Elliott F. Grabill Papers

Collection

Identifier: RG 30-043

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers of Elliott F. Grabill consist mainly of letters sent by Grabill (December, 1863-1865) to Anna S. Jenney, whom he would marry in March of 1865. Grabill expressed himself well on such matters as schools for contraband, relations with other officers, regard for black troops, troop dispositions including their transport by water, the siege of Petersburg, descriptions of battle, the wounding of Colonel Giles W. Shurtleff, exchange of papers with a Confederate soldier, a tour of four northern North Carolina counties, the tedium of waiting for peace and his interest in Anna.

Correspondence (1864-1868) written by Anna Grabill discuss their courtship and her desire to teach upon arriving in Greenville. Her frustrations over receiving less money than a man for teaching are also documented.

Other correspondence received by Elliott Grabill are letters from his sisters, Cynthia and Mary, and from a friend named Lydia from 1864-1865.

The writings of Elliott and Anna Grabill in this collection are meager. Three of Anna's essays and her notes on mineralogy and trigonometry from Oberlin are contained in a single notebook, 1859-1860. Another undated notebook holds poems collected (and possibly written) by Anna Grabill.

One black and white photograph of a young boy, unlabeled and undated, is part of the collection as well. Several originals and copies of newspaper clippings about the Grabills are also included as well as receipts which show donations made to the College and a report card of one of Grabill's children. One newspaper, entitled the Ohio Seventh was edited by Grabill in 1861.

Dates

Creation: 1859 - 1910
Creation: Majority of material found in 1862-1868
Other: Date acquired: 02/18/1970

Creator

Grabill, Elliott F. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Unrestricted.

Biographical or Historical Information

Elliott Finley Grabill (1837-1912) was born on June 16, 1837 in Millsboro, PA to Nimrod Grabill (1805-1881) and Zeruah Roberts (-1845). He had five brothers - Ethelbert Henry (1831-1909), Ulysses Austin (1834-1837), Roberts Byron (1835-1837), Anson Fletcher (1840-1882), and James Barclay (1844-1844). Elliott attended the Preparatory Department and Oberlin College from 1857-1861. It was here that he met his wife, Anna Sutton Jenney (1839-1913). The couple married in 1865. They had four children: Florence Anna (1867-1875), Clara Emma (1868-1910), Carl Elliott (1871-1931), and Ethelbert Vincent (1875-1951).

Elliott Grabill first enlisted as a Private on June 20, 1861. He then left Oberlin as a member of Company C, 7th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served two and a half years with the company as a private and corporal; he was promoted to Full Curporal on November 1, 1862. On November 10, 1863, he was discharged for pormotion, He then enlisted as an Adjutant of the 5th U.S. Colored Troops. He became a Full Captain, September 24, 1864, and was brevetted a major when discharged on September 20, 1865.

Returning to civilian life, Grabill received his A.B. degree in 1865 (Anna Grabill had already completed her degree in Literature in 1862.) and in 1866 purchased the Greenville, Michigan, Independent. Anna Grabill remained with her parents in Greenwich, Ohio, for several years before joining him. He was the editor and publisher of the Independent until 1910. He also held the position of postmaster and alderman in Greenville.

Note written by Lisa Hicks.