Briggs family and Mitchell family papers, 1849-1907, bulk 1860-1890.
Descriptive
Inventory for the Collection at Chicago
History Museum, Research Center
By
Mindy C. Pugh; rev. 2012
Please
address questions to:
Chicago
History Museum, Research Center
1601
North Clark Street
Chicago,
IL 60614-6038
Web-site:
http://www.chicagohistory.org/research
©
Copyright 2012, Chicago Historical Society
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Title:
Briggs family and Mitchell family papers, 1849-1907, bulk
1860-1890.
Main entry: Briggs, Emma R., b. 1843.
Inclusive dates: 1849-1907, bulk 1860-1890
Size:
ca. 400 items (851 p.) and 9 v. (1190 p.)
Access: This collection is
open for research use.
Provenance statement: Purchased with other materials from the Dicke collection in 1949.
Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or
their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless
otherwise noted.
Please cite this
collection as: Briggs family and
Mitchell family papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description,
date, and box/folder number of a specific item.
This descriptive
inventory contains the following sections:
Biographical/Historical
note,
Summary
description of the collection,
Description
of some material related to the collection,
List
of online catalog headings about the collection,
List
of contents of the collection,
Excerpts
from the Civil War papers of Dr. Robert Mitchell,
Excerpts
from the Civil War diary kept by Darwin Atwood.
Biographical/Historical
note:
Emma
R. Briggs of Briggsville (Wis.) and her two sisters: Abby (Mrs. Robert
Mitchell) and Lydia (Mrs. Darwin Atwood) had many relatives among the Briggs,
Mitchell, and Atwood families. The parents of the three Briggs sisters were
Alexander Ellis Briggs (1800-1861) and Mary (nee Ormsbee)
Briggs (1799-1875). The Briggs sisters' brother James A. Briggs (1836-1922) was
a prominent Briggsville businessman. Alexander and Mary Briggs were originally
of Whiting (Vt.), where their children were born, but moved to Marquette County
(Wis.) in 1850, where Briggs formed the artificial Lake Mason and on its banks
founded the village of Briggsville. Mrs. Alexander Briggs was commonly known as
Robey rather than Mary.
Emma
R. Briggs didn't marry. Abby O. Briggs married Robert Mitchell on April 25,
1867 in Portage (Wis.). He was the son of Robert Mitchell, Sr., and Mary
(Freeman) Mitchell, and was born June 22, 1826, in Moravia (N.Y.). In 1845 he
completed his literary education at Geneva College in Geneva (N.Y.), and in
1850 received an M.D. degree from the University of Buffalo. In 1851 he
travelled overland to California with ox teams. Once there he mined on the Yuba
and Feather Rivers and returned to the East in 1854. In 1857 Dr. Mitchell
settled in Portage to practice medicine and remained there until August 1861,
when he was appointed assistant surgeon of the Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry. In 1863 he was appointed surgeon of the Twenty-seventh Regiment.
Robert
and Abby Mitchell had their only child, Robert Ellis Mitchell, in Portage on
March 24, 1869. In that year the Mitchells moved to a farm in Marquette County,
where Dr. Mitchell farmed as well as practiced medicine. In November 1874 he
was elected as a Republican to the State Assembly from Marquette County but was
defeated for re-election the following November. An attempt to regain his seat
in 1878 also ended in defeat. In politics, he opposed the program of the
Radical Republicans. In December 1893 Dr. and Mrs. Mitchell returned to Portage
for retirement, and there Dr. Mitchell died on June 21, 1899.
Dr.
Robert Mitchell had two sisters. Frances, known as Fanny, was Mrs. John Willson. In later years, she became Mrs. James P. Rogers. Dr.
Mitchell's sister Jane married Reuben S. Stoyell, and
had one daughter, Mary Stoyell, born around 1857.
Young Mary was adopted by her aunt Frances Willson
following the deaths of both her parents in the autumn of 1864.
Amanda
Ormsbee, prominent correspondent in the 1860s and
1870s, was the wife of William W. Ormsbee of Geneva
(Ill.), a cousin of the Briggs sisters through their mother, the former Mary Ormsbee. Alma Atwood Ormsby (Mrs. J.W. Ormsby) was probably
a sister of Darwin Atwood and was not related to William and Amanda Ormsbee, at least not closely related.
Summary
description of the collection:
Letters,
diaries, and U.S. Army medical requisitions and reports, primarily by members
of the Briggs and Mitchell families of Wisconsin and Illinois. Correspondence
includes incoming letters to three Briggsville (Wis.) sisters: Abby (Mrs.
