Local History Collections

(Description ID: 594550)

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

Joseph Edwards Family

LH-264 

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content
Inventory
Addendum

Introduction
The collection was donated to the Hayes Presidential Center by Mrs. Judith Burkholder and Mrs. William Turner in 1994.

Biographical Sketch
Joseph F. Edwards, born near Winchester, Virginia, in 1807, migrated to Ohio in 1827. Upon his arrival in Sandusky County, Ohio, he managed a Fremont distillery owned by Ammi Williams until he purchased a farm in Green Creek Twp. He married Mary Miller of Pleasant Twp., Seneca County, Ohio, whose parents had come from Pickaway County, Ohio, in 1822. In 1856, Joseph and Mary Edwards purchased a farm in Ballville Twp., Sandusky County, Ohio. The couple were the parents of six children, all of whom were raised on the Ballville Twp. farm. Their children were: Tobias M., born 6 June 1840; Hezekiah, born 23 June 1842; Theodore F., born 10 October 1844; Franklin, born 22 September 1846; George, born 4 March 1849; and Mary (Nighswander), born 23 October 1851. The three oldest sons all saw service in the Civil War. Tobias, at the age of twenty-one, enlisted in Company G of the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was killed in the Battle of Winchester on 22 March 1862. His father had his body disinterred and brought to Sandusky County for re-burial in the Decker Cemetery. Hezekiah enlisted in Company D of the 3rd Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on 16 August 1861. He took part in the Battle of Shiloh. He was discharged at Camp Chase, Ohio, due to illness. However, Hezekiah re-enlisted in Company I of the 139th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a regiment formed for one hundred days service. Theodore enlisted in Company I of the 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on 12 October 1863. During the Battle of Saltville, he suffered a broken wrist causing his discharge in December of 1865. The four surviving brothers remained in Sandusky County throughout their lives with the exception of Theodore, who spent two years homesteading in Kansas. Mary and her husband J.F. Nighswander eventually settled in El Reno, Oklahoma.

Scope and Content
The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between the Edwards immediate family members, relatives, and friends and the three sons of Joseph and Mary (Miller) Edwards serving in the Civil War. Nearly half of the letters were written by Sandusky County family and friends who related news of neighbors, other county soldiers, and local events. In addition, there are a number of letters written by Theodore Edwards during his homesteading years (1876-1877) in Kansas. The collection also includes miscellaneous legal papers and Civil War documents.

Inventory
Ac. 5274
115 items

1856-1863

To "Dear brother" dtd St. Paul, 12 Oct 1856 3pp D. Myers ALS

To "Dear Cousin" [Tobias Edwards] dtd n.p., 25 Nov. 1859 1 p John N. Kime ALS

To Tobias Edwards dtd Ballville, 5 Jan 1861 2pp Margaret Myers ALS

To "My D Father" [Joseph Edwards] dtd "camp denison ohio", 26 Jan 1861 4pp Hezekiah
     Edwards ALS

To "Dear Mother" [Mary Miller Edwards] dtd Camp Dennison, 5 May 1861 3pp Tobias
     Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd Camp Dennison, 27 Jun 1861 1p Tobias Edwards ALS

To Hezekiah, George, Franklin, Mary, Father [Joseph], Theodore Edwards dtd Camp
     Dennison, 7 Jly 1861 3pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To "Dear Father" [Joseph Edwards] dtd New Creek, 10 Sep [1861] 2pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd New Creek, Va, 22 Sep [1861?] 3 pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To Maria Miller [aunt of Tobias Edwards] dtd New Creek Hampshire Co., Va, 29 Sep [1861?]
     3pp T [Tobias] Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd 27 Oct 1861 Romney, Hampshire Co., Virginia 3 pp Tobias
     Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd Camp Keys Romney Hampshire Co. Va, 17 Nov 1861 2pp Tobias
     Edwards ALS

To Tobias [Edwards] dtd n.p. 28 Nov 1861 2pp Maria Miller ALS

To "My Dear Brother" [Tobias Edwards] dtd "N B", 29 Nov 1861 AL

To "Dear Cousin" [Tobias Edwards] dtd Seneca Co. Ohio, 2 Dec 1861 4pp Fanny Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd Camp Keys, Romney, Va, 11 Dec 1861 2pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To Hezekiah Edwards dtd Camp Keys, Romney, Va, 18Dec 1861 4pp ALS "George" [Edwards]

To Joseph Edwards dtd Camp keyes Romney, Va, 19 Dec 1861 4pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To "My Dear Mother" dtd n.p., 21 Dec 1861 4pp AL [Hezekiah Edwards?]

