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Size | 10.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 5,000 items) |
Abstract | Henry Clay Warmoth, Louisiana governor, 1868-1872, and later owner of Magnolia Plantation, was born in Illinois in 1842. During the Civil War, he was lieutenant colonel of the 32nd Missouri Volunteers, assigned to the staff of General John A. McClernand. He was wounded in 1863 near Vicksburg, but returned to his command after being cleared of spreading false rumors about the strength of the Union Army. Post-war, Warmoth was judge of Provost Court in New Orleans, and, in 1868 at age 26, was elected Republican governor of Louisiana. His governorship was dominated by issues such as civil rights, suffrage, election fraud, party factionalism, and corruption. In 1872, Warmoth faced impeachment charges for official misconduct, but his trial ended when his term as governor expired. He served in the Louisiana legislature, 1876-1877, and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1888. Warmoth was Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans, 1889-1893. Beginning in 1874, Warmoth owned Magnolia, a Plaquemines Parish sugar plantation where he modernized sugar refining. Warmoth published War, Politics, and Reconstruction: Stormy Days in Louisiana in 1930 and died in New Orleans in 1931. The collection includes correspondence and diaries related to Warmoth's service in the Union Army, his tenure as governor of Louisiana during Reconstruction, and political affairs in Louisiana. Topics discussed include civil rights; the Freedmen's Bureau; the Fourteenth Amendment; suffrage for Louisiana freedmen; segregation on railroads; opposition to President Grant; violence in Louisiana; elections and election fraud; the Republican Party, both local and national, and party factionalism; management of the United States Mint in New Orleans; and the construction of railroads, levees, and canals. There are also letters, diaries, plantation journals, daybooks, ledgers, slave lists, and scrapbooks related to Magnolia Plantation, sugar refining, investment in railroads, and his service as Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans, 1889-1893. The 1865-1867 diary provides an eye witness account of the New Orleans Race Riot of 30 July 1866. Photographs depict Warmoth and his family; structures, machinery, and workers at Magnolia Plantation; and other scenes and individuals. Frequent and notable correspondents include Henry C. Dibble, Thomas Jefferson Durant, Charles Foster, Francis J. Herron, William Pitt Kellogg, Effingham Lawrence, W. L. McMillan, Stephen B. Packard, P. B. S. Pinchback, John R. G. Pitkin, Lionel A. Sheldon, George A. Sheridan, J. H. Sypher, J. R. West, and H. W. Whittlesay. There are also a few letters from presidents Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and William H. Taft, as well as a few letters from notable Civil War generals such as Benjamin F. Butler, James Longstreet, and John A. McClernand, and an 1868 letter of warning to Warmoth from the Ku Klux Klan. |
Creator | Warmoth, Henry Clay, 1842-1931. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Manuscript Department Staff, 1930s-1950s, and Noah Huffman, February 2007
Encoded by: Noah Huffman, February 2007
Updated January 2021
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Henry Clay Warmoth (H. C. Warmoth), governor of Louisiana, 1868-1872, and later owner of Magnolia Plantation, was born in McLeansboro, Ill., on 9 May 1842. He was admitted to the bar in Lebanon, Miss., in 1860, and in 1861 he was appointed district attorney in the eighteenth judicial district. In late 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War, Warmoth was assigned to raise a regiment of Union volunteers, which in 1862 merged with another regiment to form the 32nd Missouri Volunteers. Warmoth served as lieutenant colonel of the regiment, but in 1863 he was assigned to the staff of General John A. McClernand of the 13th Army Corps. Warmoth was wounded in May 1863 near Vicksburg and returned to Illinois to recover. On returning to his command, Warmoth was charged with absence without leave and with spreading false rumors about the strength and weaknesses of the Union Army. After making a personal appeal to President Lincoln, Warmoth's rank was restored, and he returned to his position on McClernand's staff. After the Civil War, Warmoth served as judge of the Provost Court for the Department of the Gulf at New Orleans. In 1865, he opened a law office in New Orleans and was elected a delegate to represent the territory of Louisiana in Congress. In 1868, at age 26, Warmoth was elected as the Republican governor of Louisiana, the youngest governor in the state's history. His four-year tenure as governor was marked by political, civil, and social unrest throughout the state. Issues such as civil rights, suffrage, election fraud, party factionalism, and corruption dominated Warmoth's administration. In 1872, Warmoth faced impeachment charges for official misconduct, but his trial was discontinued shortly after his term as governor expired.
Warmoth continued his involvement in politics in his later years despite an altercation with Daniel C. Byerly in 1874 that resulted in Byerly's death. From 1876 to 1877, Warmoth served in the Louisiana legislature, and he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1888. The following year, Warmoth was appointed Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans, a position he held until 1893. From 1874 until his death in 1931, Warmoth owned and oversaw the operations of Magnolia Plantation, a sugar plantation he purchased from Effingham Lawrence located in Plaquemines Parish, La., some 45 miles below New Orleans along the Mississippi River. Warmoth invested heavily in the plantation, modernizing sugar refining operations and establishing an experimental station to study the refining process. Warmoth also invested considerably in railroad and levee construction in Louisiana. Warmoth married Sallie Durand, of Newark, N.J., in 1877, and the couple had two sons, Frank and Carroll, and a daughter, Reinette. Warmoth's memoir, War, Politics, and Reconstruction: Stormy Days in Louisiana, was published in 1930. He died at his home in New Orleans on 30 September 1931 at age 89.
