Table of Contents
Edgar T. Welles Papers, 1858-1900
A Guide to the collection at the Connecticut Historical Society
Collection Overview |
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| Repository: | Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut |
| Creator : | Welles, Edgar Thaddeus |
| Title : | Edgar T. Welles Papers, 1858-1900 |
| Dates : | 1843-1914 |
| Extent : | 0.5 linear feet (1 box) |
| Location: | Ms Welleset |
| Language: | English |
Biographical Sketch
Edgar T. Welles was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1843 to Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War. Edgar himself served as chief clerk of the Navy Department from 1866-1869 before resigning in 1870 to study law. Although he was admitted to the bar, Welles never practiced. About 1870 Welles became treasurer and manager of the Gatling Gun Company in Hartford. Throughout the rest of his career he served as president of a variety of businesses including railroads and banks. The auspicious year of 1870 also saw Welles married to Alice Brainard, daughter of Charles Haskell and Mary Jane Goodwin Brainard. The couple had one daughter, Alice. Welles died in 1914 after a long illness and although he lived in New York at the time, he was buried in Hartford.
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Scope and Content
The history of this collection is not known. However, Edgar T. Welles was a member of the Connecticut Historical Society, so it is very possible these came to the library at the time of his death, 1914. The collection consists primarily of letters written to Edgar by such people as Robert Todd Lincoln (1868, 1877-1884), Yung Wing (about shipping four guns to Canton, 1874), Edwin L. Stanton, James R. Hawley, William B. Franklin (1884), Gustavus V. Fox (1867), and Charles R. Hale (1867). They have been arranged chronologically. Most of the missives request letters of introduction or Welles’ help in getting someone a government position or admission to the Naval Academy. Another large portion is requests and thank you notes for information or publications. The letters dated 1858 are largely individuals writing to provide Welles with an autograph. Scattered among these rather routine letters are business correspondence (mostly investments, some handled by Robert Todd Lincoln), correspondence about Navy investigations into discharges and misbehavior, communications from commanders of various Naval vessels in foreign ports and a letter detailing the prize lists of union vessels—Confederate vessels captured by the Union. There is also a letter concerning Welles’ portrait, painted by Matthew Wilson, 1883. In assorted documents are found an 1887 memorial card, a 1900 program, and Welles’ certificate of appointment as a notary public, 1899. John A. Welles’ incoming correspondence is from an individual in the Navy Department. Three letters addressed to Mrs. Welles could be to Edgar’s wife, or to his mother. Isabella Hooker is the author of one undated letter. The collection also includes two free-franked envelopes, one inscribed by Gideon Welles, and a sample of boxwood, identified as having been collected at Mount Vernon in 1868.
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions
Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's Research Center regulations.
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Subject Headings
Personal Names
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Item, Collection Title, Collection number (Box #, Folder #). Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.
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Contents:
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Return to the Table of Contents Papers |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence, 1858-1859 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence, 1860-1865 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence, 1866-January 1867 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence, February-July 1867 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence, August-December 1867 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Correspondence, January-February 1868 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence, March-June 1868 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Correspondence, July-October 1868 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence, November-December 1868 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence, 1869-1870 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Correspondence, 1871-1874 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence, 1875-1877 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Correspondence, 1878-1880 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Correspondence, 1881-1883 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Correspondence, 1884-1888 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Correspondence, 1890-1897 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17-19 | Correspondence, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Assorted documents, 1887-1900, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | John A. Welles incoming correspondence, 1869 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Mrs. Welles, incoming correspondence, 1883, 1893, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Free-franked envelopes 0 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Souvenir from Mount Vernon, 1868 | |||||||||