ULYSSES S. GRANT
A REGISTER OF THE ADDITIONS TO HIS PAPERS
IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Prepared by
Kathleen M. Dondanville, 1995
Revised and expanded by
Patrick Kerwin
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 1998
***
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
The papers of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), Civil War
general and president of the United States, were given to the
Library of Congress in 1922. Numerous additions have been
received since that time. The donations have come primarily from
Ulysses S. Grant III, his mother, Ida Honore Grant (Mrs.
Frederick Dent), and his daughter, Mrs. David W. Griffiths.
Further additions were received through purchase and photocopying
of papers in other manuscript repositories.
The four additions described in this register comprise
materials acquired subsequent to the arranging, indexing, and
microfilming of the Grant Papers in 1965. Each addition has been
arranged in a separate series numbered sequentially and organized
in accordance with the original collection.
Series 8 consists of items appraised as peripheral and thus
omitted from the microfilm edition prepared as part of the
presidential papers microfilming project. Also included are
miscellaneous items acquired through 1973. A portion of Series 8
was subsequently microfilmed as a separate project.
Series 9 also includes items appraised as peripheral and
thus omitted from the original collection as well as additions
received between 1974 and 1978.
Series 10 consists of papers given to the Library by the
Grant family in 1989.
Series 11 contains papers acquired after Series 10 was
arranged and material formerly found in other collections.
Future additions will be placed in this series.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Readers interested in consulting any of the division's
collections are advised to write or telephone the
Manuscript Reading Room at (202) 707-5387 before visiting.
Many processed and nearly all unprocessed collections are
stored off site, and advance notice is needed to retrieve
these items for research use.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 14.2
Approximate number of items: 4,950
***
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
1822, Apr. 27 Born, Point Pleasant, Ohio
1843 Graduated, United States Military Academy, West
Point, N.Y.; brevet second lieutenant, Fourth
Infantry, United States Army
1846-1848 Served under Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield
Scott in the Mexican War; commissioned first
lieutenant
1848, Aug. 22 Married Julia Boggs Dent
1853 Promoted to captain
1854 Resigned commission and settled on farm near St.
Louis, Mo.
1860 Relocated to Galena, Ill., and worked in father's
hardware and leather store
1861-1865 Served in the Civil War
Successive commissions as colonel, brigadier
general, and major general, volunteer army; and
major general and lieutenant general, regular
army
1866 Promoted to general, a rank previously held only
by George Washington
1869-1877 President of the United States
1877-1879 Toured Europe, Russia, Egypt, India, Japan, and
China
1880 Unsuccessful candidate for the presidential
nomination on the Republican ticket
1884, May Ruined financially by bankruptcy of Grant & Ward
1884, Oct. Began writing memoirs
1885, July 19 Completed memoirs
1885, July 23 Died, Mount McGregor, N.Y.
1885, Dec. 1 Publication of first volume of _Personal Memoirs
of U.S. Grant_ (New York: Charles L. Webster &
Co. 2 vols.)
***
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Series 8 spans the years 1846-1893. It consists chiefly of
correspondence, newspaper clippings, financial records, and
souvenirs and includes letters from Grant to family members,
military officers, public officials, and friends. A bound volume
of autographs contains many of Grant's letters to his friend and
business confidante, Charles W. Ford. Letters to Ford from
Grant's wife, Julia Dent Grant, and her brother, Frederick T.
Dent, as well as numerous engravings of Grant complete the
volume.
Newspaper clippings, most of which were removed from the
John Russell Young Papers, pertain to Grant's travels around the
world in 1877-1879 and his dispute with Adam Badeau over the
writing of Grant's memoirs. A bound volume of financial records
and other miscellaneous material comprise the rest of the series.
Of special note are souvenirs from an 1893 banquet commemorating
Grant's birth. The souvenirs are reproductions of correspondence
between Grant and Robert E. Lee concerning Lee's surrender at
Appomattox Courthouse and a printed narrative about Lee's
surrender by Ely Samuel Parker.
Series 9 spans the years 1848-1974 and primarily contains
correspondence. Included are letters from Grant to George W.