To "Dear Mother" [Mary Miller Edwards] dtd n.p. n.d. 1p Tobias Edwards ALS; To Joseph
     Edwards dtd Patterson Creek, Va, 14 Jan 1862 3pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd Camp Keyes, Romney, Hampshire W.Va., 1 Jan 1862 3pp Tobias
     Edwards ALS

To "Mother" [Mary Miller Edwards] dtd Camp Kelly on Patterson Creek, 17 Jan 1862 2pp
     Tobias Edwards ALS

To "My dear Mother" [Mary Miller Edwards] dtd "Camp right indiana", 2? Feb 1862 4pp
     Hezekiah Edwards ALS

To "Dear Father, Dear Mother, Dear Sister, Dear Brother" [Joseph Edwards, Mary Miller
     Edwards, Mary Edwards, George Edwards] dtd Camp Kelly on Patterson Creek Va,
     4 Feb 1862 2pp Tobias Edwards ALS

To "dear brother" [Tobias Edwards] dtd n.p., 8 Feb 1862 2pp Frank, Mary, Theodore Edwards

To "Dear and ever loved and respected parents and Brothers and sister" [Joseph and Mary
     Miller Edwards family] dtd Camp Chase. Morgan. co. Va., 18 Feb [1862?] 2pp Tobias
     Edwards ALS

To "Dear Father" [Joseph Edwards] dtd Winchester, Va, 21 Mar 1862 3pp possibly incomplete?;
     AL [Tobias Edwards?]

To "Joseph Edwards, Esqr" dtd Strasburgh, Va, 26 Mar 1862 1p Wm. E. Haynes. ALS

To [Joseph Edwards] dtd Strasburgh Va, 28 March 1862 1p Wm. E. Haynes ADS

To Jos. Edwards Esq. dtd Camp at Woodstock Va, 15 Apr 1862 2pp Wm. E. Haynes ALS

To "Dear Brother" [Hezekiah Edwards?] dtd n.p. 7 aug 1862 2ppMary Edwards ALS

To "Mrs Edwards" [Mary Miller Edwards] dtd North Lawrance, 25 Oct 1862 4pp J. Evans ALS

To "Dee ant mariah" [Maria Miller?] dtd "Camp Herie" [Johnson's Island, Ohio], 17 Dec 186[3?]
     4pp Theodore F. Edwards ALS

To "Well old friend" dtd Camp at brooks station virginia, 10 Mar 63 3pp John Gleason ALS

To Hezekiah Edwards dtd Cincinnati, 5 Apr 1863 3pp Maggie A. Henry ALS

To Joseph Edwards dtd n.p., 7 Jly 1863 4pp Theodore Edwards ALS

To “Dear cousins” [Children of Joseph Edwards] dtd Memphis, Tennessee, Sunday 20 Sept
     186[3?] 3 pp G. Y. Miller ALS

To “Dear brother” [Theodore Edwards?] dtd n.p., 27 Nov 1863 2 pp George Edwards ALS

1864-1898

To Joseph Edwards [and family]] dtd “Mountstraily”. 25 Apr 1864 4 pp Theodore F. Edwards
     ALS

To “Cousin Mary” [Mary Edwards?] dtd Spanish Wells sc, 18 May 1864 3 pp O.P. Hershey ALS

To “Dear Father”[Joseph Edwards] dtd “General Hospital, lexington KY”, 20 May 1864; “
     Dear Brother” [FrankEdwards] 4 pp Theodore F. Edwards ALS

To “Dear Brother” [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd n.p., 2 June 1864 3 pp F[rank] Edwards ALS

To “Dear Brother Hezzy [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd n.p., 7 Jly 1864 4 pp Mary E. Edwards ALS

To “dear brother” [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd n.p., 22 Jly 1864 2 pp F[rank] Edwards ALS