Back to TopPapers of Henry Clay Warmoth (H. C. Warmoth), lieutenant colonel of the 32nd Missouri Volunteers, 1861-1863, governor of Louisiana, 1868-1872, and owner of Magnolia Plantation, 1874-1920s, include correspondence and diaries related to Warmoth's service in the Union Army, his tenure as governor of Louisiana during Reconstruction, and political affairs in Louisiana. Topics discussed include civil rights; the Freedmen's Bureau; the Fourteenth Amendment; suffrage for Louisiana freedmen; segregation on railroads; opposition to President Ulysses S. Grant; violence in Louisiana; elections and election fraud; the Republican Party, both local and national, and party factionalism; and the construction of railroads, levees, and canals. There are also letters, diaries, plantation journals, daybooks, ledgers, slave lists, and scrapbooks related to Magnolia Plantation, sugar refining, investment in railroads, and his service as Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans, 1889-1893. The 1865-1867 diary provides an eye witness account of the New Orleans Race Riot of 30 July 1866. Photographs depict Warmoth and his family; structures, machinery, and workers at Magnolia Plantation; and other scenes and individuals. Frequent and notable correspondents include Henry C. Dibble, Thomas Jefferson Durant, Charles Foster, Francis J. Herron, William Pitt Kellogg, W. L. McMillan, Stephen B. Packard, P. B. S. Pinchback, John R. G. Pitkin, Lionel A. Sheldon, George A. Sheridan, J. H. Sypher, J. R. West, and H. W. Whittlesay. There are also a few letters from presidents Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and William H. Taft, as well as a few letters from notable Civil War generals such as Benjamin F. Butler, James Longstreet, and John A. McClernand.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological
Land deeds, mortgages, slave lists, and correspondence related to Magnolia Plantation, a sugar plantation located in Plaquemines Parish, La., about 45 miles below New Orleans. Many of these papers originally belonged to Effingham Lawrence who owned the plantation before Warmoth acquired it in the 1870s. The papers generally concern the transfer of the plantation property between various individuals and the cost and design of levees on or near the plantation. Note that the earlier documents are in French and Spanish.
Folder 1 |
1798-1807Early papers, some in French and Spanish, mostly concern permission to settle the area around Plaquemines Parish, permission to build levees, and bills of sale for land. Persons mentioned include Barthelemy Baptiste, a "free mulatto," Jeremiah Treadway, and Martin Duplesis. Also includes a copy of the Guide to the Microfilm Edition of the Henry Clay Warmoth Papers (1967). |
Folder 2 |
1810-1858Land papers, lists of slaves, and other papers related to Magnolia Plantation before it was acquired by Warmoth. Persons mentioned include Effingham Lawrence, Jeremiah Treadway, and Isaac Osgood. A 22 December 1858 report describes design and cost of a levee to be constructed near the plantation. |
Arrangement: chronological.
In 1861, Warmoth was assigned to raise a regiment of Union volunteers in Missouri, which in 1862 merged with another regiment to form the 32nd Missouri Volunteers. Warmoth served as lieutenant colonel of the regiment, and in 1863 was assigned to the staff of General John A. McClernand of the 13th Army Corps. In May of 1863, Warmoth was wounded near Vicksburg and returned to Illinois to recover. On returning to his command he received a dishonorable discharge for absences without leave and for allegedly spreading false rumors about the strength and weaknesses of the Union forces, specifically in reference to Union casualties at Vicksburg. Warmoth made a personal appeal to President Lincoln and his rank was restored. He briefly returned to serve with his regiment, but then rejoined General McClernand's staff. Warmoth's Civil War correspondence generally includes letters from other officers regarding the progress of the war and his fight against his dishonorable discharge. Also included are a number of Special Orders. Correspondents of note include S. M. Breckinridge, John A. McClernand, John B. Gray, F. J. Herron, Frank Mason, E. G. Morse, H. W. Whittlesay, William D. Wood.
Processing Note: See also Warmoth's Civil War diaries, 1863-1865 (folders 123-125).
Folder 3 |
1860-1862Letters concern organization of militia and the 32nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry, southern sympathizers in Missouri, and other official correspondence. A 7 August 1862 letter describes the ousting of one particular group of southern sympathizers in Missouri known as the Knights of the Golden Circle. |
Folder 4 |
1863Letters from General John A. McClernand to Warmoth and others from January to April 1863 discuss Warmoth's duties as McClernand's assistant and preparations before the Battle of Vicksburg. Also included are letters and other documents related to Warmoth's dishonorable discharge and his subsequent reinstatement after disputing allegations that he circulated false reports about the Union Army. Of note is a letter from Warmoth to President Lincoln in which Warmoth protested the charges leveled against him. Also included are a number of invoices for ordinance and other army supplies received near Chattanooga, Tenn. |
Folder 5 |
1864: January-MayLetters and Special Orders related to Warmoth's activities in Texas and Louisiana during the early part of 1864. Correspondents include John A. McClernand, F. J. Herron, Frank Mason, and John B. Gray. In an 8 May 1864 letter, Gray discussed the Union defeat at the battle of Sabine Crossroads in Louisiana. "I would expect to be hung if I committed such a blunder," Gray writes. "The life of our Republic hangs tremblingly in the balance." |
Folder 6 |
1864: June-DecemberLetters and other documents mostly pertain to Warmoth's activities with the Department of the Gulf. |
Folder 7 |
1865Items of interest include a 9 July 1865 letter from H. W. Whittlesay stationed along the Rio Grande in which he discussed the merits of Mexican troops and African American troops. Of the Mexican troops, Whittlesay noted that they "like to measure swords with us." Of the African American troops, he wrote, "[T]hey are not so subordinate as the plantation negros of the South." Also included is a 19 September 1865 letter from E. G. Morse in Salt Lake City regarding the Mormon inhabitants of the area. He described hearing Brigham Young preach, and he gave his opinion of Mormon customs. |
Arrangement: chronological.