Childs, H. W. Halleck, George H. Thomas, and correspondence of
Grant's grandson, Chapman Grant. Also contained in Series 9 is a
headquarters record book, containing entries in Grant's
handwriting, kept by the Fourth U.S. Infantry during the Mexican
War.
Series 10 spans the years 1840-1969, with the bulk of the
items concentrated in the period 1864-1885. The addition
comprises family letters, personal and official correspondence,
military records, writings, and miscellaneous material pertaining
to Grant's military and political career supplementing the
original corpus of Grant's papers in the Library of Congress.
The Family Correspondence file of Series 10, 1862-1965,
n.d., consists of letters and notes from Grant to his wife and
sons and letters between other family members and their
correspondents. Notes written by Grant to his son, Frederick
Dent Grant, while completing his memoirs at Mount McGregor and
letters to Julia Dent Grant, including an affectionate note
written days before his death, reflect Grant's devotion to his
family.
Correspondence of Frederick Dent Grant pertains mostly to
assisting his father with his memoirs. Letters from veterans and
former military officers containing detailed accounts of Grant's
actions during the Civil War were used to verify facts and
provide source material. Correspondence belonging to Julia Dent
Grant in the file includes letters of condolence on Grant's
death, several personal letters from Varina Davis, and
correspondence with Chinese and Japanese diplomats whom the
Grant's had met during their travels in 1877-1879. Also included
is correspondence of Ulysses S. Grant III pertaining to his
efforts in gathering documents and other material for his book,
_Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman_.
The greatest concentration of material in Series 10 is found
in the Personal and Professional Correspondence file, 1840-1885,
consisting chiefly of incoming letters, often with enclosures,
addressed either to Grant or to members of his staff.
Correspondence during the Civil War and Grant's presidential
administration is primarily official in nature, though many
letters from friends, colleagues, and private citizens are found
interspersed throughout the file.
Correspondence during the Civil War period is quite
extensive. Included are letters of both a personal and official
nature between Grant and many of the officers under his command.
Letters and telegraphs from William S. Rosecrans, Philip Henry
Sheridan, and William T. Sherman provide glimpses into the
progress of the war on its many different fronts. The file also
includes letters to Grant from members of Congress containing
comments and advice regarding his military decisions. Of note is
a letter dated January 8, 1863, from Congressman Elihu B.
Washburne in which he explains Lincoln's retraction of Grant's
order ousting Jewish settlers from Union camps in the Mississippi
Valley. Also included are letters from private citizens
congratulating Grant on his victories at Vicksburg and the Battle
of the Wilderness and his promotion to lieutenant general.
Grant's military service after the war as commanding general
of the army and as interim secretary of war under President
Andrew Johnson is also represented in the file. Letters
exchanged between Grant and military and public officials concern
such topics as the implementation of Reconstruction policies, the
situation in Mexico involving nationalists and the French, and
the formation of exconfederate militias in Maryland.
Highlighting this period is correspondence relating to Johnson's
removal of Philip H. Sheridan as district commander of Louisiana
and Texas because of his forceful implementation of the
Reconstruction Acts. Included are several letters from Sheridan
in which he defends his actions to Grant and Grant's letter of
protest to the president along with Johnson's response.
Also in the file are letters from members of the Union
Republican National Committee regarding Grant's 1868 presidential
campaign and numerous letters of congratulations from friends and
private citizens for winning the election. A congratulatory
letter dated December 8, 1868, from Mary Todd Lincoln includes
her comment, "It requires no assurance, but that you will use
your powerful influence and succeed in having Congress give me at
least a pension of $3,000 a year so that I may be enabled to obey
the command of my physicians."
The Personal and Professional Correspondence also contains
correspondence documenting Grant's presidential administration.
Grant and his staff received letters from a variety of
correspondents, including commanders of military departments,
members of Congress, governors and other state officials, college
and university professors, businessmen, and private citizens.
The letters relate to the annexation of Santo Domingo,
Reconstruction policies, civil rights, and foreign affairs. Some
commend Grant's political decisions and declarations, entreat him
to run for a third term, or solicit personal and political
favors. There are also a number of threats on Grant's life over
such issues as the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and the use of
federal troops in New Orleans to protect the lives of black
Republicans.
