series 1. First series, 1875-1932; Series 2. Second series, 1884-1885.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-07-25 13:06:25 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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]. Leonard Herbert Swett papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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