Whitman, Edmund, 1812-1883

Papers, 1830-1876
33 items

Biographical information:

Edmund Whitman, a native of Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1838 and became headmaster of the Hopkins Classical School in Cambridge. He was involved in antislavery and temperance societies and in 1855 emigrated to Lawrence, Kansas, joining the struggle to make that territory a free state. Whitman served in the Civil War, first as an assistant quartermaster stationed in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. In 1865 he was promoted chief quartermaster, District of Tennessee stationed at Murfreesboro. After the war Whitman became assistant quartermaster in charge of national cemeteries and mortuary records for the same district. Charged with inspecting cemeteries and battlefields, he located Union soldiers buried in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama. He left the service in 1868, taught briefly in Louisville, Ky., and returned to Cambridge, where he lived until his death.

Scope and Contents:

The Schoff Civil War Collection contains papers of Edmund Whitman, chief quartermaster, Army of Tennessee.

This collection contains eight large ledgers kept by Whitman during his service as quartermaster, 1865-1868; they include his national cemeteries report, records of correspondence sent and received, memoranda, and Quartermaster Department accounts. Also present are Whitman's personal financial records, in 23 cash books and pocket diaries, 1830-1876.

Provenance:

Purchased, 1976

Schoff Civil War Collection -- Edmund Whitman Papers

Subject Index

Return to:

Brief guide to manuscripts collections

Alphabetic index to the Schoff Civil War Collections

Return to:

Homepage	Manuscripts	Collections	Staff	Hours and policies