To Hezekiah Edwards dtd n.p., 6 Aug 1864 2 pp “Uncle Ellis and Aunt Maria” ALS

To Hezekiah Edwards dtd n.p., 11 Aug [1864] 2 pp Mary Edwards ALS

To “friend” dtd “HdQts, Provo Guard 3d division 23 A.C. At Greensborough, N.C.”, 17 May
     1865 2 pp J.S. Stewart ALS

To Mary E. Edwards, dtd “Heidelberg Colledg, Tiffin City Ohio”, 8 Feb 1866 3 pp Geo. W. H.
     Johnson ALS

To “Mr [Frank] Edwards” dtd “the school room at Bloom”, 4 May [18]69 3 pp Abbie M. Newman
     ALS

To Frank Edwards dtd Bloomville, Ohio 1 Jly 1869 3 pp “Stella” [Walker] ALS

To Frank Edwards dtd “At school”, 9 Jly [18]69 4 pp Abbie M. Newman ALS

To “Mr. [Frank] Edwards” dtd “Home Sabbath eve”, 22 Aug 1869 4 pp “Stella” [Walker] ALS

To “Mr. [Frank] Edwards” dtd Bloomville, 4 Oct [18]69 3 pp Abbie M. Newman ALS

To “Mr. [Frank?] Edwards” dtd “Home”, 7 Nov 1869 3 pp Stella Walker ALS

To Frank Edwards dtd Anapolis, Sunday 14 Nov [18]69 4 pp “Abbie” [M. Newman] ALS

To “My Dear Almiry” [Myra E. Myers] “in care of John Myers” dtd n.p., 1 Jan 1872 4 pp Susan
     Myers ALS

To “Mother sisters and Brothers” [Joseph Edwards Family] dtd Holdin Butler County Kansas,
     20 Nov 1876 4 pp Theodore F. Edwards ALS

To “Brother and Sister” dtd Holten Kansas, 15 Feb [18]77 4 possibly incomplete; AL
     [Theodore F. Edwards ALS

To “Brother” [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd n.p., 17 Mar [18]77 2 pp T[heodore] Edwards ALS

To “Frank” [Edwards] dtd “Richland Township Kansis”, 7 Nov [18]77; “Dear George” [George
     Edwards] 4 pp “Thead” [Theodore Edwards] ALS

To “Mother, Brothers and sisters” [Mary Miller Edwards and family?] dtd “Richland Harvy
     co kan”,12 Feb [18]88 4 pp ALS

To “Dear Niece” dtd Washington, D.C., 21 Sep 1892 2 pp Aunt Mira Edwards [Mrs. Hezekiah
     (Almira Myers) Edwards] ALS

To Mr. Frank Edwards dtd Fremont, Ohio, 30 Jan [18]95, postcard, Shill & Slater ALS

To “Dear uncles and Aunt” dtd Hayden, Ind, 7 Jun 1898 4 pp “Your loving nephue Frank” ALS

INCOMPLETE AND/OR UNDATED CORRESPONDENCE

To “Hezzy our Dear Nephew” [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd n.p., “Tuesday 28^th” [1863?] 4 pp “Uncle
     [Ellis] and Aunt [Maria” ALS

To “My Dear Son” [Hezekiah Edwards?] dtd n.p., n.d. 4 pp Joseph Edwards ALS

To “Cousine Hezacia” [Hezekiah Edwards] dtd Fremont [Ohio], n.d. 4 pp Evaline Saine ALS

To “Dear Mama” dtd n.p., 28 Oct [1861?] 2 pp AL [Hezekiah Edwards]

To ? n.p., n.d. 2 pp; incomplete letter; AL [Tobias Edwards?]

To “My dear son” [Tobias Edwards?] n.p., n.d. 3 pp AL [Joseph Edwards]; “Mother” [Mary
     Miller Edwards] ALS

To ? [Mary Miller Edwards?] n.p., n.d. 2 pp AL [Hezekiah Edwards?]; incomplete letter

To ? n.p., n.d. [1861-2?] 3 pp AL [Tobias Edwards?]; incomplete letter

To Joseph Edwards n.p., n.d. [1861-2?] 1 p AL [Tobias Edwards]

