Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The Dumond Family Papers contain Civil War documents, correspondence, financial and legal documents, account books, a scrapbook and diaries covering the period 1862-1962. The collection is focused on John Wesley Dumond, a volunteer in the 69th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry from 1862 to 1865, and his descendants. His son, William Albert Dumond, compiled a genealogical scrapbook containing pictures and a narrative family history.

The collection was donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections by Suzanne Rock, Bowling Green, Ohio, in June, 1994. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection. The manuscript register was prepared by Sara Parsons, an intern in the Center for Archival Collections, in July, 1997.

Biographical Sketch

A narrative history of the Dumond family was written in 1937 by William A. Dumond, son of John Wesley Dumond (1831-1916). It is mainly devoted to the descendants of John Wesley Dumond but includes some information on his ancestors.

Jacob Dumond and Nancy Higgins Dumond lived in New York State where their six sons, including John Wesley's father, John H., were born. In 1822, following Nancy's death, the family moved to Pennsylvania and, sometime later, to Guernsey County, Ohio. At age 20, John H. married Sarah Schooly, age 14. They had ten children; four girls and four boys who survived and a boy and a girl who died in infancy.

John Wesley Dumond was born in 1831 in Hocking County, Ohio. He married Elizabeth Francis in 1859. John and his three brothers enlisted in the army at Circleville, Ohio, on February 13, 1862. He served in Co. H 69th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry fighting in the Battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, and Mission Ridge until March, 1865, the end of his three year enlistment. His brother, Jacob H. Dumond, died in Andersonville prison.

After the war, John and Elizabeth lived in Pickaway, Hocking and Ross Counties where John farmed and worked as a day laborer. Six children were born to them between 1860 and 1873, two sons and four daughters. Both sons and one daughter taught school for a time in the 1880's and 1890's starting as teenagers. The eldest, James Francis, and the youngest, William A., also worked for the US Post Office later in life. All of the children married and left many descendants.

Scope and Content

This collection contains family memorabilia and pictures collected between 1862 and 1962. The correspondence includes letters written in 1865 by John W. Dumond while he was in the 69th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry and correspondence with former comrades following the war. A subject file consists of William A. Dumond's teaching credentials and recommendations from the years 1893-1899.

The literary productions contain a file of four undated, handwritten pieces. The handwritten political satire of Grover Cleveland in this group is probably circa 1892. The others appear to date from this same period. The diaries of William A. Dumond chronicle his daily life between 1957 and 1962 when he was in his eighties.

Legal, land and financial records cover the period from the Civil War to 1896. They include John W. Dumond's discharge papers, tax receipts, deeds and account books. The Civil War memorabilia contains newspaper clippings of soldiers' accounts of the Battles of Stone River and Chickamauga and war-related poetry of the period.

A genealogical scrapbook compiled in 1937 by William A. Dumond contains several pages of his reminiscences of life in late 19th century rural Ohio as well as many family photos and lists. Some of the photo identifications are missing and the original pages are fragile.

Printed material from the Civil War era includes a hymnal, a small pamphlet and a single issue of the Daily Nashville Union, a pro-union newspaper printed for a limited time starting April 10, 1862. (The Tennessee State Library and Archives have a microfilm collection of this newspaper.) The post Civil War printed material includes publications useful to a schoolteacher of the period; Harvey's English Grammar and Parker's Supplementary Readers from 1892-1896.

The collection is contained in 0.5 linear feet of files and one oversize box containing the scrapbook.

Series Description

CORRESPONDENCE

JOHN W. DUMOND'S CORRESPONDENCE
1865-1889
Arranged chronologically
Five letters from John W. to Elizabeth dated January, 1865 to February, 1865. Six letters to John W. from former comrades in the 69th Regiment in reply to his request for information on his injuries dated 1882-1889.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE
1937-1978 (scattered)
Arranged chronologically
Three letters regarding family genealogy

SUBJECT FILES

TEACHING CREDENTIALS
1893-1899
Arranged chronologically
Teaching certificates from Franklin County School Examiners for 1893, 1896 and 1899 for William A. Dumond. Ohio Teachers' Reading Circle certificate and membership card. Two letters of recommendation, 1893 and 1894.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

MANUSCRIPTS
Undated [1892?]and 1945
Handwritten Grover Cleveland political satire, n.d., The Man with the Hoe, poem by Edwin Markham, n.d., two undated word games: A Flowery Tale and Penny. Typed eulogy for Sarah Dumond Rieselt, 1945.

