The Winfield Scott letter and Brevoort House

                                    

In going through a box of papers, I found yet another inventory list for the library's historical archives and artifacts. This inventory refered to the  letter in the Library's collection from General Winfield Scott. The inventory stated that the location to which the letter was sent, Brevoort House, was at one time associated with the Library's benefactor, Isaac Hagaman and his brother, Theodore.

Above: Inventory stating-
Letter signed by Winfield Scott from West Point,
Sept. 10, 1864  Envelope included  Mailed to Brevoort House
(associated with Hagaman brothers at one time)


The  letter from General Scott, can be seen below.

Letter Above: West Point Sept. 10, 1864 
 Dear Sir,
I thank you for your note.
I believe I have engaged apartment higher up town. 
Yours with esteem, Winfield Scott 

Envelope: To A. Clark Esq. Brevoort House, N.Y. 

The Brevoort House Hotel was located in New York City, where the Hagaman brothers owned and operated their own hotel, the Albermarle at 1101 Broadway.  I had seen no reference in any documentation linking Isaac or Theodore Hagaman to Brevoort House.  And the question arises was Isaac Hagaman somehow involved in the management of the Brevoort House Hotel or was he perhaps staying there?

I have not yet found a connection between the Hagaman brothers and the Brevoort House. Nonetheless, I found that the Brevoort House Hotel was the location for General Scott to be honorably addressed by a committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce. 

According to the Richmond Time's Dispatch of November 18th, 1861, accessed through Tufts University's Perseus electronic resource, (referenced at the end of this post), the Brevoort House Hotel was the site of an honorable address to General Scott by a committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce, on the occasion of his retirement from the Union Army. 

            The committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce to present their resolutions
            of respect to General Scott met yesterday at 9 1/2 o'clock, at the Brevoort, and paid
            their respects to the General.  

General Scott's retirement took place following a major defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run, and excerpts from his poignant speech at that time can be seen below:       

            Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Chamber of Commerce: Sweet is the language of praise, when it comes from a high source of intelligence and moral worth; and sweet is the consciousness of having labored through a long life to deserve such praise. The measure is full and overflowing. This great calamity which has come upon our country — this great rebellion — found me far advanced in life, and by the labor and anxieties which it threw upon me has broken the down. I stand before you quite a wreck. Had this calamity occurred some three or four years earlier, it would have found me yet in a state of vigor, in a condition to render some service to my country, to meet that rebellion; and I think and flatter myself that I should have met it with considerable success.

Although it has thrown me hors du comdat myself, I have the happiness of saying to you — and my opinion may be of some little value upon that subject — that I have left in the field a large, noble, and patriotic army, for it is filled with many of our best citizens, officers, and men, commanded by Generals of very great merit — Generals capable of commanding and enchaining victory to their cars. I have left in the field young and vigorous men competent to do all the duties which their country can require of them--a Major-General McClennan,full of science and genius, and already of respectable experience. I have left Major-General Halleck,  another officer of genius and science, and judgment and discretion, who cannot fail to meet all the wishes of his Government and his country. Besides those Major-Generals, we have many Brigadiers and Colonels of high worth. I do not, therefore, despair of the cause of the Union Nay, I am confident of the triumph of that within some reasonable time. I should hope by the following spring that the rebellion would be suppressed; I should hope in a short time more that our Union might be re-established in fraternity and made beautiful, and I trust made so firm as to endure forever. That Union has commanded all my affections; the Union is my country; I have known no country but the Union; I owe my allegiance to nothing but the United States of America, and I mean to die in that allegiance.

  http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2006.05.0325%3Aarticle%3D4  

 

Pearl Harbor News Clipping Scrapbook of Beverly Gordon Witten

The Pearl Harbor News Clipping Scrapbook of Beverly Gordon Witten was losing the information from the news clippings due to flaking of the acidic paper. I used Japanese Rice paper to reinforce pages and hopefully keep the news clippings intact.  The library has used pages from this scrapbook in two displays on Pearl Harbor. 

Above: Beverly Gordon Witten's Pearl Harbor news clippings scrapbook 

Head line clippings on Pearl Harbor- information was being lost due to flaking of the acidic paper

Rice paper reinforcement can be seen in the white line at the bottom of the clippings page.

A clipping from the scrapbook states: "Ironically symbolic of things to come in this spectacular photo of a flight of bombers over Hawaii's jagged Diamond Head..."

"Japanese planes disgorge parachute troops, such as were reported to have been dropped during the sudden strike on Hawaii. Photo above shows Japanese paratroops practicing over Tokyo." 

The pages were reinforced with wheat paste and rice paper as seen above.

Also worked on, was a map showing a WWII attack in Africa by the Allies. The map was in sections and pieced together by using wheat paste and Japanese rice paper. 

Military Record of Captain Robert D. Schirmer

I have been working on the papers of Captain Robert D. Schirmer and include some examples from his military record below:

Dedication of papers by Nick Pelegrino

The Above March 7th, 1944 Stars snd Strips has a notation from Captain Schirmer - that he was in the raid on Berlin.

Award of Oak Leaf Cluster April, 1944

Award of Distinguished Flying Cross- May, 1944

Awards of Captain Schirmer

Papers of John Joseph Miles

I have just finished reviewing and cleaning the John J. Miles collection that was given to the Library in 2014. Due to the Covid 19, I am temporarily working at home and this has given me an opportunity to turn my attention to projects that I normally would find it difficult to accomplish at the library with other responsibilities. This is not a complete set of documents, but I hope to have highlighted some of John Miles' accomplishements.

 Below is  John Miles, appointment as Ensign on April 14th 1941:

The documents are quite extensive - here, for instance, is an assignment to the submarine base at New London:

By or before 1942, he was promoted to Lieutenant:

Also in 1942 he was assigned to Adak Island in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

In 1943 he was assigned to the San Diego Submarine Base

In April of 1944, it appears he was back in New London

In May of 1944, he was sent to Casco Bay Maine for temporary additional duty in DesLant's Torpedo School - on an interesting note the class convened on 5 June 1944.

Here is a report of his service on the U.S.S. Portunus

A report from Okinawa

Above is a release from active duty from the U.S.S. Missoula 

Congratulatory letter from James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy

Traveling Archivist Grant

Kathy Foulke contacted me today and we are going to discuss the project for the possible grant tomorrow!

Further Work done on Application of The Traveling Archivist Implementation Grant

Much of the day was spent working on the grant which asked such questions about the proposed project including the scope and goals.  One thing I mentioned was the fact that the library does not have a catalog of the archives. Digitization of the photos would not provide a catalog entry in the regular catalog of the library, however it might somewhat provide a further "anchor" for the photos in the sense that they would be cataloged on a digitized web site. Still working on the grant and we will see how it goes!

Possible Traveling Archivist Grant funded by The Traveling Archivist Program (TAP) funded by National Historical Publications and Records Commission [NHPRC].

There is a grant I learned about last week which may, if obtained, provided the library with either digitization opportunities or possibly an opportunity to work with Past Perfect. 

The Traveling Archivist Program (TAP) is a program of the Connecticut State Historical Records Advisory Board with Conservation ConneCTion and funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission [NHPRC].

The submission of the grant text is due July 1st, so I am rushing to find our all the details now!