A Guide to the William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Wainwright, William A., 1832-1904 | |
| Title: | Wainwright, William A., Papers | |
| Dates: | 1864-1889 | |
| Abstract: | 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. | |
| Accession No.: | 1950 | |
| Extent: | 5 ft., 11 in. | |
| Language: | Materials are written in English. | |
| Repository: | Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin | |
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).
Restrictions
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. | ||
Related Material
|
Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis. “Wainwright, William A., 1862, 1865, 1869” M 0291. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
William A. Wainwright Papers, 1864-1889, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
Detailed Description of the Papers