After the Civil War, Warmoth began a lucrative law practice in New Orleans and quickly became involved in politics. In 1865, he was elected as a delegate to represent the territory of Louisiana in Congress, and, in 1866, he served as a delegate to the Southern Loyalists convention in Philadelphia. In 1868, Warmoth was elected Governor of Louisiana at age 26. His four years in office as a Republican "carpetbagger" governor were marked by political, civil, and social strife throughout the state. Issues of race relations, suffrage, civil rights, financial mismanagement, party factionalism, and election fraud dominated his governorship. Due to splinters within the state Republican party and other allegations of misconduct, Warmoth was impeached in 1872, although his trial was discontinued shortly after his term as governor expired. Correspondence generally addresses the issues above, as well as the 1868 and 1872 elections, reconstruction legislation, and isolated incidents such as the Mechanics Institute riot of 1868 and Warmoth's altercation with newspaper manager Daniel C. Byerly in December 1874. Frequent correspondents include John F. Deane, Henry C. Dibble, Thomas Jefferson Durant, William Pitt Kellogg, W. L. McMillan, P. B. S. Pinchback, Lionel A. Sheldon, George A. Sheridan, John Hale Sypher, Joseph R. West, and H. W. Whittlesay.
Folder 8 |
1866: January-JuneLetters from T. J. Durant and others discuss the Freedman's Bureau, the harassment of freedman, suffrage, and the problem of lingering secessionism in Louisiana. In a 21 January 1866 letter, Durant wrote that "the government of the United States has no respect here." Similarly a 12 February 1866 letter from B. Soulie noted that "the spirit of Rebellion is alive and dominant." Also of note is a 25 June 1866 letter from artist Albert Warren Kelsey near Yosemite, Calif., in which he invited Warmoth to join him in Paris. "One of my best friends Winslow Homer will go with me," Kelsey wrote. |
Folder 9 |
1866: July-DecemberLetters concern continued rebellion in Louisiana, the Mechanics Institute Riot of 1868, and cholera. Correspondents of note include Secretary of the Interior James Harlan, John F. Deane, and Albert Warren Kelsey. |
Folder 10 |
1867: January-AprilCorrespondence with T. J. Durant, Benjamin F. Butler, and W. J. Tyler concerns reconstruction legislation, corruption in the Freedman's Bureau, and disenfranchising rebels in Louisiana. In a 13 February 1867 letter from Austin, Nev., Albert Warren Kelsey discussed founding the town of Belmont and his success mining the Comstock Lode. |
Folder 11 |
1867: May-SeptemberLetters discuss problems with registering African American voters, including intimidation at the polls by whites. T. J. Durant also discussed his decision to decline the appointment of governor of Louisiana. |
Folder 12 |
1867: October-DecemberCorrespondents include Louisiana Congressman J. H. Sypher, T. J. Durant, and Alfred Shaw. |
Folder 13 |
1868: January-MarchLetters address the election of 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment, and Reconstruction in general. Correspondents include T. J. Durant, Thomas W. Conway, and others. |
Folder 14 |
1868: AprilLetters mostly concern the 1868 elections, specifically passage of the state constitution, fissures in the Republican Party, voter registration, intimidation at the polls, and other obstructions to voting. There are several letters reporting on conditions in different parishes. Also included is a 27 April 1868 letter of warning to Warmoth from the Ku Klux Klan proclaiming "Blood, Blood, Blood. Prepare, Death Now Awaits You!" |
Folder 15 |
1868: May-JuneSeveral letters congratulating Warmoth on his election and seeking his patronage. |
Folder 16 |
1868: July-SeptemberPrimarily correspondence with William Pitt Kellogg, John Hale Sypher, and John F. Deane regarding statewide appointments, military occupation, and obtaining arms and other support from the North to quell insurrection in Louisiana. In a 5 August 1868 letter, Dean described a meeting with President Andrew Johnson in which Johnson stated that southern states should not rely on federal aid. |
Folder 17 |
1868: October-DecemberMostly letters to Warmoth seeking various appointments. |
Folder 18 |
1869: January-AprilPrimarily correspondence with William Pitt Kellogg and John Hale Sypher. There is discussion of the topographical features of New Orleans, including distances, canals, water levels, water depth, and drainage issues. |
Folder 19 |
1869: May-NovemberPrimarily correspondence with William Pitt Kellogg and John Hale Sypher. A letter from Lionel A. Sheldon discusses contested election cases in Louisiana. |
Folder 20 |
1869: December |
Folder 21 |
1870: January-FebruaryIncludes a document titled "Election Returns by Parish for 1868-1870," and other official state documents. There is also a report concerning the cost of maintaining levees. |
Folder 22 |
1870: March-AprilCorrespondence with William Pitt Kellogg, Lionel A. Sheldon, W. L. Evans, and John Hale Sypher mostly regarding politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 23 |
1870: May-JulyCorrespondence mostly concerns the threat of mob violence and the need for military protection in Louisiana. |
Folder 24 |
1870: August-OctoberCorrespondence chiefly concerns elections, vote fraud, and levee construction. |
Folder 25 |
1870: November-DecemberCorrespondence chiefly concerns elections and distribution of patronage in Louisiana. There is a handwritten copy of a letter from James Longstreet and copies of several letters written to Ulysses S. Grant. |
Folder 26 |
1871: January-FebruaryCorrespondence concerns Louisiana politics, specifically party factionalism, Warmoth's support in Washington, and levee and canal legislation. In a 19 January 1871 letter, James Longstreet described his meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant regarding Louisiana politics. There is some discussion of Warmoth's possible impeachment. |
Folder 27 |
1871: 1-15 MarchCorrespondence with F. J. Herron, Lionel A. Sheldon, John Hale Sypher, and J. R. West regarding the state of political affairs in Louisiana. Other topics include railroad legislation, congressional appropriations for Louisiana, and securing the African American vote in the upcoming election. A letter from West notes that the "colored brethren are asking too much ... a strong hand must be used to bring them to their senses in 1872." There is also mention of an accident aboard a boat in which Warmoth severely injured his foot. |
