James A. Garfield Papers mssGarfield

Melissa Haley

The Huntington Library

2021

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library

Title: James A. Garfield papers

Creator: Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881

Identifier/Call Number: mssGarfield

Physical Description: 1.2 Linear Feet (1 flat box)

Date (inclusive): 1856-1881

Abstract: This collection consists primarily of letters written by James A. Garfield, from 1856 to 1881, mostly written while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. James A. Garfield papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Elizabeth and Milan Wakefield, November 1939.

Biographical / Historical

James A. Garfield (November 19, 1831-September 19, 1881), the twentieth president of the United States, was born in Orange (now Moreland Hills), Ohio. In 1858, he married Lucretia Rudolph (1832-1918). During the Civil War, Garfield served in the 42nd Ohio infantry as a colonel; he was promoted to brigadier general in 1862 and fought in the battle of Shiloh. Later that year, he was elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Ohio as a Republican; he continued to serve in the Union Army until December 1863. During Garfield's lengthy tenure in the House of Representatives, he focused on financial policy and was Chair of the House Appropriations Committee from 1871 to 1875. In 1873, he was accused of accepting stock during the Crédit Mobilier scandal, which involved the corrupt financing of the Union Pacific Railroad. That same year he was caught up in another scandal over the increase in congressional salaries. Garfield was elected U.S. Senator in 1880, but at the Republican National Convention that year a divided party elected him their presidential candidate; he defeated the Democratic candidate Winfield Scott Hancock in November. His brief tenure in office was marked primarily by political infighting over cabinet and other presidential nominations. On July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot in Washington, D.C., by the assassin Charles J. Guiteau; he died of his wounds in New Jersey on September 19, 1881, at age 49.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of letters written by James A. Garfield, from 1856 to 1881, mostly written while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Letters to Tracy W. Scott discuss congressional business, appointments, land, and the postal service, especially the post office at Chester Cross Roads, Ohio. Letters to Edmund Burritt Wakefield pertain to congressional committees and elections, appointments, politics, and the Crédit Mobilier scandal; they also discuss education, reading and literature, writing, and health. The collection contains two personal letters to Garfield's cousin, Henry B. Boynton, and two items relating to the Garfield Fund, established to benefit Lucretia Garfield following the shooting of James A. Garfield.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2021 by Melissa Haley as part of the American Presidential Papers Project. The items had been arranged as the Garfield File by Huntington Library staff in early- or mid-20th century; material was rehoused during reprocessing. Previously assigned item-level call numbers have been retained. The number of pages for each item is noted in parentheses in item-level Scope and Contents notes. Page count for letters does not include envelopes. Previously assigned legacy terminology regarding autograph status was retained; items marked autograph indicate the item is in the handwriting of the author of the letter.

General

Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssHM 16084-16107.

Related Materials

The Huntington Library also holds two letters from Garfield to Richard Hawley, 1868, 1880 (mssHM 30484, mssHM 30485); see library catalog for details.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged chronologically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Presidents -- United States -- Correspondence

Ohio -- Politics and Government -- 1865-1950

United States -- Politics and Government -- 1865-1900

Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century

Credit Mobilier of America

Garfield, Lucretia Rudolph, 1832-1918

United States. Congress. House

Wakefield, E. B. (Edmund Burritt), 1846-1921

Box 1, Folder 1

Garfield, Williams College, Massachusetts, letter to Henry B. Boynton HM 16084 1856 February 29

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. (8 pages)

Box 1, Folder 2

Garfield, Hiram, Ohio, letter to Henry B. Boynton, Chagrin Falls, Ohio HM 16085, HM 16104 1859 April 26

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. (4 pages) Includes enclosed letter from Lucretia Garfield to Boynton (HM 16104). (3 pages)

Box 1, Folder 3

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott, Geauga County, Ohio HM 16086 1868 June 6

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. Includes addressed envelope, House of Representative stationary with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 4

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott HM 16087, HM 16107 1868 July 22

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed, on House of Representatives stationary. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page) Enclosing letter signed from A.G. Taylor, Department of Interior, Office of Indian Affairs to Garfield about Scott's land purchase on a Native American reservation (HM 16107). (2 pages)

Box 1, Folder 5

Garfield, Hiram, Ohio, letter to Tracy W. Scott HM 16088 1869 September 25.

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed.

Box 1, Folder 6

Garfield, Washington, D.C., telegram to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, Hiram, Ohio HM 16089 1870 June 9.

Scope and Contents

Telegram draft. (1 page) Attached to note from O.C. Hill, Hiram, Ohio, to T.V. Bontall, Cleveland, 1870 June 4. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 7

Garfield, Hiram, Ohio, letter to Tracy W. Scott, Chester Cross Roads, Ohio HM 16090 1870 September 10.

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 8

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott, Chester Cross Roads, Ohio HM 16091 1870 December 1

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 9

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott, Chester Cross Roads, Ohio HM 16092 1871 January 5

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 10

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott, Chester Cross Roads, Ohio HM 16093 1872 February 12

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 11

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Tracy W. Scott, Chester Cross Roads, Ohio HM 16094 1872 March 12

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. Includes addressed envelope with franking signature. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 12

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, Hiram, Ohio HM 16095 1873 January 31

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. (2 pages)

Box 1, Folder 13

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, Hiram, Ohio HM 16096 1873 February 21

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 14

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, Greene, Ohio HM 16097 1873 December 13

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. (2 pages)

Box 1, Folder 15

Garfield, Hiram, Ohio, letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield HM 16098 1874 October 19

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 16

Garfield, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, North Bloomfield, Ohio HM 16099 1875 February 9

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 17

Garfield, Hiram College, Ohio, letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield HM 16100 1875 August 19

Scope and Contents

Autograph letter signed. (2 pages)

Box 1, Folder 18

Garfield, Washington, D.C., letter to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, North Bloomfield, Ohio HM 16101 1875 December 4

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 19

Garfield, Mentor, Ohio, letter to Tracy W. Scott and Milan V. Scott, Chagrin Falls, Ohio HM 16102 1880 November 30

Scope and Contents

Letter signed. Includes addressed envelope. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 20

Garfield, West Mentor, Ohio, to Edmund Burritt Wakefield, North Bloomfield, Ohio HM 16103 approximately 1881 February 1

Scope and Contents

Envelope. Date and sender's location taken from postmark. Envelope includes penciled note, presumably written by Wakefield: "This envelope enclosed the last letter I ever received from Gen Garfield."

Box 1, Folder 21

Bradford Rhodes, Garfield Fund, New York, letter to T.W. & M.V. Scott, Chagrin Falls, Ohio HM 16105 1881 July 20

Scope and Contents

Printed circular letter to "the Banks and Bankers of the United States" soliciting subscription donations for Lucretia Garfield following James A. Garfield's shooting. Includes addressed envelope. (1 page)

Box 1, Folder 22

T.W. & M.V. Scott, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, letter to Bradford Rhodes, New York HM 16106

Scope and Contents

Letter. Enclosing $10 donation for Garfield Fund. Handwritten letter marked "Copy" and on Banking House of T.W. & M.V. Scott letterhead. (1 page)