DIARIES OF WILLIAM A. DUMOND
1957-1961
Spiral notebooks contain daily entries by William A. Dumond (1873-1962), Columbus, Ohio, commenting on daily life between the ages of 84 and 88.

RECIPE BOOK
Undated [after 1914]
Handwritten recipe book of Lula Mae Taylor Dumond, wife of William A.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

MILITARY SERVICE PAPERS
1862-1892
Photocopies of Muster-Out-Roll and Discharge Papers for John W. Dumond, 69th Regiment of Ohio Infantry Volunteers, February, 1862 - March, 1865. Pension documents, 1885-1892.

LAND DOCUMENTS
1883-1867
Two accounts of John W. Dumond containing records of day work and purchases.

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIAL

CIVIL WAR MEMORABILIA
Undated [1862-1863?]
Newspaper clippings about Civil War battles in Tennessee. Includes soldiers' accounts of Battles of Stone River and Chickamauga and war-related poetry. Political leaflets and Confederate money. Empty portfolio from haversack of dead Confederate soldier at Chickamauga.

FAMILY SCRAPBOOK
1937
Scrapbook entitled "A short record of the life and descendants of John Wesley Dumond, 1831 - 1916, compiled by his son, William A. Dumond." Photographs and tintypes of family members and residences. Genealogical lists. Narrative history of boyhood memories of W.A. Dumond.

PRINTED MATERIAL

CIVIL WAR PERIOD
Daily Nashville Union, May 14, 1862, a pro-union paper published for a short time in 1862; Hymns for the Camp, a small, 127 page hymnal; On Picket by John F.W. Ware. A short story in pamphlet format.

MISCELLANEOUS POST CIVIL WAR MATERIAL
Scattered dates
Book: Harvey's English Grammar. A Practical Grammar of the English Language for the Use of Schools of Every Grade [1876?]; Newspaper: Cincinnati Weekly Gazette, Wednesday, November 5, 1879, pp. 5-8; Pamphlets: Five issues of Parker's Supplementary Readers, 1892-1896 (scattered); Money: Reichsbanknote - 500 marks, 1922, and Spanish 5 centavos note, n.d.

Inventory

Box 1

Folder

1. Correspondence John W. Dumond to Elizabeth Dumond, 1865
   To John W. Dumond, 1882-1889
   To William A. Dumond,1937 and n.d.
   From Lawrence Schaaf to Helen?, 1978
2. Teaching Credentials William A. Dumond's teaching credentials, 1893-1899
3. Literary Productions - Political satire, poem and two word games, n.d.[1892?]
   Eulogy for Sarah Dumond Rieselt, 1945
4. Diaries - William A. Dumond, 1957-1958
5. Diaries - William A. Dumond, 1959-1961
6. Literary Productions - Lula Mae Taylor Dumond's handwritten recipe book , n.d. [after 1914]
7. Legal Documents - J.W. Dumond's military and pension papers, 1862-1892
8. Legal Documents - Deeds and tax receipts, 1870-1896 (scattered)
9. Financial Records - J.W. Dumond's account books, 1862-1867
10. Scrapbook Materials - Civil War memorabilia and clippings,[1862-1863?]
11. Printed Material - Civil War hymnal and pamphlet, [1862?]
    Daily Nashville Union May 14, 1862
    
12. Printed Material - Post Civil War Material:
    Book: Harvey's English Grammar, n.d.
    Cincinnati Weekly Gazette,November 5, 1879
    Parker's Supplementary Readers, 1892-1896
    Foreign currency, 1922 and n.d.
    

Box 2 (Oversize)

Folder

1. Scrapbook Loose scrapbook pages containing handwritten history, photographs and genealogical lists. 1937

Manuscripts by Subject | Civil War Collections | Family Collections