S.B. Holabird and earlier family papers

S.B. Holabird and earlier family papers, ca. 1760-1905 (bulk 1846-1884).

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center.

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Main entry: Holabird, Samuel Beckley, 1826-1907

Title: S.B. Holabird and earlier family papers, ca. ca. 1760-1905 (bulk 1846-1884)

Dates: ca. 1760-1905 (bulk 1846-1884)

Size: 6 boxes

1 oversize folder

A&M Accession number: M1980.0006

Restriction: Advance appointment with special permission required to view some items.

This descriptive inventory includes:

1. Description of the collection,

2. Description of some related material,

3. Provenance statement,

4. List of online catalog headings,

5. Storage designation,

6. Container list of boxes and folders numbers/titles.

Description of the collection:

Account books, journals, and other record books, correspondence, certificates, and other papers of General S.B. Holabird, his wife Mary Grant Holabird, and earlier generations of their families, most relating to business and military matters. Holabird, an 1849 graduate of West Point, served in New Orleans as Chief Quartermaster of the army's Dept. of the Gulf (Dec. 1862-July 1865) and as Quartermaster General of the U.S. (July 1883-June 1890). Includes records of cotton, other commodities, and other things confiscated from specific plantations and other Confederate owners and sold under Holabird's direction during the Civil War. Includes his writings on various military topics and operations of quartermaster offices, his commission certificates signed by presidents and secretaries of war, and a patent certificate for a tent he designed (22 July 1884).

Also in the collection are materials (ca. 75 items, primarily 1770's) relating to Massachusetts during the American Revolution and activities of its Philadelphia-based purchasing agents, William Barrell and Jonathan Mifflin, in securing supplies; bills for tents produced for the Continental Army; and account book (1760-1770) of Col. Amos Bird, great grandfather of S.B. Holabird. Includes a letter (1776 Apr. 17) signed by John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, and Elbridge Gerry (delegates of Massachusetts Bay Colony), sent to the Council of Egg Harbor, New Jersey; and a receipt (1776 July 31) for 400.00 dollars (150 pounds) from William Barrell to the General Assembly of Massachusetts Bay Colony, signed by Samuel Adams, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine.

Description of some related material:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the John A. Holabird and other Holabird family papers and records of the architectural firm of Holabird and Root.

Provenance statement:

Gift of John Holabird (A&M Accession number: M1980.0006).

List of online catalog headings:

The following headings were placed in the computer catalog record for this collection:

Holabird, Samuel Beckley, 1826-1907.

Bird, Amos

Holabird, Mary Grant.

Holabird family.

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894

Augur, Christopher Colon, 1821-1898.

United States. Army. Dept. of the Gulf (1862-1865)

United States. Army. Quartermaster Corps.

Cotton trade--Louisiana--19th century.

Family--Massachusetts--18th century.

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

New Orleans (La.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Philadelphia (Pa.)--Commerce--18th century.

United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783

Massachusetts--History--Revolution, 1775-1783

United States--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

United States--Louisiana--New Orleans.

United States--District of Columbia--Washington.

Account books. aat

Bills (financial). aat

Commissions (military). aat

Deeds. aat

Diplomas. aat

Journals (notebooks). aat

Genealogies. aat

Patents (licenses). aat

Storage designation:

Collection: Holabird, S.B.

Rare Book Room: Holabird, S.B.

Container list of boxes and folders numbers/titles:

Box 1 & 2

Account books and Record books (8 v.; 1760-1868) concerning personal, business, and military matters.

Includes 1760-1770 account book of Col. Amos Bird, great grandfather of S.B. Holabird.

Includes 1846 memo on Mexican War by S.B. Holabird (in box 1)

Includes account books about sale of confiscated cotton, etc. from specific plantations, etc. in the region administered by General Holabird as Chief Quartermaster of the army's Dept. of the Gulf (Dec. 1862-July 1865)

Includes correspondence on operations of Quartermaster dept., 1866-1867 (in box 2)

Box 3-5

Journals (notebooks), letterbooks (26 v.; 1851-1896)

Includes n.d. comment on military strategy by S.B. Holabird (in box 5).

