urn:taro:utexas.cah.01865 A Guide to the William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889 Original EAD encoding by Sarah Powell according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. August 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Wainwright, William A., 1832-1904 Wainwright, William A., Papers 1864-1889 Materials are written in English. 1950 5 ft., 11 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Letters, letterpress books, military orders, reports, broadsides, photographs, and receipts comprise the William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889. The collection primarily relates to men, officers, and supplies at Fort Brown from 1864 to 1870, as well as the quartermaster operations at Fort Brown. Biographical Note

William Alonzo Wainwright (1832-1904) worked as a clerk for Levi P. Morton, future Vice President under President Benjamin Harrison, in his hometown of Hanover, New Hampshire, and in a dry goods store in Concord. After moving to Noblesville, Indiana, in 1853, Wainwright operated a hardware, tin and stove business. Here he also married and had three children.

During the Civil War, Wainwright enlisted in a number of army units, including the 6th Indiana Regiment, Company J (April-August 1861), the 39th Indiana (August 1861-February 1862) and the 75th Indiana Volunteer Infantry (July 1862-December 1863). Wainwright, a captain and Assistant Quartermaster, was transferred to the Engineers Department, Department of the Mississippi, until he was moved to the Department of the Cumberland in June 1864. He served as the Chief Assistant Quartermaster in Knoxville, Tennessee, from December 1865 to 1869, when he was transferred to the Quartermasters Department in Brownsville, Texas. Here he supervised the building of Fort Brown as a permanent military base. He was honorably discharged as a brevet major in 1870.

Resuming his hardware business in Noblesville, Indiana, Wainwright purchased a half interest in an abstracting business owned by Thomas E. Boyd and John H. Butler in 1878. Boyd sold his interest to E.K. Hall and the business became Wainwright and Company, later the Wainwright Trust Company. Wainwright was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masons, and the Odd Fellows.

Sources:

Davenport, Elizabeth Pettit. “Fort Brown.” Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed August 3, 2010.http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf07.

Southard, Stewart. “William Alonzo Wainwright (1832-1906). United States (Union) Assistant Quartermaster Records, 1861-1870.” Tennessee State Library and Archives. Accessed August 3, 2010. http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/ths729.pdf.

 Scope and Contents

Letters, letterpress books, military orders, reports, requisitions, broadsides, issues of Harper's Weekly, photographs, and receipts comprise the William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889. The collection primarily relates to men, officers, and supplies at Fort Brown from 1864 to 1870, as well as the quartermaster operations at Fort Brown. Materials also relate to military matters in Tennessee and Kentucky before Wainwright transferred to Texas. Photographs depict Fort Brown, Brownsville, and Matamoras, Mexico (1893).

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Wainwright, William A., 1832-1904 -- Archives Subjects (Organizations) United States. Army. Dept. of the Cumberland. United States. Army. Quartermaster's Dept. Subjects Building -- Texas. Military bases -- United States -- History -- 19th century. Quartermasters -- United States -- 19th century. Social affairs -- United States -- 19th century. Places Brownsville (Tex.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Fort Brown (Brownsville, Tex.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Louisville (Ky.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Matamoros (Coahuila, Mexico) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Preferred Citation

William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

 Related Material at other Repositories

“William Alonzo Wainwright, United States Assistant Quartermaster Records (Union), 1861-1870,” Mf. 1600-Mf. 1699 at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis. “Wainwright, William A., 1862, 1865, 1869” M 0291.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2H133 Receipts, 1864 Reports, 1864 Telegram, 1864 Orders, 1864 Invoices, 1864 Reports and receipts, 1865-1866 Requisitions, 1865 Orders, 1865-1866 Oaths of allegiance, 1866 Record book, persons hired and discharged, 1866-1868 Transportation books, November 1867 - December 1868 2H134 Invoices and receipts,1867 Bills of lading and oaths of allegiance,1867 Orders,1867 Reports,1867 Requisitions,1867 Reports,January-March 1868 2H135 Reports,April-August 1868 2H136 Reports,September-December 1868 2H137 Receipts,January-June 1868 2H138 Receipts,July-November, 1868 Requests and recommendationsJanuary-December 1868, Contracts and bids,1868 Bond,1868 Inventories,1868 2H139 Receipts,July 1868 Orders,1868 Telegrams,1868 Proceedings of Boards of Survey,1868 Bills of lading,1868 Requisitions,January-August 1868 2H140 Requisitions,September-December 1868 Invoices,1868 Letter presses,January 2-July 21, 1868 2H141 Letter presses,July 21-December 31, 1868 Check stubs,March 1868-January 1869 Order books,July 3, 1868-April 8, 1868 2H142 Ledger, bills of lading,1868-1870, undated Letterpresses,undated Reports,February 1868-February 1869 Records,March 1868-July 1869 Invoices,August 1869-May 1870 Receipts,January 1869 2H143 Receipts,February-May 1869 2H144 Receipts,June-December 1869 Reports,January 1869 2H145 Reports,February-September 1869 2H146 Reports,October-December 1869 Requisitions,1869 2H147 Letterpresses,January-May 1869 Bills of lading,1869 Bonds and injunctions,1869 Orders,1869 Requests and recommendations,1869 Telegrams,1869 Proceedings of a Board of Survey,1869 Invoices,1869 2H148 Letterpresses: August-December 1869 January-April 1870 Order books,April 8-December 9, 1869 Check stubs,1869 2H149 Receipts,1870 Invoices,1870 Proceedings of Boards of Survey,1870 Bonds and Injunctions,1870 Orders,1870 Requisitions,1870 Requests and recommendations,1870 Reports,1870 2H150 Orders, printed,1865-1870 Reports,April-July, 1870 Miscellaneous papers,1871 Personal correspondence,December 1889 Correspondence,1872