Robert Mitchell), Lydia (Mrs. Darwin Atwood) and Emma R. Briggs, mainly from
cousins, nephews and in-laws; letters to Dr. Robert Mitchell from his sisters
Jane (Mrs. Reuben Stoyell) and
Frances known as Fanny (Mrs. John Willson),
and from Henry B. Munn, his attorney. Collection also includes diaries kept by
Emma Briggs, 1863-1872; by Darwin Atwood, 1863-1865 as a private in the 1st
Wisconsin Artillery; and by Dr. Robert Mitchell, 1861-1865 as surgeon of the
10th and 27th Wisconsin Infantry regiments, along with medical requisitions and
reports produced by Mitchell during the Civil War.
Includes
letters by Amanda Ormsbee to the Briggs sisters in
the 1860s and 1870s. She was the wife of William W. Ormsbee
of Geneva, Illinois, cousin of the sisters through their mother.
Description of
some material related to the collection:
Wisconsin
Historical Society (Madison, Wis.) holds related Briggs-Mitchell family papers.
List of online
catalog headings about the collection:
The
following headings for this collection were placed in the online catalog.
Subjects:
Briggs,
Emma R., b. 1843--Archives.
Atwood,
Darwin F.--Diaries.
Atwood,
Frank E.
Atwood,
Lydia E. Briggs, d. 1891--Archives.
Briggs,
James A., 1836-1922.
Mitchell,
Abby O. Briggs, b. 1829.
Mitchell,
Robert, 1826-1899--Archives.
McGregor,
John P.
Briggs
family.
Mitchell
family.
United
States. Army Surgeons.
United
States. Army. Wisconsin Heavy Artillery Regiment, 1st (1861-1865)
United
States. Army. Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, 10th (1861-1864)
United
States. Army. Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, 27th (1862-1865)
Death--United
States--19th century.
Families--Wisconsin--Briggsville.
Families--Illinois--Geneva--19th
century.
Physicians--Wisconsin--19th
century.
Physicians--United
States--19th century.
Soldiers--Wisconsin--19th
century.
Women--Wisconsin--19th
century.
Briggsville
(Wis.)--Social life and customs.
Portage
(Wis.)--Description and travel--19th century.
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medical care.
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives.
Form/genre:
Correspondence.
Diaries.
Invoices.
Receipts
(financial records)
Requisitions.
Returns
(Military)
Vouchers.
Added
entries:
Atwood,
Darwin F.
Atwood,
Frank E.
Atwood,
Lydia E. Briggs, d. 1891.
Briggs,
Emma R., b. 1843.
Mitchell,
Abby O. Briggs, b. 1829.
Mitchell,
Robert, 1826-1899.
McGregor,
John P.
Munn,
Henry B.
Stoyell, Jane Mitchell, d.
1864.
Ormsbee, Amanda, d. 1876.
Ormsbee, William W., b.
1832.
Willson, Frances
Mitchell.
Willson, John.
United
States. Army. Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, 27th (1862-1865)
United
States. Army. Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, 10th (1861-1864)
United
States--Wisconsin--Marquette County--Briggsville.
United
States--Illinois--Kane County--Geneva.
List of contents
of the collection:
folder
1 [missing]
folder
2 1863
folder
3 1864
folder
4 1865-1866
folder
5 Robert Mitchell diaries,
1861-1865;
folder
6 Blank medical forms, Civil
War era
folder
7 Diaries of Emma R. Briggs,
1863-1872
folder
8 Diary of Darwin Atwood,
1863-1865
folder
9 1867-1876
folder
10 1877-1907
folder
11 Inventory of the
Briggs-Mitchell family papers at Wisconsin Historical Society
Excerpts from the
Civil War papers of Dr. Robert Mitchell:
Mitchell,
Robert, Surgeon, 10th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.
Documents,
letters and 3 diaries
The
documents date from 1861 through 1865; invoices of medicines, instruments,
hospital stores, bedding, etc. Receipts
for medical and hospital supplies; lists of camp and garrison equipages;
quarterly returns of clothing; lists of articles in the public service while in
charge of Robert Mitchell. Returns of
medical and hospital property received, expended, issued and remaining on hand
at various dates; requisition sheets; certified invoices of medical and
hospital supplies; special orders, etc. and certificate for exemption for a "drafted
person on account of disability."