Box 6

1 folder, 1700's (primarily 1770's) misc. letters, receipts, bills, account sheets, etc. and documents to and from various people, especially business correspondence relating to William Barrell and Jonathan Mifflin, purchasing agents for the colony of Massachusetts (based in Philadelphia):

1775 October 1 AL, 4p.

1776 January 2 AL, 2p.

1776 January 8 AD, 2p.

1776 February 21 AD, 2p.

1776 June, 1776 ALS, 1p. (on verso: 1776 June 12 AD,. 1p.)

1776 June, 1776 AL, 1p.

1776 July, 1776 AD, 1p.

undated account sheet to William Barrell.

Also in this folder:

1770 Nov. 26, Indenture of payment to Thomas Mifflin from Catherine Elizabeth Miller.

1776 Apr. 17, Letter written and signed by John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, and Elbridge Gerry (delegates of Massachusetts Bay Colony). Letter sent to the Council of Egg Harbor, New Jersey. ALS, 1 p.

1776 July 31, Receipt of $400.00 (150 pounds) from William Barrell to the General Assembly of the Massachusetts Bay. Signed by Samuel Adams, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine.

1776 July 15, Receipt of $400.00 (150 pounds) from William Barrell to the General Assembly of Massachusetts Bay. Singed by Elbridge Gerry.

1 folder, 1776-1777, bills for making tents for the Continental Army.

1775 September 11 ALS, 1p.

1776 February 2 ALS, 1p.

1776 February 10 ALS, 2p.

1776 February 15 ALS, 1p.

1776 February 21 ALS, 2p.

1776 February 22 ALS, 1p.

1776 February 22 ALS; also B. Greenleaf, Walter Spooner and Moses Gill. 1p.; March 5 ALS. William Barrell 1p.(all written on the same piece of paper).

1776 February 23 ALS,. 1p.

1776 March 14 ALS,. 1p.

1 folder, 1846-1864, Col. S.B. Holabird's clippings, writings, misc deeds (blue leather folder).

1863 comments on Grant after Vicksburg, etc.

1 folder, 1861-1894, chiefly family letters. Includes 1865 (or 1866) July 26 quit claim deed; 1849 Nov. 16 deed of sale of land from Jerome S. Chaffee to Talmon Hunt.

1 folder, 1863-1881, Copies of letters to General Augur from Civil War soldiers and veterans.

1884 July 22, U.S. Patent certificate for Holabird tent

1890 June 16, S.B. Holabird's retirement orders

1 folder misc, menu from the Grand Restaurant Bauer in Venice, 1895 June 7; clipping on paintings of Whistler's found at West Point,1907 Dec. 5.

2 folders genealogical items about families (Nelson Holcomb; Holabird; Beckley; Swift/Payne; Grant; Delavan.

William Holabird (b. 1854-d. ) items from his student days are filed in these locations:

Student exercise book 1865 or 1875 (box 1);

French exercise books (2 p.) 1869 & 1870 (box 2);

Exercise book of dictation, n.d. (box 5).

S.B. Holabird and Mary Grant Holabird oversize folder (some are on vellum with seals):

10 military commission certificates of S.B. Holabird:

1. 1850 Aug. 16, appointment as Second Lieutenant in Second Regiment of Infantry, signed by President Millard Fillmore and Secretary of War Charles Magell Conrad.

2. 1856 July 11, appointment as First Lieutenant in First Regiment of Infantry, signed by President Franklin Pierce and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

3. 1861 Sept. 9, appointment as Assistant Quarter Master with rank of Captain, signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Simon Cameron.

4. 1862 July 2, appointment as Major, signed by Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.

5. 1862 July 11, appointment as Colonel, signed by Edwin M. Stanton

6. 1862 July 26, appointment as additional Aide-de-Camp, with rank of Colonel, signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton.

7. 1866 Dec. 1, appointment of Deputy Quartermaster General, signed by Edwin M. Stanton.

8. 1874 Mar. 7, appointment as Cadet in the army, signed by Secretary of War William Worth Belknap.

9. 1881 Feb. 21, appointment as Assistant Quartermaster General with rank of Colonel, signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes and Secretary of War Alexander Ramsey.

10. 1883 Dec. 20, appointment as Quartermaster General with rank of Brigadier General, signed by President Chester Alan Arthur and Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln.

Also in oversize folder:

1849 June 23, diploma from U.S. Military Academy at West Point for S.B. Holabird.

1882 April 11, Citation of Merit from Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States to S.B. Holabird.

1846 July 16, diploma from the Amenia Seminary (Amenia, N.Y.) to Mary Grant (Mrs S.B. Holabird).