Correspondence during this period also documents the
scandals that occurred during Grant's administration. Included
are letters relating to Grant's failure to get his nominees
confirmed for the Supreme Court, letters of resignation from many
of his cabinet members, and correspondence pertaining to the
whiskey frauds involving the Treasury Department and his longtime
friend and fellow Civil War veteran, Orville E. Babcock.
Completing the file is correspondence documenting Grant's
life after he left the White House. Letters pertaining to his
family's worldwide travels in 1877-1879 are included. Letters
between Grant and Li Hung Chang, viceroy of Tientsin, and other
Chinese and Japanese officials concern a dispute over Japan's
annexation of the Ryukyu Islands. Grant served as an arbitrator
in the dispute and eventually helped negotiate a peaceful
solution. Grant, Li Hung Chang, and the Japanese officials
maintained a friendly correspondence until his death.
The file also contains letters regarding Grant's
unsuccessful bid for the presidential nomination on the
Republican ticket in 1880, the collapse of Grant & Ward and his
subsequent financial ruin, and messages of sympathy from friends
and private citizens after the public disclosure of his fatal
illness. Of special interest are letters from Civil War veterans
containing personal accounts of battles, copies of contemporary
letters and newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous facts and
figures sent to assist Grant in the writing of his memoirs.
Frequent and notable correspondents include Adam Badeau,
Orville E. Babcock, John A. Bingham, Benjamin Helm Bristow,
Frederick Douglass, Hamilton Fish (1808-1893), Charles W. Ford,
Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, John
Singleton Mosby, Edwards Pierrepont, John A. Rawlins, Matias
Romero, William S. Rosecrans, Philip Henry Sheridan, William T.
Sherman, Edwin M. Stanton, Elihu B. Washburne, J. H. Wilson, and
John Russell Young.
The Military File, 1846-1868, in Series 10 consists chiefly
of copies of orders, reports, and official dispatches during the
Civil War that mostly duplicate items found in the main body of
the Grant Papers. The file also contains material pertaining to
Grant's service as commanding general of the army after the war.
Included are transcripts of congressional testimony given by
Grant and memoranda pertaining to Reconstruction policies, copies
of reports from the Mexican War, documents relating to a minor
legal case during the Civil War, and other miscellaneous items,
such as Grant's commission as lieutenant general in the United
States Army signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1864.
The Writings file, 1847-1969, n.d., contains writings by
Grant and his wife. Material pertaining to his autobiography,
_Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant_, includes drafts, galley proof
fragments, and correspondence documenting the dispute between the
Grant family and Adam Badeau over the authorship of the memoirs.
The file also includes the galley and printer's proof of Grant's
article, "The Siege of Vicksburg" (1884), some of his published
letters to editors, a copy of a speech he gave in 1875 at the
reunion of the Army of the Tennessee, and other miscellaneous
writings.
The largest segment of the file includes the original
manuscript of Julia Dent Grant's memoirs. Consisting of twelve
volumes, the memoir is written in several different hands,
including her own. Most of the writing was done by her eldest
son, Frederick Dent Grant, and her longtime secretary, Mary
Coffey. In 1975, the memoir was edited and published in its
entirety by John Y. Simon.
The Writings file also contains writings by others.
Included are an unpublished narrative and the galley proof of
_Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman_ by Ulysses S. Grant
III, notes made from Grant's papers by John Russell Young in
1875, memoranda written by Hamilton Fish and Felix Brunot during
Grant's presidential administration, and other miscellaneous
writings.
The final file of Series 10, Miscellany, 1819-1933, n.d.,
contains financial records, printed matter, souvenirs and other
items from Grant's travels, maps of various properties, family
passports, and drafts of Grant's will. His last signature before
his death, as attested to by his son Frederick, a copy of the
deposition he gave regarding the Grant & Ward scandal, and other
miscellaneous items complete the series.