Also blank forms used in Medical Department of the Army; affidavit of
application for certificate of registration, medical certificate; requisition
sheets for medicine, hospital stores, etc., required at ..
for … physician's affidavit; invoice of medicines, instruments, hospital
stores, bedding, etc. contained in packages marked U.S.A. Hospital
Department. Report of sick and wounded;
return of medical and hospital property – to be sent to the Surgeon General's
office. Miscellaneous papers dating from
1866 through 1902 are concerned chiefly with bounty claims, arrears of pay and
pension claims. Letter from Surgeon
General Wolcott, stating that Dr. Mitchell is qualified for the responsible
duties of Assistant Surgeon and Dr. Mitchell's Muster In and Muster Out Rolls.
The
letters, about 75 in number, are descriptive of both life in camps and the life
at home in Portage City written by Dr. Mitchell, his sisters, brother and
friends. Dr. Mitchell tells the
movements of the regiment in detail and arrangements made for taking care of
the wounded. In January, 1862, he writes
from Bacon Creek, Kentucky; "if you could be present at Surgeon's call
some morning and see the hundred or more men that come to us for prescriptions,
see how they look, hear their stories of their feelings, their food, their
clothing and than go with me through the tents and
see how they are stowed away in the small space of nine by nine without
ventilation and you will see some of the horrors of war … I doubt if you gain
from the current news of the day any just idea of the condition of things
here. You read of all the glories of war
(if there are any) while we are seeing its horrors (and they are plenty.)"
1862,
Dec. 25 "a
twelvemonth has passed and not one of the well remembered
faces have I seen, not a single hope has been realized. The war drags its slow length along and each
day seems farther from its close … Rosecrans appears to have the confidence of
both officers and men and trust that he will prove that he is deserving of
it. He has a grand army."
1863.
Feb. 22. Murfreesboro. "The railroad is finally completed to
this place … and supplies are coming forward rapidly ..
the old 10th is in pretty good condition but far from being what it once was …
Everything seems to be at a standstill, in other departments as well as this
and I suppose we are not to look for much news for a month to come. The papers I see are full of politics and the
people north seem to me busy calling each other Greybacks,
Traitors and so forth. The only way to
close this war is to fight it to the bitter end and now we have nothing to gain
and everything to lose by truces and attempts to patch up a peace and should
the North concede anything to the South, they themselves will fall in pieces."
… If I were given to gassing I might spin you some yarns that you would be
ashamed to believe, but I hardly believe they would entertain or amuse you,
coming from a man of so staid and sober character as mine."
1864,
Jan. 7 I have seen no account of the
number that have volunteered lately, but I suppose they had to call on quite a
number to serve their country by forking over the three hundred
greenbacks. A good many in the old
regiments here have re-enlisted, more by far than I had any idea would do it.
1864,
Feb. 16 Letter to Dr. Mitchell from
Chattanooga; "You wish me to write
you something about the battle of Chickamauga … I can assure you it was one of
the damnedest fights on record and I was several times as badly frightened as
men get to be on such occasions. Poor
Reeves did his duty nobly and did not make any effort to get away as he thought
medical officers would be allowed to leave as soon as their services were not
needed, but he was much mistaken. Benson
is still anxious to be promoted, but I fear he is too anxious and has sent on
more recommends and written more letters than are necessary to promote one man." "Each Brigade has one of those Medicine
Wagons that you wished was in Hell and I think our medical officers will wish
them in the same place before the summer is out. I have a very good microscope and I am
learning to use it as fast as I could expect; I find it very interesting and
wish you could be with me to enjoy the beauties the little instrument reveals."
1864,
Aug. 11 Little
Rock Ark. Everything is quiet along the
Arkansas … White River is open but the boats have nearly stopped running since
the order issued cutting off trade with the States in insurrection and Uncle
Sam has gone into the cotton business.
1864,
Oct. 23 Peterson
Barracks from George Stevens; "I have nearly made up my mind to see it
through if I live long enough. There is
another thing, that is Old Abe must be President of all the States; what is the
use to have only a half president – lets try him once
more and have him to rule the whole, if we have to all take the field and fite for him."
1864,
Nov. 4 From
Hospital, Atlanta, Ga L.S. Reeve. "In the North everything looks
prosperous and one finds it difficult to remember that a great war is in the
land. I never saw so much travel or
greater general extravagance than is now met everywhere. Money is plenty and business of all kinds
seems flourishing. Those of our
profession who are at home I should judge to be doing remarkably well and I for
one will be greatly pleased when I can join them." … "There was
throughout "America" a good deal of excitement about the coming
election, but a general belief that the present administration would be
sustained and the copperhead candidates and party sent very far and very fast
up Salt River.
