Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory
List of Transcripts

Introduction

The Francis R. Stewart Papers consist of roughly .5 linear ft. of Civil War era diaries, a journal, correspondence, a regimental photograph, as well as a copy of a post-war speech by Stewart and miscellaneous other official papers, ranging in dates from 1861-1922.

The papers were donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections on September 24, 1997, with additional material added January 14, 1998, through the cooperation of Margaret Stewart Christiansen of Marblehead, Ohio. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection. The register was prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in September 1997, with revisions in January 1998.

Biographical Sketch

Francis R. Stewart was born December 19, 1835 in Lycoming County, Pa., the eldest son of Thomas D. and Fanny Riddell Stewart. The family moved to Clinton Township, Seneca County, Ohio in 1838, where additional children were born.

Francis went to school in Seneca County and attended the Republic Academy, finally completing his education at Heidelberg College. After that, in 1858, he relocated to Fostoria, Ohio, where he taught school until 1861, at the start of the Civil War.

Enlisting as a private on Aug. 15, 1861 in Co.H of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three years service, and he reenlisted at the end of that term of service for the duration of the war. He was wounded on Dec. 31, 1862 at the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee and twice during the Atlanta Campaign. He was appointed 1st Sergeant on April 4, 1863, and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on Oct. 31, 1863. Transferred to Co.K of the 49th O.V.I. on June 16, 1864, Francis was wounded near Atlanta, Ga. on July 23, 1864. He received additional promotions to 1st Lieutenant on August 11, 1864, for meritorious service at the Battle of Picket's Mill, and finally to Captain of Co.A on December 21, 1864. He mustered out with the Regiment on November 30, 1865, as a veteran.

After the War, Francis returned to Fostoria, where he became involved in the hardware business, first with John A. Bradner, and later with his brother John T., and C.L. Powell. He was active in fraternal organizations, including the Norris Post no.27 of the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he held positions including that of Commander and later Adjutant. He also served a one-year term as Mayor of Fostoria in 1869.

Stewart was also a member of the Fostoria Masonic Lodge, having been initiated as an Entered Apprentice Feb. 22, 1864, and holding other positions through the years. In addition, he was a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Fostoria Academy, and was an elder and founding member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he also taught Sunday School for fifty years.

On October 3, 1866 Francis married Roxanna Chamberlain DeWitt, daughter of John D. DeWitt, a pioneer of Seneca County. It should be noted that a series of correspondence between Roxanna and her cousin Augustus Bull is located in the Augustus Bull Collection (MS-649). Roxanna and Francis had a family of five children, Frank, Lee, Homer, Jesse, and Victor. After her death on April 27, 1890 in Fostoria, Ohio, Francis remarried twice more, to Mary D. Pugh, on August 4, 1891, who died in June of 1915, and on July 18, 1921 to Mrs. Catherine Brown.

A biographical sketch accompanying the diary can be found with the transcripts.

Scope and Content

The Francis R. Stewart Papers are a small collection of Civil War related correspondence, diaries and journals, primarily from the last year of the war, from an officer with the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, from Fostoria, Ohio. Since Stewart was a schoolteacher before the war, his writing is clear, articulate and informative, including the typical observations about the weather and daily activities, as well as concise descriptions of troop movements and battles. Since his information was coming from the standpoint of an officer in the field, he provides authoritative summaries of events.

The series of correspondence in the collection consists primarily of letters received by Stewart from Mary Matilda (Tillie) Foreman, a family friend, living in the area of southern Wood County, Ohio, near Fostoria. Her letters cover the entire period of the war and mention events back in the Hancock, Wood, and Seneca County area, mutual friends, and activities of her brothers who also served in the war. Of particular interest in her letters is the description of her battle with consumption, especially the various treatments tried and considered, including the Water-Cure method. Her death, early in 1865, affected Stewart greatly and is mentioned in his journal. His letters to her were apparently all burned, as mentioned in the letter written by Nellie Foreman to Stewart April 29, 1865.

The first pocket diary, covering the period from June 5, 1864 to August 5, 1864, includes actions of the regiment around Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia as well as the beginning of the Siege of Atlanta. More significantly, the second diary, running from Aug, 6, 1864-Dec 18, 1864 carries the action all the way through to Nashville, and is balanced by the much more detailed entries from the journal.

Entries in the journal provide an expansion of the briefer remarks from the second diary, where there is some overlap in dates, especially elaborating on Stewart's feelings and his personal opinions regarding the political and military conduct of the war. Since the journal entries carry on through to April 1865, near the end of the War, there is more of a sense of continuity in the writing. More mention of individuals is also made in the journal, including the situation of Francis' brother Jim, who was serving with the 111th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Although it is not related to the Civil War, the speech dated July 12, 1888 is a unique glimpse into the intellectual life of Francis Stewart. Most probably delivered to a gathering of the Norris Post, G.A.R., it is clear that Stewart is very familiar with technological progress and refers to a number of inventions of his period. Even more fascinating is the way he extends the application of technology into the future, describing his vision of flying machines, telephones with visual capabilities, and even television. His enthusiastic attitude towards the ability of "Yankee ingenuity" and the possibilities of the future were probably very progressive for that period and makes the speech an interesting item.