Folder 28 |
1871: 16 March-AprilCorrespondence chiefly from J. R. West in Washington, D.C., concerns fractures in the national Republican Party and his unfavorable opinion of Ulysses S. Grant. According to West, "[T]he President shows no more stability than a pillar of jelly in an earthquake." |
Folder 29 |
1871: May-15 June |
Folder 30 |
1871: 16-30 JuneThere is continued discussion of Warmoth's foot injury as well as a letter from H. S. McCoomb regarding the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad. |
Folder 31 |
1871: 1-15 JulyCorrespondence with H. S. McCoomb, president of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad, concerns railroads and segregation. Warmoth urged McCoomb to make no distinction by race or color and to voluntarily integrate the railroad. Also included is a letter from Ambrose Burnside, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. |
Folder 32 |
1871: 16-31 JulyContinued discussion of railroad accommodations for African Americans in Louisiana and discussion of the press in Louisiana. |
Folder 33 |
1871: AugustCorrespondence chiefly concerns Republican Party factionalism in Louisiana, specifically Warmoth's opponents in the "Customs House Ring." Correspondents include H. C. Dibble, P. B. S. Pinchback, and Illinois Governor John M. Palmer. |
Folder 34 |
1871: 1-15 SeptemberCorrespondence with George A. Sheridan, H. C. Dibble, and P. B. S. Pinchback regarding party factionalism and President Grant's sympathy for the Customs House Ring. There are also letters from J. H. Walsh regarding a dispute with Warmoth. Walsh noted that Warmoth called him a liar and he demanded satisfaction for the insult. |
Folder 35 |
1871: 16-30 SeptemberCorrespondence with J. R. West and H. C. Dibble chiefly concerns Louisiana politics. Dibble urged Warmoth: "Take care of yourself, your enemies are desperate." |
Folder 36 |
1871: 1-15 OctoberCorrespondence with H. S. McCoomb, H. C. Dibble, and J. R. West regarding the Louisiana Levee Company and political affairs. |
Folder 37 |
1871: 16-31 OctoberMore discussion of the Louisiana Levee Company. |
Folder 38 |
1871: NovemberChiefly correspondence regarding the radical Customs House faction and levee construction. |
Folder 39 |
1871: DecemberDiscussion of Louisiana politics, railroad construction, and the Louisiana Levee Company. |
Folder 40 |
1872: January-MarchChiefly letters from William Pitt Kellogg to S. B. Packard and letters from F. J. Herron to Warmoth regarding Republican Party factions in Louisiana. |
Folder 41 |
1872: April-MayIn a 19 April 1872 letter, James Longstreet offered his resignation as Adjutant General of the Louisiana State Militia and stated that he wished "to be untrammeled in the approaching political canvass." |
Folder 42 |
1872: 1-15 JuneCorrespondence regarding the political situation in Louisiana and a discussion of Warmoth's withdraw from the Republican Party. |
Folder 43 |
1872: 16-30 JunePrimarily telegrams from J. R. West about the ongoing Republican nominating convention. |
Folder 44 |
1872: JulyLetters mostly concern political factions in Louisiana. |
Folder 45 |
1872: August |
Folder 46 |
1872: SeptemberCorrespondence with John McEnery, F. J. Herron, and P. B. S. Pinchback regarding the 1872 election. Pinchback stated that Grant's election was certain, and he urged Warmoth not to abandon the Republican Party or "overlook the importance of the colored people." |
Folder 47 |
1872: OctoberCorrespondence discusses Warmoth's "fusion" ticket in Louisiana, election fraud, and political affairs in various parishes throughout the state. |
Folder 48 |
1872: November-DecemberLetters concern the results of the 1872 election. In a 13 December 1872 letter, Warmoth tendered his resignation of the governor's office: "Due to the persistent hostility of the National Administration to me, the cause of our state may be best served by my resignation." |
Folder 49 |
1873: January-AprilCorrespondence chiefly deals with the turbulent political affairs in Louisiana and Warmoth's defeat. In a 2 March 1873 letter, A. F. Gray wrote, "I don't believe you are as much a scoundrel as your friends say." |
Folder 50 |
1873: May-DecemberCorrespondence between Warmoth and Jonathan A. Walsh in November 1873 concerns a dispute between the two that grew out of Warmoth's allegations in the press that Walsh offered him a bribe to sign legislation. Walsh proposed a duel to settle the affair of honor, but Warmoth refused stating, "[L]et us not get hurt defending our honor. It is too sacred a thing to be stained by the blood of either of us." In a 12 November 1873 letter, McClernand inquired about the possibility of establishing his law practice in New Orleans. |
Folder 51 |
1874: January-MayCorrespondence concerning the possibility of holding a new election in Louisiana and other documents related to Warmoth's purchase of 1/3 interest in Magnolia Plantation. |
Folder 52 |
1874: June-OctoberCorrespondence chiefly with W. L. McMillan, O. D. Bragdon, and Jack Wharton. Wharton discussed confusion and disorganization in Louisiana politics. |
Folder 53 |
1874: November-DecemberCorrespondence with H. L. Swords, Henry Stanton, George A. Sheridan, and others. Of particular interest are letters in response to Warmoth's altercation with Daniel C. Byerly, manager of the New Orleans Bulletin, on 26 December 1874. According to newspaper reports, Byerly attacked Warmoth from behind with a cane on Canal Street and Warmoth stabbed Byerly six times in self defense. Warmoth received minor head wounds, but Byerly died several hours after the incident. Warmoth was arrested at the scene, but later released after a hearing. For more information on the event, see Folder 193. |
Folder 54 |
Folder number not used |
Folder 55 |
1875: January-MayCorrespondence regarding politics in Louisiana as well as documents relating to Warmoth's interest in Magnolia Plantation. |
Folder 56 |
1875: June-DecemberLetters regarding politics in Louisiana. In a 10 October 1875 letter, Cassius M. Clay of Kentucky announced his candidacy for vice president in the 1876 election and asked for Warmoth's support. |
Folder 57 |
1876Letters from P. B. S. Pinchback, Benjamin F. Butler, John A. McClernand, and John Hale Sypher discuss Warmoth's political prospects in the 1876 election. Pinchback wrote that "if you and I hitch teams, the Devil and Tom Walker cannot prevent our nomination." |
Folder 58 |
1877Includes a letter from S. M. Breckinridge seeking support for an appointment to the United States Supreme Court. |
Arrangement: chronological.