To “Frank” [Frank Edwards?] n.p., n.d. 2 pp Theodore and Willie Edwards ALS

To “Dear aunt” dtd Circleville Picakaway County Ohio, n.d. 3 pp G. Y. Miller ALS
     (also added note to “Tobias” [Edwards] from Mary Edwards ALS

MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS AND PAPERS:

Hezekiah Edwards

Furlough Certificate, 22 Apr 1862

Pass (2), 9 Jly 1862, 24 Jly 1862

Surgeon’s Certificate of Discharge, 16 Aug 1862

Claim receipt Jan 1863

Discharge Certificate, 26 Aug 1864

Draft Exemption, 21 Oct 1864

Enlistment data for Theodore F. and Hezekiah Edwards, 14 May 1881

Pension Certificate (3), 14 May 1884, 3 Mar 1889, 4 Aug 1913

Disability Certificate, 31 May 1884

Commissioner of Pensions Bureaus, 6 Aug 1913

Pension Increase notice (2) 1 May 1920, 12 Dec 1920

Religious statement, Tms [Hezekiah Edwards]

Envelopes (3)

MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS

Hampshire Va Court Order; fox scalp payments, Uriah Blue May 1853

Hampshire Va Court Order; road work Nathaniel Kuykendall May 1853

Sandusky Co., Ohio Property Tax Duplicates for Joseph Edwards:
     10 June 1859, 4 Jan 1862, 12 Jly 1862

Seneca Co., Ohio Property Tax Duplicates for Joseph Edwards: 14 Jun 1859,
     20 Nov 1861

Teacher’s School Reports for Hopewell Twp (1868/69) Scipio Twp (1869/70) of Seneca
     Co., Ohio

“Greenback” Ticket, n.d. )George Edwards: County Coroner)

Post cards: T.F. Edwards, 4 Jan 1884; George E. Edwards, [18]88

Certificate of Acceptance of Ditch, 21 Nov 1877

Eviction Notice, 29 Sep 1898 George Edwards 

Addendum 

Theodore Edwards

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content
Inventory 

Introduction
The Theodore Edwards collection was donated to Hayes Presidential Center in 2006 by John Schwartz, a descendant of Theodore Edwards.

Biographical Sketch
Theodore F. Edwards was born in Ballville Twp, Sandusky County, Ohio, to Joseph and Mary Miller Edwards on October 10, 1844. Theodore served for two years in the Civil War, enlisting in Company I, 12^th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on October 12, 1863. He was wounded twice in the war. The first time, three ribs were broken when he was run over by a cannon carriage. Theodore suffered his second injury during the Battle of Saltville, when his horse was shot from under him. The resulting fall broke his wrist, and he was discharged in December 1865.

Theodore returned to Ohio after the war and married Ellen Ness in 1868. They had one child, William C. Edwards. In the 1870s Theodore took his wife and child and spent two years homesteading in Kansas. They then returned to Fremont, Ohio.

Ellen Ness Edwards died in January of 1925. Theodore Edwards died at the age of 83 on March 8, 1928, after a five-year illness, for two of which he was bed-ridden. He died in. the home of his son, on Ohio Avenue in Fremont, Ohio.

Scope and Content
The Theodore Edwards collection is an extension of the Joseph Edwards Family collection, which also includes letters written to and from Theodore Edwards.

The letters in the Theodore Edwards collection span from February 9, 1862 to August 20, 1865. Thirty-seven of the letters Theodore wrote during the war to friends and family back home in Ohio. Many of these letters were written from the U.S. General Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where Theodore was treated and then served as a nurse. Also of special interest are the letters written while he was stationed at Johnson’s Island (‘Camp Therie”). The rest of the letters are from friends (including other Civil War soldiers) and family members writing to Theodore. There are also two letters in this collection which were written by friends for Mary Edwards.

