A Guide to the George D. Shortridge Family Papers, 1846-1902
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Shortridge, George D., 1814-1870 | |
| Title: | Shortridge, George D., Family Papers | |
| Dates: | 1846-1902 | |
| Abstract: | Composed of correspondence, poetry, newspaper clippings, and legal documents, the George D. Shortridge Family Papers, 1846-1902, chronicle the experiences of the Shortridge family in Selma, Alabama, and Austin, Texas. | |
| Accession No.: | 80-021 | |
| Extent: | 5 in. | |
| Language: | Materials are written in English. | |
| Repository: | Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin | |
Biographical Note
Jurist and circuit court judge George David Shortridge (1814-1870) was the son of Judge Eli Shortridge. Raised in Alabama, Shortridge became a licensed attorney in 1838 and was elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1844. In 1836, he married Elizabeth King, with whom he had six children: George D., Jr., Louisa, Eli (1843-1862), Frank (1846-1864), Leila, and William Webb. After his defeat as the "Know-Nothing" candidate for governor in 1855, Shortridge became a member of the State Convention that passed the Ordinance of Secession in 1861. His sons George, Eli, and Frank served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, though only George did not perish in battle.
Scope and Contents
Composed of correspondence, poetry, newspaper clippings, and legal documents, the George D. Shortridge Family Papers, 1846-1902, chronicle the experiences of the Shortridge family in Selma, Alabama, and Austin, Texas. Correspondence primarily relates to familial affairs and the life in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, especially for George, Eli, and Frank Shortridge. Additional correspondence concerns Lelia Shortridge Gaines’ travels through Austin and Paris, Texas, and New York City. The collection also contains poetry written by a member of the Shortridge family, an International Order of Odd Fellows certificate, a land grant for Red River County, Texas, and newspaper clippings from the Selma Weekly Reporter memorializing Frank Shortridge.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Index Terms | ||
| Subjects (Persons) | ||
| Shortridge, Eli, 1843-1862 | ||
| Shortridge, Elizabeth King | ||
| Shortridge, Frank, 1846-1864 | ||
| Shortridge, George D., Jr. | ||
| Shortridge, George D., 1814-1870 -- Archives | ||
| Shortridge family -- Archives | ||
| Subjects (Organizations) | ||
| Confederate States of America. Army -- Military life. | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Land grants -- Texas -- History -- 19th century | ||
| Poetry -- Texas -- History -- 19th century | ||
| Places | ||
| Austin (Tex.) -- Description and travel | ||
| New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel | ||
| Paris (Tex.) -- Description and travel | ||
| Red River County (Tex.) -- History -- 19th century | ||
| Selma (Ala.) -- History -- 19th century | ||
| United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 | ||
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
George D. Shortridge Family Papers, 1846-1902, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory | |||||||||||||
| box | |||||||||||||
| 3N146 | Family correspondence, 1846-1902 | ||||||||||||
| box | |||||||||||||
| 3S139 | Land grants, 1852 | ||||||||||||