In 1874, Warmoth purchased 1/3 interest in Magnolia Plantation, a sugar plantation owned by Effingham Lawrence and located in Plaquemines Parish, La., about 40 miles below New Orleans along the Mississippi River. In 1879, Warmoth acquired the remaining 2/3 of the plantation for $100,000, and he became acutely interested in all aspects of the sugar industry. He traveled to Europe to study the beet sugar industry in 1884, and afterwards he spent considerable effort and capital establishing an experimental station to study sugar refining at Magnolia Plantation. Warmoth ran for governor for a second term in 1888, but was defeated in a bitter and contested election. In 1889, he was appointed Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans in 1889, a position he held until he was replaced by a Democrat in 1893. Warmoth remained active in state and national politics for many years, and in 1908 he waged an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. In his later years, Warmoth was active in Union veteran's organizations, and during the 1920s he wrote a memoir titled War, Politics, and Reconstruction, which was published by MacMillan in 1930. Warmoth died in New Orleans on 30 September 1931 at age 89.
Correspondence in this series primarily concerns Warmoth's involvement with Magnolia Plantation and the sugar trade, specifically his interest in modernizing sugar refining operations. There is also discussion of state and national politics, elections, railroads, the administration of the United Staets Mint in New Orleans, and Warmoth's activities as Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans. Some correspondence after 1910 concerns Warmoth's reminiscences of the Civil War and his relationship with General John A. McClernand.
Folder 59 |
1878: January-AprilAccounts of Magnolia Plantation for 1878 and various certificates of mortgage. |
Folder 60 |
1878: May-15 JuneLetters from Effingham Lawrence and accounts for Magnolia Plantation. |
Folder 61 |
1878: 16 June-JulyLetters concerning the management of Magnolia Plantation and correspondence from W. L. McMillan and Jack Wharton regarding politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 62 |
1878: August-SeptemberMostly correspondence with H. W. Whittlesay regarding management of Magnolia Plantation. Whittlesay discussed wages for plantation workers and the threat of yellow fever. |
Folder 63 |
1878: October-DecemberMostly correspondence regarding Magnolia Plantation and yellow fever. |
Folder 64 |
1879: January-MarchA 4 February 1879 letter from Effingham Lawrence accepting Warmoth's bid to purchase the remaining 2/3 of Magnolia Plantation for $100,000. Also correspondence with P. B. S. Pinchback regarding Warmoth's candidacy for Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans. |
Folder 65 |
1879: April-DecemberAccounts and other legal documents related to Magnolia Plantation. |
Folder 66 |
1880: JanuaryLegal documents and a topographical map related to Magnolia Plantation. |
Folder 67 |
1880: February-1881Accounts for Magnolia Plantation, notes and sketches for construction of a compost pit, and correspondence concerning Louisiana politics. |
Folder 68 |
1884-1885Correspondence regarding the sugar industry and the establishment of an experimental diffusion battery by the United States Department of Agriculture at Magnolia Plantation to study sugar refining. There is also discussion of steam ploughs and other machinery related to sugar refining, and a 17 February 1884 letter from Illinois Senator John A. Logan regarding national Republican Party politics. |
Folder 69 |
1886-1887Correspondence between Warmoth and United States Commissioner of Agriculture Norman J. Colman regarding a contract to erect a diffusion battery at Magnolia Plantation to study possible improvements in the sugar refining process. There is also a 3 June 1886 letter from Dr. T. W. Shaw in Los Angeles that describes the area and its agricultural products such as oranges and grapes. |
Folder 70 |
1888: January-MarchCorrespondence mostly regarding the 1888 election in Louisiana an Warmoth's nomination for governor. |
Folder 71 |
1888: April-MayDiscussion of Warmoth's campaign for governor, election fraud in Louisiana, and mechanization of sugar refining. |
Folder 72 |
1888: June-AugustLetters regarding the 1888 election and sugar tariff legislation. |
Folder 73 |
1888: September-DecemberLetters concern the 1888 election and the sugar industry. |
Folder 74 |
1889: January-MarchLetters discuss the sugar industry, sugar tariff legislation, the diffusion process of sugar refining, and Warmoth's challenge of the 1888 election results. Correspondents of note include William Pitt Kellogg, William B. Allison, and P. B. S. Pinchback. |
Folder 75 |
1889: April-MayCorrespondence mostly regarding political strategy and patronage in Louisiana. |
Folder 76 |
1889: June-JulyCorrespondence with John A. Morris of New York and others regarding the New Orleans, Fort Jackson, and Grand Isle Railroad Company of which Warmoth was president. |
Folder 77 |
1889: 1-10 AugustCorrespondence regarding Warmoth's appointment as Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans, including several letters soliciting appointments from Warmoth. |
Folder 78 |
1889: 11-18 AugustMostly letters congratulating Warmoth on his appointment as Collector of Customs for the Port of New Orleans. |
Folder 79 |
1889: 19-31 AugustCorrespondence regarding politics and race relations in Louisiana. In 28 August 1889 letter, railroad financier John A. Morris commented on the railroad boom: "I suppose in these days a road built honestly, stocked on bed rock, properly managed, will pay in a year or two no matter where it starts or where it goes." |
Folder 80 |
1889: September-OctoberMostly letters seeking appointments from Warmoth. |
Folder 81 |
1889: November-DecemberMostly correspondence regarding Republican Party politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 82 |
1890: 1-20 JanuaryCorrespondence discusses resistance to Warmoth's appointment as Collector of Customs and his support in Washington, D.C. |
Folder 83 |
1890: 21-31 JanuaryCorrespondence regarding Warmoth's confirmation as Collector of Customs and an investigation into charges made against the Warmoth administration, 1868-1872. |
Folder 84 |
1890: FebruaryCorrespondence with William Pitt Kellogg and J. R. G. Pitkin regarding Warmoth's confirmation as Collector of Customs. |
Folder 85 |