The remaining items are mostly supporting, particularly the commission papers from Stewart's 1864 promotion to 1st Lieutenant. The fact that he maintained an active role in the Ohio National Guard in the period after the war is highlighted by his 1878 appointment as a Captain in the Foster Guards. While Stewart is the only individual identified in the group military photograph, it is presumed to be that of the officers of the 49th O.V.I.

Series Description

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - TILLIE FOREMAN
January 1861-July 29, 1865
Arranged chronologically
Letters from family friend, describing events in the area of Wood, Hancock and Seneca Counties, activities of mutual friends and her brothers, also serving in the war, and her own condition as she battled consumption. The last few letters in the series were written by her sister, Nellie, after her death.

CORRESPONDENCE - F.R. STEWART
February 28, 1916
Letter (photocopy) to A.N. Ellis, a comrade from the 49th, with basic background information on Stewart's activities, regimental reunion organizations, and about surviving officers. Includes typed transcript from Richard Mann

LITERARY DOCUMENTS

CIVIL WAR POCKET DIARIES
June 5, 1864-Aug 5, 1864; Aug, 6, 1864-Dec 18, 1864
Arranged chronologically
Handwritten pocket diaries, with typed transcripts

CIVIL WAR JOURNAL
Aug 1864-Apr 1865
Photocopy of journal, with typed and corrected transcripts. Journal photocopy is located separately as oversized material

SPEECH
July 12, 1888
Photocopy of handwritten speech "Progress of the Age", with copy, delivered in Fostoria, Ohio, probably before a GAR group

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

MILITARY COMMISSION PAPERS
1864, 1878
Arranged chronologically
Appointment as 1st Lieut. in the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and as Captain of the Foster Light Guards, Ohio National Guard

PRINTED MATERIALS

BOOKLET - HISTORY OF THE STEWART FAMIILY
1928, 1996
Booklet of Stewart Family history, with handwritten notes by Margaret Stewart Christiansen and a 1996 genealogical update

NEWSCLIPPINGS
1922
Obituary clipping from unidentified newspaper

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS
n.d. (186-), 1915?
Group photograph, with Francis R. Stewart identified, presumably of the officers of the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and photocopy of portrait of Stewart in his later years

Inventory

Box 1

1. Jan 18, 1861
2. Mar 10, 1861
3. Mar 26, 1861
4. Sept 17, 1861
5. Sept 22, 1861
6. Oct 12, 1861
7. Oct 19, 1861
8. Oct 27, 1861
9. Nov 16, 1861
10. Nov 27, 1861
11. Dec 6, 1861
12. Dec 18, 1861
13. Dec 26, 1861

1. Jan 1, 1862
2. Jan 20, 1862
3. Feb 5, 1862
4. June 2, 1862
5. June 22, 1862
6. July 2, 1862
7. Aug 20, 1862
8. Oct 10, 1862
9. Nov 5, 1862
10. Nov 14, 1862
11. Dec 12, 1862

1. Jan 25, 1863
2. Feb 28, 1863
3. Mar 15, 1863
4. Mar 24, 1863
5. June 16, 1863
6. June 28, 1863
7. July 24, 1863
8. Aug 16, 1863
9. Sept 16, 1863
10. Sept 25, 1863
11. Oct 23, 1863

1. Jan 29, 1864
2. Mar 24, 1864
3. May 17, 1864
4. May 26, 1864 (from Sarah)
5. June 18, 1864
6. June 29, 1864
7. July 21, 1864
8. Aug 9, 1864
9. Aug 17, 1864
10. Sept 18, 1864
11. Oct 2, 1864
12. Nov 19, 1864
13. Dec 21, 1864

1. Jan 5, 1865
2. Jan, 1865
3. Feb 7, 1865
4. Feb 18, 1865 (from Nellie)
5. Mar 24, 1865 (from Nellie)
6. Apr 2, 1865 (from Nellie)
7. Apr 29, 1865 (from Nellie)
8. July 29, 1865 (from Nellie)

1. Letter to A.N. Ellis, February 28, 1916

1. Civil War Pocket diary, with transcript, June 5, 1864-Aug 5, 1864

1. Civil War Pocket diary, with transcript, Aug, 6, 1864-Dec 18, 1864

1. Civil War Journal transcript, Aug 1864-Apr 1865

1. Speech, "Progress of the Age",July 12, 1888

1. Commission papers, 1864, 1878

1. History of the Stewart Family, 1928

1. Obituary clipping, 1922

1. Photograph, Officers 49th O.V.I., n.d. (186-)
2. Photograph (copy), Francis R. Stewart, 1915?

Oversized wrapped

1. Photocopy of Civil War Journal, Aug 1864-Apr 1865
2. Original of Civil War Journal, Aug 1864-Apr 1865

MS 744 - Francis Stewart Papers - List of Transcripts
Manuscripts by Subject | Civil War Collections