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Civil War Letters of Adam Badeau
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
A volunteer in the U.S. military service at the outset of the Civil War, Adam Badeau worked as an aide on the staff of General Thomas W. Sherman until he was wounded in May 1863. He spent some months recovering in Jamaica, New York and at Fillmore House in Newport. In March 1864, Badeau was appointed military secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant, with the rank, first of lieutenant-colonel and afterward of colonel. On this duty, he accompanied the general in the Wilderness and Appomattox campaigns, and remained on his staff until March 1869, when he was retired from the army with the full rank of captain. In later years, Badeau held various diplomatic service posts.
This collection documents Adam Badeau's career as Grant's secretary during the war, as well as a diplomat and Grant's biographer after it. Researchers interested in the particulars of Badeau's career should consult the Ulysses S. Grant Association newsletter in folder 69 in order to establish details of the beginning of his career, his rise in the military administration, and his relationship with Grant.
Badeau's letters offer a lot of insight into the military events he experienced. He met regularly not only with Grant, but with William Tecumseh Sherman, Horace Porter, Richard Busteed, George Henry Thomas, Orville Babcock, Ely Parker, John Rawlins, and others. His relationships with these individuals are described in his correspondence with James Harrison Wilson, which comprises most of this collection. There's also some interesting information on Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes, who is considered by some to be the greatest American actor of all time. In these letters, Badeau provides some meaningful commentary on these figures as well as the general discussion topics of the time: the fate of slavery, reconstruction, etc.
In 1863 he spends months in New York and New Port with little company besides his caretakers and surgeons (including Edwin Booth, who becomes a dear friend of Badeau) and he writes to Wilson regularly. In this period of perpetual physical pain and loneliness, his close relationship to Wilson becomes apparent.
He mostly reports on military affairs, politics, and his convalescence, and these letters show much insight, especially regarding the future of the South. In addition, these letters demonstrate his friendship with Wilson. Badeau engages in a witty and at times flirty banter regarding their correspondence and intimacy. In these letters he divulges how meaningful their friendship is. In 1864, a breach in their friendship arises, which is not fully explained because Wilson's letters are not part of this collection. Eventurally, they do become friends again, and Badeau returns to writing about the generals he serves, and the war, and the aftermath of the war.
The collection consists of 79 autograph letters from Adam Badeau to Union general James Harrison Wilson, dated 1862 to 1865, most of which were written while Badeau was General Ulysses S. Grant's military secretary in the Civil War. One letter describes the Confederate surrender at Appomattox and the meeting between Generals Lee and Grant. Also included is a letter (1909) by Wilson and a few newspaper clippings about him.
Arranged chronologically, undated first.
The collection was formed as a result of a departmental practice of combining into one collection manuscript material of various accessions relating to a particular author.
Various accessions.
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Folder inventory added by Hilde Creager '15 in 2013.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Collection Inventory
This series consists of undated letters, so there is no sequence to them. They describe Badeau and Wilson's orders, Sherman and Chattanooga, Badeau's wound and recovery, Grant's illness, and Sherman's plan.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
Regarding confusion about his orders to report to Sherman in Pittsburg Landing and pledging to have Wilson transferred there.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
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1 folder
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This series consists of 23 of Badeau's letters from 1863. They are written from New York and Newport, where Badeau stayed on convalescence. Badeau was in the company of Edwin Booth at the time, so there are a few details regarding their friendship. He writes to Wilson about his wound, as well as politics, the military, and his personal life and his friends (mostly generals).
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Description1 box
Expressing concern about whether Wilson is ill, a present for Porter's wife, Wilson's Christmas letter, publishing.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Regarding his health, joking about Wilson and women.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding foreign intervention, party politics, the company of Edwin Booth.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding their friendship, application for leave, Grant and politics.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding surgeons' evaluation of his wound, Booth's correspondence, campaign in the West, Wilson's visit home.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding his wound, foreign intervention, Maximilian Affair, publishing, God and the death of Booth's wife, experience at seance.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Grant's aide "J.A.G." (James Garfield?), interaction with Count Giorgi, Germany, Various Generals.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding moving, his wound, publishing, slavery, Garfield's position, rumors of Sickles' coup, Edwin Booth.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's transfer to the Western theater, how people at home treat the war, emancipation, "Zacharie", company of Sherman.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Porter, Booth, "Invasion of the Crimea" by Kinglake, election day, Russian ball.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding theatre, gathering of generals, Count Giorgi, riding horses again, Chattanooga, Wilson's plan to write a military history of Vicksburg campaign.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding some crisis of Porter's, letters of Col. Lamar, Napoleon III, Dr. Duncan and slavery, with a poem.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Regarding Badeau's cousin, Horace Porter, Busteed's appointment, Badeau's promised promotion, article of John Wilkes Booth's, the statuses of some generals.
Physical Description1 folder
Congratulating Wilson for promotion, influence on Senate, attack on Gen. Thomas.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding their correspondence, Grant's popularity, Badeau's wound.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga, Sickles' scheme, Booth, McClellan.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's orders to go with Sherman, Grant, telegram from Burnside, Porter's marriage.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Congressional influence, Hallock's report, letter from Pelouze, Badeau's application for duty, attending a party.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding conversation with his surgeon, Porter's wedding, publication, Grant.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding traveling, Christmas, Knoxville, Kinglake.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding a meeting with Porter and his wife, Garfield's conscription, Grant's future, slavery, Longsteed.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Gov. Curtin, aftermath of Hallock's report, an informant, the blockade.