1890: March-MaySeveral letters from Secretary of the Treasury William Windom and Secretary to the President E. W. Halford regarding the appointment of customs collectors in Louisiana. There is also a 7 April 1890 letter from Minister to England Robert Todd Lincoln thanking Warmoth for sending a sympathy card in response to the untimely death of Lincoln's son Abraham Lincoln II. |
Folder 86 |
1890: June-AugustAccounts and correspondence regarding construction of the New Orleans, Fort Jackson, and Grand Isle Railroad. There is also an 11 June 1890 letter from Henry B. Richardson, Chief State Engineer, regarding the "length and average height of levees on the right bank of the Mississippi River." |
Folder 87 |
1890: September-DecemberCorrespondence with Secretary of the Treasury William Windom and others regarding appointments in Louisiana. |
Folder 88 |
1891: January-JuneCorrespondence regarding the sugar industry and a letter from Secretary to the President E. M. Halford regarding Benjamin Harrison's trip to California via "the southern route." |
Folder 89 |
1891: July-SeptemberCorrespondence with E. M. Halford and Secretary of the Treasury Charles Foster regarding appointments to the United States Mint in New Orleans. |
Folder 90 |
1891: October-NovemberCorrespondence with William Pitt Kellogg concerning a dispute over an article Warmoth published in the New Orleans Republican criticizing Kellogg. Also of note is a 5 November 1891 letter from William McKinley in which he thanked Warmoth for acknowledging his election as governor of Ohio. |
Folder 91 |
1891: DecemberCorrespondence with P. B. S. Pinchback and W. W. Dudley concerning politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 92 |
1892: January-FebruaryIncludes letters from Secretary of War T. B. Elkins and Secretary to the President E. M. Halford. Also included are two complimentary tickets to the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Ill. |
Folder 93 |
1892: March-AprilAccounts for operating expenses and constructions costs of the New Orleans, Fort Jackson, and Grand Isle Railroad Company as well as a letter from Secretary of the Treasury Charles P. Foster regarding federal appointments in Louisiana. |
Folder 94 |
1892: MayOf note is correspondence and other items related to the administration of the United States Mint in New Orleans. A List of Coiners and Adjusters at the U.S. Mint dated 6 May 1892 records names of employees, party affiliations, and comments on work ethic. |
Folder 95 |
1892: JuneIncludes a list of Louisiana delegates to the National Republican Convention in Minneapolis, an official license for sugar producers issued to the Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company, and correspondence regarding removal of sugar machinery from Magnolia Plantation and discharges from the United States Mint in New Orleans. |
Folder 96 |
1892: 1-15 JulyCorrespondence mostly concerns administration of the United States Mint at New Orleans and Republican Party politics. |
Folder 97 |
1892: 16-31 JulyMostly correspondence regarding Republican Party politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 98 |
1892: AugustCorrespondence regarding the sugar industry and Republican Party politics in Louisiana. |
Folder 99 |
1892: SeptemberIncludes a letter from Secretary of the Treasury Charles Foster regarding unity in the Republican Party. "Perhaps for the first time in the history of the party," Foster wrote, "we can achieve a success not possible heretofore." |
Folder 100 |
1892: OctoberMostly correspondence concerning harmony in the Republican Party and support for Benjamin Harrison in the 1892 election. Also included is an elaborate invitation to the dedication ceremony of buildings at the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Ill. |
Folder 101 |
1892: November-DecemberCorrespondence mostly concerns the Republican defeat in the 1892 elections and sugar tariff legislation. |
Folder 102 |
1893Correspondence includes discussion of the sugar industry and a 9 March 1893 letter from recently unseated President Benjamin Harrison. Harrison noted that he had returned to Indianapolis to "set up my broken household goods and to arrange my business a little and get some rest." |
Folder 103 |
1894-1896Includes an 1894 program for "The Closing Exercises of the Magnolia Home School," a 13 May 1895 letter from Benjamin Harrison regarding his sickness and recovery, and a twelve-page speech Warmoth was to deliver at a reunion of the Union and Confederate Armies of Tennessee. |
Folder 104 |
1897-1898Correspondence with Secretary of the Treasury Charles Foster; senators W. E. Chandler, C. W. Fairbanks, and George Turner; and others regarding the sugar industry and sugar tariff |
Folder 105 |
1903-1909Letters generally concern the sugar industry and politics and elections in Louisiana. Also included is a 12 February 1909 welcome program and menu for a celebration honoring President-elect William H. Taft's visit to New Orleans. |
Folder 106 |
1910-1913Includes correspondence and other items related to the Louisiana Republican Party; letters from Colonel E. J. McClernand regarding erecting a statue at Vicksburg to honor his father, General John A. McClernand; and correspondence regarding sugar tariffs. There is also a short typed note dated 26 February 1913 signed by President William H. Taft. |
Folder 107 |
1914-1916Several letters from E. J. McClernand discuss his father, John A. McClernand, and his reputation and feud with General Ulysses S. Grant. Some of these letters include transcriptions of letters from W. T. Sherman to Grant. Also included is a 27 December 1916 letter from William H. Taft. |
Folder 108 |
1917-1922Includes 1917 correspondence with author Ella Lonn regarding Warmoth's remembrances of reconstruction in Louisiana, letters regarding Louisiana politics, and two short thank-you notes from William H. Taft. |
Folder 109 |
1923-1924Includes a reception card from Mrs. Warren G. Harding, and a short thank you note from William H. Taft. |
Folder 110 |
1926-1934; 1953Includes the application of Helen Louise Warmoth for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, correspondence regarding Warmoth's memoir, and a 5 April 1930 letter from the Regular Democratic Organization of Louisiana with the valediction, "Yours for white supremacy." |
Folder 111-119
Folder 111Folder 112Folder 113Folder 114Folder 115Folder 116Folder 117Folder 118Folder 119 |
UndatedUndated correspondence, mostly Civil War era and later. Correspondents of note include Charles C. Merrill, H. L. Swords, J. R. West, and Frank Mason. |
Arrangement: chronological.