Series 11, 1868-1932, consists of correspondence, including
a letter from Frederick T. Dent to his daughter Madgie commenting
on the impeachment proceedings of Andrew Johnson and a visit he
made to Ulysses S. and Julia Dent Grant in Washington, D.C.,
letters from Julia Dent Grant to Charles Furlong, and a letter
from Ulysses S. Grant to Benjamin Helm Bristow.
***
DESCRIPTION OF SERIES
Container Nos. Contents
1-4 Series 8, 1846-1893, n.d.
Correspondence, a bound volume of autographs,
newspaper clippings, souvenirs, financial records,
certificates, a bound index pertaining to Grant
materials in _Townsend's Library of "National
Records,"_ and miscellaneous items. Arranged by
type of material. The material in the first
container of this series is available on microfilm.
Reel 33.
1 Series 9, 1848-1974.
Correspondence between Grant and military
officers, letters to and from Grant's grandson,
Chapman Grant, and a headquarters record book
dating from the Mexican War. Arranged by type of
material. The headquarters book is available on
microfilm. Reel 34.
1-24 Series 10, 1840-1969, n.d.
1-2 Family Correspondence, 1862-1965, n.d.
Correspondence between Grant and his wife,
sons, and other family members. Arranged
alphabetically by name of correspondent and
chronologically thereunder.
2-15 Personal and Professional Correspondence,
1840-1885.
Incoming and outgoing correspondence and
attached material exchanged between Grant and
his staff with military officers, members of
Congress, state governors and officials,
businessmen, private citizens, and friends.
Arranged chronologically.
15-18 Military File, 1846-1903, n.d.
Copies of orders, reports, and official
dispatches of the Civil War, memoranda,
transcripts of congressional testimony, copies
of Mexican War reports, commission, and other
items pertaining to Grant's military career.
Arranged alphabetically by topic or type of
material and chronologically thereunder.
19-22 Writings, ca. 1847-1969, n.d.
Drafts, galley fragments, an account sheet,
and correspondence and related material
pertaining to Grant's memoirs; drafts and
galleys of a magazine article; letters to
editors, and a speech, poem, and other
miscellaneous writings by Grant. The manuscript
of Julia Dent Grant's memoirs, galleys of a
Grant biography by Ulysses S. Grant III, notes
made from the Grant Papers by John Russell
Young, memoranda by Hamilton Fish and Felix
Brunot, and further writings by others are
included. Arranged alphabetically by name of
author and type of material and chronologically
thereunder.
23-24 Miscellany, 1819-1933, n.d.
Printed matter, financial records, papers
regarding a dispute over the army salary of
Albert Grant, the deposition made by Ulysses S.
Grant regarding the bankruptcy of Grant & Ward,
maps, memorabilia, photographs, passports,
wills, souvenirs, and other miscellaneous
material. Arranged alphabetically by type of
material and chronologically thereunder.
OV 1-3 Oversize, 1819-1969, n.d.
Correspondence, printer and galley proofs,
printed matter, and miscellaneous items.
Organized and described according to the series,
folders, and boxes from which the items were
removed.
1 Series 11, 1868-1932.
Family and general correspondence. Arranged
alphabetically by type of material.
***
CONTAINER LIST
SERIES 8, 1846-1893, n.d.
Container Reel Contents
Nos. No.
Box 1 Reel 33 Correspondence, 1846, 1862-1881 (2 folders)
_See also Oversize_
Bound volume, "Forty Autograph Letters of
Ulysses S. Grant, 1860-1877," n.d.
Pardon for Michael Johnson by Grant, 1870
_See Oversize_
Certificate, life membership in the
Association of Maryland Veterans of the
Mexican War, 1876 _See Oversize_
Newspaper clippings, 1873-1888
Box 2 not Appomattox Courthouse surrender agreement
filmed between Grant and Robert E. Lee
(reproduction), 1865
Certificate, United States General Land
Office, homestead granted to Daniel Freeman
of Brownsville, Nebr., 1869
Correspondence, 1861-1866, 1874, 1885
Miscellany, n.d.
Souvenirs, annual banquet commemorating the
birth of Grant, 1893
Narrative of Ely S. Parker re Robert E.
Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox,
1893
Reproduction of correspondence between Grant
and Robert E. Lee before Lee's surrender
at Appomattox, 1893
Box 3 Financial records, 1875-1876 (1 vol.)
Box 4 Index to materials pertaining to Grant in
_Townsend's Library of "National Records,"_
n.d. (1 vol.)
Box OV 1 Oversize
Correspondence, 1879
Pardon for Michael Johnson by Grant, 1870
Certificate, life membership in the
Association of Maryland Veterans of the
Mexican War, 1876
SERIES 9, 1848-1974
Box 1 Correspondence, 1863-1886, 1971-1974 (2 folders)
Box 1 Reel 34 Headquarters, Company A, Fourth United States
Infantry, record book, 1848-1853
SERIES 10, 1840-1969, n.d.
Box 1 not Family Correspondence
filmed
Grant, Frederick Dent, 1884-1897 (7 folders)
Grant, Ida Honore, 1926
Grant, Julia Dent, 1863-1902, n.d. (7 folders)
Grant, Ulysses S.
Grant, Frederick Dent, 1871-1878, 1885
(3 folders)
Box 2 Grant, Julia Dent, 1862-1875, 1885, n.d.
Grant, Ulysses S. ("Buck"), Jr., 1877-1878
Unidentified, n.d.
Grant, Ulysses S., III, 1924-1932, 1938-1941,
1952-1965 (3 folders)
Miscellaneous family members, 1866-1870
Personal and Professional Correspondence
Mar. 1840-Mar. 1864 (9 folders)
Box 3 Apr. 1864-July 1865 (17 folders) _See also
Oversize_
Box 4 Aug. 1865-Feb. 1866 (16 folders)
Box 5 Mar. 1866-Aug. 1867 (16 folders)
Box 6 Sept. 1867-Oct. 1868 (17 folders) _See also
Oversize_
Box 7 Nov. 1868-Dec. 1871 (14 folders)
Box 8 Jan.-Dec. 1872 (16 folders)
Box 9 Jan. 1873-May 1874 (13 folders)
Box 10 June 1874-Feb. 1875 (14 folders) _See also
Oversize_
Box 11 Mar.-Oct. 1875 (14 folders)
Box 12 Nov. 1875-Sept. 1876 (16 folders) _See also
Oversize_
Box 13 Nov. 1876-Aug. 1877 (21 folders) _See also
Oversize_
Box 14 Oct. 1878-Aug. 1883 (18 folders)
Box 15 Jan. 1884-July 1885 (5 folders)
Military File
Commission, lieutenant general, 1864
Congressional testimony, 1864-1867 (4 folders)
Legal case, _Tomeny v. United States_, 1862
Lists
Battle casualties and order of battles, 1862-1865
Officers, ca. 1862
Memoranda
Johnson, Andrew, impeachment, 1868
Louisiana, levee repairs, 1866-1867
Maryland
Baltimore elections, 1866
Militias, 1867
(2 folders)
Box 16 (2 folders)
Miscellany, 1862-1867, n.d.
Official copies of dispatches, 1864-1865
(10 folders)
Orders, 1846, 1861-1868 (3 folders)
Box 17 Reports
1846-1847, 1862, 1903 (14 folders)
Box 18 1862-1865 (14 folders)
Box 19 Writings
By Grant
Articles, "The Siege of Vicksburg," 1884
Drafts
Galley proof _See Oversize_
Printer's proof _See Oversize_
Books, _Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant_
Account sheet, 1887 _See Oversize_
Correspondence and related material re
dispute with Adam Badeau, 1885-1889
(9 folders)
Drafts, 1885 (3 folders)
Galley proof, fragments, 1885
Box 20 Letters to the editor, 1881-1884
Miscellaneous writings, n.d.
