John Henry Beacom Papers
Scope and Contents
The papers (1877-1920) of John Henry Beacom pertain mostly to his career in the U.S. Army. Included in the papers are 38 letters written by prominent persons, 14 documents captured from Philippine insurrectionists, and Beacom's commissions and appointments. In addition to these documents, the papers include the writings (1994, 1999) of Seward E. Beacom on the life of John Henry Beacom and Beacom Family genealogy. Also included are photocopies of a diary of John Beacom, 1873-77, and a research paper concerning Beacom written by Edward Puge.
The papers are arranged in the following record series: 1. Appointments and Commissions, 1890-1913; 2. Correspondence 1877-1920; 3. Captured Philippine Insurrectionist Documents, 1899-1901; 4. Writings by Seward E. Beacom; and 5. Materials Received from Seward Beacom, June 2002.
There is at least one letter written by each of the following: Senator Calvin S. Brice, William Jennings Bryan, Sir Julian Byng, Lord Charnwood, General J.D.P. French, Francis V. Greene, George Bird Grinnell, R.B. Haldane, Sir Ian Hamilton, John Hay, General Henry W. Lawton, William McKinley, General John Pershing, Theodore Roosevelt, Fred Sleigh (1st Earl Robert), Francis Hopkinson Smith, Mrs. Henry M. Stanley, Melville E. Stone, Alfred Turner, Sir Charles Vincent, Spenser Wilkinson, Owen Wister, and General Leonard Wood. Many of these are perfunctory in nature.
Dates
- Creation: 1873-1999, undated
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1877 - 1920
- Other: Date acquired: 01/01/1973
Creator
- Beacom, John Henry (Person)
- Beacom, Seward E. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopies of documents in Series 1-3 are provided to protect the originals. Diary and research paper in Series 5 are available for reference only (no copies or images).
Extent
0.40 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Series Descriptions
Series 1. Appointments and Commissions, 1890-1913 (2 folders): This series consists of certificates of military appointments and commissions of John H. Beacom.
Series 2. Correspondence, 1877-1920 (2 folders): This series contains correspondence of John H. Beacom received from various individuals. A complete list of correspondence is included in the inventory.
Series 3. Captured Philippine Insurrectionist Documents, 1899-1901 (14 documents): This series contains fourteen (14) documents captured from Philippine Insurrectionists during Beacom's military assignment in the Philippines. A description of the documents is filed in the folder.
Series 4. Writings by Seward E. Beacom, re. J.H. Beacom, 1994, 1999 (2 spiral bound volumes): This series contains writings of Seward E. Beacom, The Robert Beacom Family in America, August 1994; and The Colonel From Yellow Creek, December 1999. Also included are the photographic plates for The Colonel from Yellow Creek.
Series 5. Materials Received from Seward Beacom, June 2002 (diary and Research paper, 2 folders), 1873-77, undated: The materials in this series include a photocopy of a diary (47 pages) of John H. Beacom, 1873-77. The original diary is at the Wellsville Historical Society in Wellsville, Ohio. The other item is a photocopy of the research paper titled “The Life and Letters of Colonel John H. Beacom, 1857-1916: A Case Study in Modern Imperialism.” The paper (34 pages) was written by Edward V. Pugh, undated. The diary and research paper are for reference only.
Method of Acquisition
This record group is an artificial group created by the Archives. The papers (1877-1920) were received from the Library in various accessions; the bulk of them came in 1973 from the Library's "Autograph File" collection (16/5). Seward E. Beacom gave the Archives copies of his writings in 1995 and 1999. In June 2002, Seward Beacom gave the Archives photocopies of a diary of John Beacom and a research paper by Edward Puge. In 2006, Seward Beacom donated his photographic plates for The Colonel from Yellow Creek (2006/005).
Accruals and Additions
Accession Nos: Various, see provenance note.
- Title
- John Henry Beacom Papers Finding Guide
- Author
- William E. Bigglestone; Marian Schlotterbeck; Elizabeth Brinkman; Kenneth Grossi
- Date
- 11/28/1973
- Description rules
- Rules for Archival Description
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Oberlin College Archives Repository
420 Mudd Center
148 West College Street
Oberlin OH 44074-1532 US
440-775-8014
440-775-8016 (Fax)
archive@oberlin.edu