Volumes include plantation journals, ledgers, and day-books related to the operation of Magnolia Plantation, a large sugar plantation acquired by Warmoth located in Plaquemines Parish, La., about 45 miles below New Orleans along the Mississippi River. Some of the earlier plantation journals, 1828-1859, were likely compiled by Effingham Lawrence, the previous owner of Magnolia Plantation, and include slave lists with birth and death dates. Later plantation journals record expenses and purchases, floods, sugar house activities, weather, improvements, payrolls, and occasionally personal or political matters. Also included are Warmoth's personal diaries, 1863-1867, 1922-1931. Of particular interest are his Civil War diaries, 1863-1865, which provide accounts of his service in the Union Army as lieutenant colonel with the 32nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry and his duties on the staff of General John A. McClernand.
Folder 120 |
Magnolia Plantation: Slave records, 1828-1863Loose pages recording birth and death dates for slaves at Magnolia Plantation and possibly other plantations in Louisiana. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/2 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, 1856-1859Large plantation journal includes slave lists, work assignments, daily routines, supplies purchased, and a record of produce. Also included are Effingham Lawrence's detailed accounts of floods in 1858 and 1859, and hurricanes in 1856 and 1860. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/3 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, 1859-1863Continuation of the previous journal that includes a long memoir by Effingham Lawrence on page 321 discussing the affect of the Civil War on slave life at Magnolia. Lawrence noted that he rewarded his slaves for their obedience during the turbulent early years of the war. He also commented on the problem of fugitive slaves on other Louisiana plantations. |
Folder 123 |
Civil War Diary, 1 April-28 August 1863Personal war diary of Warmoth, lieutenant colonel, 32nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry and assistant to General John A. McClernand. Warmoth mentioned activities at New Carthage, Port Gibson, Jackson, Vicksburg, Memphis, Saint Louis, and Chicago. He also noted his dishonorable discharge for allegedly circulating false reports about the strength of the Union Army at Vicksburg. |
Folder 124 |
Civil War Diary, 1 September 1863-28 March 1864Continuation of Warmoth's personal war diary. Topics and places discussed include Warmoth's reinstatement in the army; Corinth, Miss.; Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, Tenn.; Bridgeport, Ala.; Louisville, Ky.; New Orleans; and other points along the gulf coast. Warmoth discussed fighting, marches, and general army life. |
Folder 125 |
Civil War Diary, 1 April 1864-8 May 1865Warmoth noted his activities near the Texas coast and Mexican border; military courts in Louisiana; a trip home to Rolla, Mo.; and travel to New York, Washington D.C., Buffalo, and Cleveland. In April 1865 entries from Washington, D.C., Warmoth noted the jubilant atmosphere of the city. "Everybody is so happy and everybody is getting drunk", he wrote. Warmoth also gave a detailed description of the somber mood in the city following the assassination of President Lincoln. |
Folder 126 |
Diary, 9 May 1865-4 March 1867Warmoth discussed trying civilian cases in New Orleans and provides an eye witness account of the New Orleans Race Riot of 30 July 1866; trips to Natchez, Galveston, and Houston; an illness; and trips to Washington, D.C., and New York. |
Folder 127 |
Notebook, 1874-1877Miscellaneous memoranda, addresses, and notes and accounts relating to Magnolia Plantation, election predictions, and politics. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/9 |
Magnolia Plantation: Crop reports, 1876-1879Crop reports for each season, expenses and receipts, and Warmoth's accounts with Effingham Lawrence. |
Folder 129 |
Magnolia Plantation: Accounts and memos, 1877-1879Accounts, addresses, and a record of Warmoth's engagement to Sallie Durand, his marriage, and a honeymoon trip to Europe. |
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Magnolia Plantation: Accounts, 1877-1881Account statements with Effingham Lawrence, stock information, expenses, and information regarding the shipment of sugar. |
Folder 131 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, November 1880-October 1886Includes records of planting and cultivation, daily progress, weather, floods, and sugar house activities. Also includes the "Minutes of the Union League Club of New Orleans," which met in Warmoth's parlor. |
Folder 132 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, November 1886-May 1891Journal of sugar planting activities with some notes relating to social and personal events. |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Ledger, 1890-1895 |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Ledger, 1890-1898 |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Day book, 1891-1895 |
Folder 136 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, May 1891-December 1893Plantation journal with notes on Magnolia, Woodland, and Deer Range plantations. There are also entries related to personal and political events. |
Folder 137 |
Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Minutes, June 1891-April 1909Minutes of the board of stockholders and a newspaper copy of the company's charter. |
Folder 138 |
Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Ledger, 1891-1895Ledger of accounts for repairs, improvements, insurance, and with various individuals. |
Folder 139 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, January 1894-January 1897Crop reports for sugar and oranges, work records, and notes on weather. Of particular interest is discussion of a 14 February 1895 snow storm that covered New Orleans in ten inches of snow and destroyed the plantation's orange crop. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/21 |
Magnolia Plantation: Accounts, 1895-1898Warmoth's personal accounts, accounts for the Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company, payrolls, accounts for repairs and improvements, labor and wages, and a number of other categories. |
Folder 141 |
Magnolia Plantation: Day book, 1895-1898 |
Folder 142 |
Magnolia Plantation: Cash book, 1895-1898Cash book for Magnolia Plantation and store and Warmoth's personal accounts. |
Folder 143 |
Magnolia Plantation: Cash accounts, 1895-1898Expenditures listed under the following headings: repairs, Magnolia Plantation, Warmoth, payroll, Magnolia Sugar and Railway Company, and others. |