Poem, ca. 1847
Speech, 1875
By others
Brunot, Felix R., report on Indian affairs,
ca. 1875
Fish, Hamilton, memorandum on Canadian
Reciprocity Treaty, ca. 1871
Grant, Julia Dent, memoirs, ca. 1887-ca. 1891
Vols. 1-4 (4 folders)
Box 21 Vols. 5-9 (5 folders)
Box 22 Vols. 10-12 (3 folders)
Grant, Ulysses S., III
Biographical narrative re Grant family,
n.d. (2 folders)
Book, _U.S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman_,
galley proof, 1969 _See Oversize_
Research material, n.d. _See also
Oversize_
Unidentified, ca. 1873-1874, n.d.
Young, John Russell, notes made from the
Grant Papers, 1875 (3 folders)
Box 23 Miscellany
Abstract re investigation into the complicity of
Jefferson Davis in the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln, 1868
Deposition re Grant & Ward, 1885
Financial records
Accounts, 1856, 1870-ca.1873
Investments
Drexel & Co., Bankers, 1877-1878
Others, 1866-1881
Rawlins, John A., family trust fund,
1869-1877 _See also_ _Oversize_
Real estate, 1850, 1859, 1875-1884, n.d.
(3 folders)
Receipts, 1867-1886
Fishing permit, 1865
Grant, Albert, papers, re dispute over army
salary, 1885 (4 folders)
Box 24 Maps, n.d. _See also Oversize_
Memorabilia
Autograph, last signature of Grant as
attested to by Frederick Dent Grant, 1885
Flag, unidentified fragment, n.d.
Flower (dried and pressed), sent to Grant by
a former Confederate soldier, 1885
Mexico
Commercial treaty, 1883
Constitution, 1881 _See Oversize_
Miscellany, ca. 1840s, 1856, 1863-1870, 1894,
n.d. _See also Oversize_
Passports, 1877 _See Oversize_
Photographs, ca. 1890s
Printed matter
Broadsides, 1872-1876
Handbills, 1872-1881
Inserts, 1843-1844
Magazine articles, 1863, 1873, 1885 _See
Oversize_
Newspaper clippings, 1819, 1867-ca.1888,
1928-1933 (2 folders) _See also Oversize_
Page proofs, ca. 1877
Pamphlets, 1867-1880, 1909 (2 folders)
Programs, 1873-1880, 1888
Travels
China, lists of gifts received, 1879
India, list of cities to visit, ca. 1879
_See Oversize_
Japan
Ephemera, paper wrappings and envelopes,
n.d.
Financial tables re Japanese treasury
department, 1879
Lists of gifts received, 1879
Memorabilia, leaf from tree planted by
General and Mrs. Grant in Tokyo, n.d.
Printed matter, 1879
Transcript, Japanese code of laws, 1879
U.S. Senate, S. 496, providing for the
examination and adjudication of pension
claims, 1880
Wills, 1884-1885
Box OV 1 Oversize
Personal and Professional Correspondence
Mar. 1865 (Container 3)
Apr. 1868 (Container 6)
Aug. 1874 (Container 10)
Feb. 1875 (Container 10)
June 1876 (Container 12)
Mar. 1877 (Container 13)
Writings
By Grant
Article, "The Siege of Vicksburg," 1884
Printers proof (Container 19)
Book, _Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant_
Account sheet, 1887 (Container 19)
By others
Grant, Ulysses S., III
Research material, n.d. (Container 22)
Miscellany
Financial records
Rawlins, John A., family trust fund,
1870-1875 (Container 23)
Maps, n.d. (Container 24)
Mexico
Constitution, 1881 (Container 24)
Miscellany, 1894, n.d. (Container 24)
Passports, 1877 (Container 24)
Printed matter
Magazine articles, 1863, 1873, 1885
(Container 24)
Newspaper clippings, 1819, 1868-1875,
1881-1888 (Container 24)
Travels
India, list of cities to visit, ca. 1879
(Container 24)
Box OV 2 Writings
By Grant
Articles, "The Siege of Vicksburg," 1884
Galley proof (Container 19)
Box OV 3 By others
Ulysses S. Grant III
Book, _U.S. Grant: Warrior and
Statesman_, galley proof, 1969
(Container 22)
SERIES 11, 1868-1932
Box 1 Family Correspondence, 1868-1932 (4 folders)
General Correspondence, 1874
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