WILLIS A. GORMAN:
An Inventory of His Family Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Gorman, Willis Arnold, 1816-1876, creator. | |
| Title: | Willis A. Gorman and family papers. | |
| Dates: | 1847-1899. | |
| Abstract: | Correspondence (1852-1857, 1861-1899), business and legal papers, a volume (1847-1848) relating to the 4th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry, and miscellaneous papers relating to the family of Willis A. Gorman, a Minnesota territorial governor (1853-1857) and a colonel (1861-1863) in the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment. | |
| Quantity: | 1.0 cubic feet (1 box). | |
| Location: | P1766: See Detailed Description of the Collection. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Willis A. Gorman was born January 12, 1816 in Fleming County, Kentucky, the son of David and Elizabeth Gorman. The family moved to Bloomington, Indiana in 1836 where Willis studied law at Indiana University. He was elected to the Indiana legislature when he was 23 and served five terms. He enlisted as a private in the Third Indiana Volunteers when the war with Mexico broke out and was elected a major in June 1846. After the regiment returned home he organized the Fourth Indiana Regiment, which fought in Mexico. After his return to Bloomington he was appointed to Congress (1849) and served two terms. In 1853 President Franklin Pierce appointed Gorman governor of Minnesota Territory; he arrived on May 13 and served until 1857, serving concurrently as superintendent of Indian affairs for Minnesota Territory. He began a law practice in St. Paul following his term in office.
In April 1861, when the Civil War began, Minnesota governor Alexander Ramsey offered the first regiment for the Union and made Willis A. Gorman a colonel in the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. On October 1, 1861 he was promoted to brigadier general. He served until he resigned December 14, 1863, and then returned to St. Paul where he died May 20, 1876.
W. A. Gorman married Martha Stone (d. 1864) of Bloomington, Indiana. They had five children: Richard L., James W., Louisa G., E. S., and Martha. He married his second wife, Emily Newington, in 1865.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Letters from 1888-1899 are mainly those of Richard L. Gorman who served on the board of public works of St. Paul. Included are legal papers relating to Cytheria Jones Stees' divorce and financial affairs (1880-1890), correspondence relating to reimbursement of Civil War pay for Willis and James Gorman (1895-1899), and to the Stone family land in Indiana.
The earlier correspondence (1852-1857) largely concerns Gorman's work as Minnesota Superintendent of Indian Affairs. There are vouchers, invoices, and abstracts connected with the operation and expenses of the office. The next period (1861-1863) relates to Gorman's service in the Civil War and includes letters, orders, and newspaper clippings. Correspondence from 1870-1879 concerns Gorman's work as city attorney in St. Paul and other legal matters, including his own estate.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Willis A. Gorman and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples
Accession Information:
Accession number: 1778C2; 1795D2; 3102; 3309; 3333; 3373; 9288; 14,228; 14,667
Processing Information:
Processed by: Bonnie B. Palmquist, October 1990
Catalog ID number: 990017138350104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1766 | 1 | Biographical information, undated. | |||||||||
| Sketches of Willis A. and Richard L. Gorman's Civil War service. Also included is a graduation program from Indiana State University for James Gorman (1859), an incomplete genealogical chart, and a remembrance for Gorman by Basil Meek of the Sandusky County Bar Association (Jan. 15, 1920). | |||||||||||
| Undated miscellany. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence: | |||||||||||
| 1852-1853. | |||||||||||
| Mainly letters of Willis A. Gorman as governor and federal superintendent of Indian affairs for Minnesota Territory. Papers include the recognition of Wacoota as chief of Red Wing band of Dakota (June 25, 1853), abstract of executive fund expenses (Nov. 18, 1853), many receipts for Indian affairs expenses (food, travel, lodging, etc.) paid by Gorman, letter to editor of the Chicago Journal relating to an article on Governor Gorman (Oct. 24, 1853), and a letter by Gorman relating to rumors of separating the territorial superintendency of Indian affairs from the Governor's office and his feelings about Indian traders and their relationship with the Indians (Dec. 17, 1853). | |||||||||||
| 1854-1855, 1857. | |||||||||||
| More receipts and proposals for Indian expenses signed by Gorman's office, abstracts of disbursements made by Governor Gorman (July 24 and Dec. 31, 1854, June 30, 1855), request for payment for services as interpreter by S. B. Lowry (Oct. 15, 1854), expenses of "exploring party of Winnebagoes" (July 1855), abstract of supplies for Sisseton and Wahpeton Indians (May 1, 10, 1855), and abstract of bids for breaking prairie ground for Dakota Indian agriculture (May 16, 1855) and various Indian supplies bids. | |||||||||||
| May-August 1861. | |||||||||||