Inventory
Ac. 5649

Box 2

Letters from Theodore Edwards
Folder 1:
1. Jan. 6, 1863, Camp Cleveland, OH, [My Deer Aunt] (Maria Miller)
2. Oct. 27, 1863, Camp Clevland, [My deer oald friend] (Theron Stuart)
3. Oct. ? 1863, Camp Cleveland, [My deer unkel] (George E. Miller). Continues as a letter 
    to his sister Mary
4. Nov. 8, 1863, Camp Cleveland, [My Deer parents]
5. Dec. 18, 1863, Camp Therie, [my kind sister and Deer mother]
6. Dec. 24, 1863, Camp Therie, [Deer Father]
7. Dec. 26, 1863, Camp Therie, [My Deer aunt Mariah]
8. Jan. 24, 1864 (Sunday), [Deer Father]
9. Feb. 5, 1864, Camp Therie, [Deer sister]

Folder 2:
10. March 1?, 1864, Camp Dennison, [Deer brother] (Hezikiah). Letter on back to
      [Deer sister mary]
11. April 28, 1864, [Father]
12. May 8, [1864], Camp near Lexington, [Dear mother]
13. Jun 25, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Deer sister Mary]
14. July 23, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Brother]
15. Aug. ? 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Deer Brother an sister an mother
      an the hoal family]
16. Aug. 17, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Mary and Mother]
17. Aug. 22, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear unkel an kind ant]
18. Oct. ? 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear brother hez]
19 Oct. 24, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [My Deer brother]

Folder 3
20. Nov. 4, 1864, [Well brother George]
21. Nov. 4, 1864, [Deer Sister]
22. Nov. 12, 1864, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Deer mother]
23. Jan. 1, 1864[5], U.S. General Hospital, [Dear Sister]
24. Jan. 11 or 18, 1865, U.S. General Hospital [Dear Father an Mother]
25. Jan 18, 1865, U.S. General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Brother]
26. Jan. 20, 1865, U.S. General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Sister]
27. Feb. 5, 1865, U.S. General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Uncle an an kind Aunt]
28. Feb. ? 1865, U.S. General Hospital, Lexington KY, [Dear Brother Hes]
29. March 8, 1865, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Mather an mother an all]
30. May 9, 1865, U.S. General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Mother]
31. May 11, 1865, General Hospital, Lexington, KY, [Dear Sister]

Folder 4
32. March 4, 1866, [Sister]
33. March 4, 1866, Utica, MO, [Sister]. Continues as letter to [Father] and then as
      a letter to [Mother]
34. May 5, 1866, Utica, MO, [Dear Sister]. Continues to [Father]
35. Undated, [Sister]
36. Undated, [Brother Frank]. Note on back to [Mary]
37. Undated, continuation of letter to his aunt [Mariah]

Letters to Theodore Edwards

Folder 5
38. Amos Edwards, Aug. 1, 1865, Camp Nelson, KY
39. Amos Edwards, Aug. 20, 1865, General Hospital, Jefferson, IN, (To Mary Edwards)

Folder 6
40. Frank Edwards, Undated

Folder 7
41. Hezekiah Edwards, Sept. 5, 186?, Fremont, OH
42. Hezekiah Edwards, Oct. 21, 1864, Sandusky, OH

Folder 8
43. Mary Edwards, Jan. 8, 1864

Folder 9
44. Tobias M. Edwards, Feb. 22, 1861 or 1862, Camp Chase, Morgan Co, VA

Folder 10
45. Ellis, Maria, and Emma Miller, July 11, 1864 or 1865

Folder 11
46. Francis Decker, March 7, 1862, Camp Lander
47. Francis Decker, June 23, 1862, Camp Strausburg
48. Francis Decker, July 17, 1862, Camp near Speryvill
49. Francis Decker, Aug. 17, 1862, Camp in the grove

Folder 12
50. Henry Hopwood, Sept. 15, 1862, Camp near Washington

Folder 13
51. O.P. Hershey, Dec. 1, 1865, Lexington Court House, South Carolina

Folder 14
52. John Kerncan?, Nov. ? 1862, Fort Pickering, Memphis, TN

Folder 15
53. Valentine McIntire, Sept. 28, 1864, Camp Atlanta, GA

Folder 16
54. ?. H. McNutt, Feb. 9, 1862

Folder 17
55. Lewis Michael, June, 29, 1865, Lenoir Station, TN

Folder 18
56. J.S. Stewart, Jan 21, 1865, General Hospital, Knoxville, TN. (To Mary Edwards)

Folder 19
57. Theron S. Stewart, Nov. 13, 1863, Fremont, OH

Folder 20
58. Envelopes and Miscellaneous Materials

Transferred to the Museum
1. North-Savage .36 caliber revolver
2. Civil War uniform button
3. Civil War Musket