1865,
Jan. 18 From
John McGregor at Portage, Wis. To Dr. Mitchell.
"It seems evident that the Rebels are no longer able to meet our
determined efforts at a definite point except at Richmond and I hope when
Sherman gets up there to help Grant, we shall take that stronghold. I should have great hopes of peace in a short
time if I thought that was what the ruling spirits of the Republican party
really desired. But while the president
talks about our resources being unexhausted and inexhaustible, and the
Republican party Leaders maintain that the country was never more prosperous
than in this time of terrible war and destruction and while they make the
abolition of slavery of quite as much account as the restoration of the Union,
I have little hope. Even after the Rebel
armies shall have been scattered and their strongholds captured, it will be
many years before we can hope for real peace and union unless a pacification is
made on terms that will leave the southern people the right of self government and will be acceptable to a majority of the people at least. I am afraid that the ruling party have
determined to keep the south under Military government till it will vote their
ticket."
1865,
May 29 Near
Mobile Ala. From Dr. Mitchell. "The
sudden and complete collapse of the Rebellion East of the Mississippi is
sending home great numbers of paroled Johnnies who most of them appear to have
had enough of fighting and seem disposed to take things as they come without
manifesting any great affection for the Yankees. Although it is quiet here in the South,
everything is unsettled and no one knows what his status is or is to be; while
this state of things lasts there will be no business, no labor, no crops
planted and unless there is a speedy settlement, I believe there will be more
frightful suffering of starving men, women and children during the next year
than has been witnessed during the whole four years of war."
1865,
Oct. 22 From
J.B. Cooper to Dr. Mitchell. New
Orleans. "The work of
reconstruction in these states is progressing finaly
– that bitterness of feeling is fast subsiding and all things are now quiet …
General Fullerton's address to the Freedmen of the South which is timely and to
the point and we think will have a salutary affect on
them … The business of this city is constantly improving – one good crop will
stir things up. The French will be
driven from Mexico and the Reb Generals that went over there to join Max finaly joined the Republicans."
The
Diaries, three in number dating from Nov. 9, 1861 contain records of the
movements of the regiment, lists of men in different companies receiving
medical attention, scattered notes, weather, numbers of wounded sent to
hospitals in nearest towns, mass accounts, etc.
Very few comments or personal opinions.
The
10th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers was ordered into Camp at Milwaukee and was
fully organized about Oct. 1, 1861. Two
Assistant Surgeons were appointed to each Regiment to be paid by the State. Lt. Col. Joshua a. Guffy
and Dr. Robert Mitchell were assigned to the 120th Regiment.
Excerpts from the
Civil War diary kept by Darwin Atwood:
Battery
F, Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, from Portage, Wis.
1
small notebook 1863-1865
The
diary (5 x 5 ½") was apparently kept by a young boy, a private who had
enlisted in the army.
The
first records are concerned with selling maps and charts, Oct. 1st, 1864 "commenced
memorandum."
1864:
Oct. 1 Drawed rations for a
trip to Washington – hard tack and cheese.
Oct. 3 Great bustle at Madison.
Oct. 4 Arrived in Chicago went to Soldiers Rest but did not have
time to eat and had to partake of hardtack and cheese.
Oct. 5 Pittsburg. Supper after the cars come and
there was quite a time before the boys would get on for
they was freight cars.
Oct. 6 This is the hardest looking country I ever saw
– rocks upon rocks along the banks of the river … poor farming country but
abundance of coal and ore …. On freight cars yet & I think will go to
Washington .. the boys are mad all through. Strangers from Racine opened a barrel of
whiskey and filled the canteens up and expect a hard night tonight.
Oct. 7 Glen Rock Station. Only come 47 miles all
night … first signs of fortifications … there is some difference in the
treatment of drafted men than volunteers – they are guarded all
of the time and us can get off when we please–hard for conscripts … Have
had but one warm meal since we started from Madison.
Oct.
18 Last night called out to move all
things into fort ready for a fight.
Nov. Co. voted 22 for Lincoln and 30 for
McClellan.
1865:
Jan.
17 Flags at half-mast for E. Everett
Diary
also contains list of clothing bought and pay received after deductions are
made.
Letters
to Ellen and Abby.
[The
diary was with the Robert Mitchell papers.]