Physical Description1 folder
This series consists of 16 of Badeau's letters from 1864. They are written from a variety of places, including City Point, New York, West Point, and elsewhere. Badeau returned to duty serving as Grant's secretary and so in this series there is some material on his recovery and readjustment. He writes about prospects of publishing Wilson's work and describes a trip to the Catskills with Edwin Booth. This series also contains several very intimate and devastating letters on Badeau and Wilson's love (see August and September) that illuminate the nature of their companionship and correspondence.
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Description1 box
Regarding argument between Badeau and Wilson, serving Grant, promotion of Schofield, Smith.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Smith not being promoted, Butler, attempting to ride horses again, ordering a coat, Grant's disappoinment in Porter.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding ordering of a coat, horse riding, Porter, Wilson's memoir, Lt. Dunn.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding a Rebel paper, a portrait given by Grant, newspaper containing Lee's document.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson not being promoted, Badeau's health, approval of the draft, Duff, Butler leaving.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding advice on improving Wilson's military paper, publishing, opinions of newspapers, trip with Booth to Lake George and Kaatskill Mountains, Booth's religion.
Physical Description1 folder
About his trip, meeting with Bishop of Nassau, opinions on the Radicals, the election.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding being refused for duty, the history (intimacy) between Badeau and Wilson, Badeau's leg, Grant's accomplishments, dinner with General Scott, Chicago Democratic Convention.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding boot made to accommodate his foot.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding foot, Badeau and Wilson's relationship, intimacy and love.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's success, McClellan and the nomination, updates on Busteed, Rawlins, Porter, Mrs. Grant et al.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding wedding present for Martin, Wilson's campaign, Badeau's campaign and activities.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's promotion to Brevet Major General, Martin's wedding present, talks of sending Wilson to Sherman, visit from Secretary of War.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding birth of Porter's child, the opinions of generals on Wilson, Washington.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Rawlins' anger, honesty and intimacy, Lincoln's reelection, Reconstruction article in the Atlantic.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding visit home, Sherman's movement, friendship of Sherman and Grant, sickness and recovery.
Physical Description1 folder
This series consists of 17 of Badeau's letters from 1865. They are written from a variety of places, including City Point, New York, Washington, and Galena, Illinois. They describe Badeau's life after the war touring with Grant as part of his entourage. Badeau reconciles to some extent with his affair with Wilson and accepts their new friendship. Some interesting stuff of the Reconstruction of the South and post-war America. 1865 is also when Wilson captured Jefferson Davis and there is some material regarding that and how it changed Wilson's career. Badeau also writes of an Anne Campbell with which Wilson is infatuated, as well as Wilson's potential career in business.
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Description1 box
Regarding success of Gen. Thomas, recovery, Busteed's failures, Christianity, Edwin Booth.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's success, Gen. Thomas, advice, apologies for previous confusion between Badeau and Wilson, religion.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding sickness, writing, interception of letters, how Wilson has changed, affection, life in New York, Wilson's success.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding recovery, negotiation with Rebels, military literature.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding confirmation of Wilson's rank, advice, Gen. Grant in Washington, longing to be with Wilson, Wilson's report, updates on Cornstock, Porter, visit of Carl Schurz.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding confirmation of Wilson's rank, Sherman's movements, the state of the South and the war, visit from Lincoln, friendship, reminiscing, the Rebels.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding silence, stay at Hoffman House, slavery, unity, reports, Badeau and Wilson's campaigns, visit from Lincoln.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's success following Lincoln's assassination, Sherman's behavior, Appomattox Court House and interaction with Confederate leaders.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Gen. Delafield's maps, Wilson's account of Jefferson Davis' capture, Gen. Stanton, speaking tour of Grant, Wilson's new command, amnesty for Confederate generals.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's new command, Sherman and Halleck, leaving with Gen. Grant, Wilson's lack of promotion and Grant's involvement, Franco-Mexican War.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's time in Georgia and its adjustment to abolition, suffrage, Franco-Mexican War, Monroe Dcotrine, note on Wilson resigning.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding silence, various people's opinion of Wilson, resigning, potential war with Mexico, Wilson's report, tour with Grant, Mrs. B and Hoffman House, Edwin Booth's engagement, release of Junius Jr. Booth with brief reference to John Wilkes, marriage.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's promotion, dinner at the White House, former politicians begging pardon.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding tour with Grant, asking Wilson to visit, some "profound secret", "altered relations", Wilson's birthday, Babcock's interesst in marrying Anne Campbell.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding information about Wilson given to "Mr. Genees", affairs of Major Generals, a gift, Noyes, potential reassignment of Wilson.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Gen. Echols visiting Army Headquarters to find man to run National Express Company as superintendent of the North with Gen. Joseph Johnston, Grant's recommendation of Wilson for the position, Badeau's opinion on the prospect.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding Wilson's companionship with Ella Andrews (his love interest), Echol's proposition, Badeau's book, asking for copies of Wilson's papers and maps, Badeau promising not to bring up his past relationship with Wilson when meeting Ella Andrews, Grant.
Physical Description1 folder
This last series consists of material not written by Badeau but related to his life and Wilson's. A great newsletter from the Ulysses S. Grant Association that provides a short biography of Badeau. A letter from Badeau while he is serving as a diplomat in England after the war, a letter concerning his work on Grant's writing, a letter of Wilson's. There are also newspaper clippings about Wilson after the war.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
Regarding application on behalf of Badeau's brother for Physician of Post Office of New York with note about potential appointment as Minister to England.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding the time Badeau spent working on Grant's military history.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Including letter to editor by Badeau, article about Wilson's appointment to Embassy attending King Edward VII's coronation, Wilson's role in Boxer Rebellion.
Physical Description1 folder