Folder 144 |
Magnolia Plantation: Cash account summary, 1895-1898 |
Folder 145 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, January 1897-February 1899 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Time book, 1897-1899 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Ledger, 1898-1901 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Cash book, 1898-1901 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Journal, 1899-1903 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Time book, 1899-1901 |
Folder 151 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, February 1899-March 1902An entry for 27 July 1900 describes mobs in New Orleans that were indiscriminately killing African Americans in the city. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/33 |
Magnolia Plantation: Ledger, 1901-1905 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Cash book, 1901-1906 |
Folder 154 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, March 1902-July 1905 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Journal, January 1902-May 1903Plantation journal of Frank S. Warmoth includes tables showing sugar factory reports, crop reports, and other data. |
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Magnolia Plantation: Journal, 1903-1909 |
Folder 157 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, August 1905-July 1908 |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Ledger, 1906-1909 |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Cash book, 1906-1921 |
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Magnolia Plantation and Railroad Company: Ledger, 1906-1921 |
Folder 161 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, August 1908-March 1911 |
Folder 162 |
Magnolia Plantation: Accounts, 1910-1922Accounts for investments, property, etc. |
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Magnolia Plantation: Payroll, 1910-1911 |
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Magnolia Sugar and Railroad Company: Accounts, 1910-1911 |
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Magnolia Plantation: Day book, 1910-1921 |
Folder 166 |
Sarah Plantation: Ledger, 1911-1913Accounts for Sarah Plantation, Magnolia Store, Magnolia Plantation and Real Estate Company, Sarah Store, and Warmoth's personal accounts. |
Folder 167 |
Magnolia Plantation: Cash book, 1911-1912 |
Folder 168 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, February 1911-December 1913 |
Folder 169 |
Magnolia Plantation: Accounts and day book, 1911-1917 |
Folder 170 |
Sarah Plantation: Ledger, 1913-1917Accounts for Sarah Plantation, Magnolia Store, Magnolia Plantation and Real Estate Company, Sarah Store, and Warmoth's personal accounts. |
Folder 171 |
Daybook of H. C. Warmoth, 1913-1917 |
Folder 172 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, January 1914-March 1916 |
Folder 173 |
Magnolia Plantation: Time book, 1916-1917Records number of days worked per month and the rate of wages for laborers |
Folder 174 |
Magnolia Plantation: Journal, April 1916-January 1919 |
Folder 175 |
Sarah Plantation: Ledger, 1917-1920Records expenditures for repairs, automobiles, payroll, oil, telephone, and other accounts. |
Folder 176 |
Diary, 1 January 1922-22 April 1924Warmoth's personal diary records family life, social events, weather, and some of his correspondence. A few clippings are also included. |
Folder 177 |
Diary, June-October 1922; June-September 1926Warmoth's personal diary during his stay at Signal Mountain, Tenn. |
Folder 178 |
Diary, April 1924-June 1927Warmoth's personal diary. Includes some clippings. |
Folder 179 |
Diary, November 1924; June-September 1925; September 1926Diary kept by Warmoth while on vacation in Pass Christian, Signal Mountain, Tenn., and elsewhere. In an 18 July 1925 entry, Warmoth discussed having lunch with William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes Trial. Warmoth commented on Bryan's death shortly after the meeting. |
Folder 180-184
Folder 180Folder 181Folder 182Folder 183Folder 184 |
Diaries, June 1927-September 1931Warmoth's personal diaries. Most contain clippings of articles of interest to Warmoth. |
Folder 185a-185g |
Materials for War, Politics, and Reconstruction(1931)Includes typed copies of Warmoth's Civil War diaries, autobiographical material, and research notes from various books and documents related to the Civil War. |
Arrangement: chronological.
Scrapbooks contain mostly clippings related to Warmoth's political career, his memoir War, Politics, and Reconstruction (1930), and his death in 1931.
Folder 186 |
1841-1878Clippings on belles-lettres and general topics. |
Folder 187 |
1865-1866Clippings mostly about Louisiana politics, race issues, and Warmoth. |
Folder 188 |
1869-1874Miscellaneous clippings |
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SV-752/70SV-752/71SV-752/72 |
1870-1872Clippings regarding Warmoth's governorship and Louisiana politics. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/73 |
1871-1872Clippings from northern newspapers. |
Folder 193 |
1874Clippings about Warmoth's altercation with Daniel C. Byerly, including a copy of the testimony of several witnesses at the coroner's inquest. |
Folder 194 |
1876Clippings, telegrams, and letters concerning elections in Louisiana. |
Folder 195 |
1900Clippings on Louisiana politics. |
Folder 196 |
1922-1924Louisiana politics, Judge E. N. Perez, taxes, etc. |
Folder 197 |
1881Clippings and other items related to Warmoth's engagement and marriage to Sallie Durand. |
Folder 198 |
circa 1880s-1890sClippings, poems, stories, pictures of statesman and famous hotels. |
Oversize Volume SV-752/80 |
1929-1931Mostly letters sent to Warmoth in appreciation of his book War, Politics, and Reconstruction (1930). |
Folder 200 |
1930-1931Clippings of reviews of Warmoth's memoir War, Politics, and Reconstruction (1930). |
Oversize Volume SV-752/82 |
1931Clippings, telegrams, cards, and letters of condolence sent in response to Warmoth's death on 30 September 1931 at age 89. |
Folder 202-203
Folder 202Folder 203 |
Miscellaneous clippings |
Photographs primarily depict Warmoth; his family and friends; Magnolia Plantation and plantation workers; Lookout Mountain Tenn.; and other sites in Louisiana. Most photographs are identified.
Reel R-00752/1-23
R-00752/1R-00752/2R-00752/3R-00752/4R-00752/5R-00752/6R-00752/7R-00752/8R-00752/9R-00752/10R-00752/11R-00752/12R-00752/13R-00752/14R-00752/15R-00752/16R-00752/17R-00752/18R-00752/19R-00752/20R-00752/21R-00752/22R-00752/23 |
MicrofilmFolders 1-122 |