| Includes two letters of recommendation by John Sanborn (May 22, 23), letter from H. H. Sibley recommending Dr. Potts for regimental surgeon (May 22), letter to Colonel Gorman from Thomas Foster about quartermaster's inventory (May 28), letter of Colonel Gorman to Colonel Thomas relating to mustering in new men for the regiment (July 2), letter ordering unit to Alexandria (July 2), copy of report of General Franklin at Battle of Bull Run (ca. July 21), appointment of Dr. Hand (July 24 ), supplement to Gorman's official report relating to regiment's flag (July 26), Captain Rickett's condition (July 26), letter for Governor Ramsey recommending Captain Woodbury (July 29), offer of nursing help (July 30) by C. Sininger (?), letter from James Gorman to his father (July 31), Gorman's assignment and instructions from General Mansfield (July 31), letter from James Gooding (St. Paul chief of police) supporting Gorman (Aug. 2), congratulatory letter to Gorman from Ramsey (Aug. 5), report of lieutenant colonel of 34th New York (Aug. 7), surgeon's report of men's condition (Aug. 8), Ramsey's letter about the Minnesota regiment's flag (Aug. 8, includes newspaper clippings about Gorman), election of officers to replace Captains Acker and Putnam (Aug. 10), letter from Col. Starkweather (Aug. 11), letters from C. A. Andrews (Aug. 22) and Dr. Stewart (Aug. 28), and Foster's letter relating to replacing the band's instruments (Aug. 28). | |||||||||||
| September-December 1861. | |||||||||||
| Includes Gorman's letter to his wife in Washington (Sept. 12), Gov. Ramsey letter (September 20), Thomas Van Etten's request to rejoin regiment (Sept. 23), copy of letter to editor of Rochester City Post in support of General Gorman (Sept. 25, includes clippings from St. Cloud newspaper), Gorman to his son James (Sept. 28), letter from Stephen Miller to Gorman (Oct. 22), letter from James Mackie recommending Robert Seabury as assistant adjutant general (Nov. 25), from T. M. Newson requesting a position on Gorman's staff (Dec. 10), and a letter to Senator Henry Wilson (Dec. 22, 1861) and newspaper clipping (Dec. 28, 1861) related to the manner in which Gorman had treated certain slaves. | |||||||||||
| January-June 1862, December 14, 1863. | |||||||||||
| Gov. Ramsey letter (Jan. 10), report of Gorman relating to troops at Leesburg (Feb. 14), letter from E. C. Charles relating to Gorman's visit (Feb. 18), letter of W. W. Phelps relating to court case of Langsworthy and Bennett and the involvement of Capt. Colville (Feb. 19), and letter to Sgt. Renshaw (nearly illegible, June 19), and Gorman's resignation (Dec. 14, 1863). | |||||||||||
| 1866, 1868. | |||||||||||
| Business letters of Gorman and a confidential letter from Gorman to sons Richard and James about Harvey Officer's treatment of their sister Louise. | |||||||||||
| 1870-1879. | |||||||||||
| Gorman is now city attorney of St. Paul (1873). Includes letter of Ignatius Donnelly, chairman of the State Central Committee of the Anti-Monopoly Party of Minnesota, with a request for money to reprint party address in Scandinavian and German (May 9, 1874); letter of J. R. Jones to Willis Gorman relating to D. J. Jones' divorce (Nov. 20, 1874); letter from Haas and Patterson, attorneys of Harrisonburg, Virginia relating to the case of D. C. Jones (Dec. 11, 1874); affidavit of D. C. Jones (Feb. 1, 1875); will of Willis A. Gorman (May 18, 1876); final decrees in the estates of John J. Irvine (Aug. 13, 1877) and Willis A. Gorman (Aug. 27, 1877). | |||||||||||
| 1880-1890. | |||||||||||
| Legal papers (1880-1890) of Cytheria A. Stees (formally C. A. Jones) relating to property in Stillwater and St. Paul, undated partial letter from Cytheria A. Jones relating to her husband D. C. Jones, letters of Charles J. Stees to Richard Gorman protesting Gorman's handling of C. A. Stees' financial affairs, copy of divorce decree of Cytheria and Charles Stees (June 22, 1887), Cytheria A. Stees' power of attorney to R. L. Gorman (1888), and miscellaneous papers. | |||||||||||
| Power of attorney (1888) of Richard L. and Cleopatra A. Gorman to Martha B. Wood (Gorman's sister), letter from St. Paul Mayor Robert A. Smith to Richard Gorman (March 7, 1889) reappointing Gorman as member of the board of public works, letter to adjutant general relating to W. P. Stone included in letter to Robert Smith relating to political appointment (April 13, 1889), and printed statistical report on First Minnesota Volunteers (ca. 1889). | |||||||||||
| 1893-1899. | |||||||||||
| Letter from Bonnie to "Mama" relating her and Paul's financial condition, correspondence relating to the loss of Gorman's luggage in the Hinckley fire (Nov. 22, 1894), correspondence relating to the reimbursement of pay from service in the Civil War (April 15, 1895-November 24, 1899), business papers relating to Willis A. Gorman's estate, business papers relating to the Stone family land in Bloomington, Indiana (Dec. 16, 1895), grocery list from Smith & Co. (March 2, 1896), and letter consoling Richard on the loss of his job (April 11, 1897). | |||||||||||
| Indiana Infantry, 4th Regiment. Papers, 1847-1848. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Copies of official letters and orders sent to Colonel Willis A. Gorman and other officers while the regiment was serving in the War with Mexico. There are also a few original letters and a list of licenses issued for carrying arms. | |||||||||||
RELATED MATERIALS
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Winnebago Indians -- Government relations.
- Ojibwa Indians -- Government relations.
- Dakota Indians -- Government relations.
- Divorce -- Minnesota.
- Bull Run, 1st Battle of, Va., 1861.
- Persons:
- Gorman, Richard L., 1838-1912.
- Jones, DeWitt, C.
- Red Wing (Hazen Wakute).
- Stees, Charles J.
- Stees, Cytheria Jones.
- Organizations:
- Minnesota. Governor (1853-1857 : Gorman).
- United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 1st (1861-1864).
- Places:
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns.
- United States -- History -- War with Mexico, 1845-1848.
- Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Social life and customs.
- Occupations:
- Lawyers.
- Governors.
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