Title: Giles Waldo and Mary E. Burton Shurtleff Papers, 1846-1930

ID: RG 30/032

Extent: 2.7 Linear Feet

Predominant Dates: 1854-1904

Giles Waldo Shurtleff (1831-1904), a native of Canada, came to the United States at age three with his family. After spending his youth in Illinois, he came to Oberlin in 1853, graduating from Oberlin College in 1859. It was in Oberlin that he met Mary E. Burton (1836-1924), and they were married in 1864. She had studies at Mount Holyoke Seminary in 1858-59 and then at the Lake Erie Female Seminary, from which she graduated in 1860. She was a teacher at the Lake Erie Female Seminary in Austinburg, Ohio, from 1862-1864. Throughout her life, she was active in organizations such as the Oberlin Temperance Alliance, the Non-Partisan Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the Women's Board of Missions of the Interior, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She lived in Oberlin until her death in 1924.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Shurtleff began as captain of what became Company C of the 7th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Kesler's Cross Lanes, Virginia, in August, 1861, and not exchanged until a year later (August 1862). He was then assigned to the staff of General O. B. Wilcox of the 9th Army Corps with whom he served at Fredericksburg. Although discharged due to illness in the spring of 1863, the following July he became Lt. Colonel of black troops recruited in Ohio and designated the 5th U.S. Colored Troops. Shurtleff remained with this unit to the end of the war and his duty included Petersburg, Virginia (June-August, 1864). Following an attack upon Fort Harrison, near Richmond on September 29, 1864, he was wounded. In addition to his service in Virginia, he spent time in North Carolina in 1865. He was brevetted Brigadier General before his discharge.

Shurtleff returned to Oberlin to become a professor of Latin and Greek (1866-87) and he also held positions in the College of financial secretary (1873-74), secretary and treasurer (1887-93), and member of the Board of Trustees (1894-1904). Shurtleff traveled at various times raising funds for the College, and trips to Europe in 1882 and 1886-87, and was in private business from 1894. He served the community as its mayor (1868), on the village council, on the executive committee of the Temperance Alliance, and as President of the Board of Commerce and of the Village Improvement Society.

Author: Lisa Hicks

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Scope and Contents:

The papers of Giles Waldo and Mary E. Burton Shurtleff consist, in large part, of their correspondence, 1862-1887. This is by far the richest series in the collection. Two hundred and twenty-one of the letters were written by Giles between 1861-65 while he was on active service. They detail the longing of the soldier for his girl (wife), military routine interspersed by the violence of his wartime world, and family matters. One letter was smuggled out of prison in a button in 1862. In some he commented about other officers, his feelings towards his men, military strategy, and the action in which he participated. Mary's letters tell of the life of the woman who waits at home. Their post-war correspondence generally was written during trips taken by Giles, often while he was in the service of the College, and sometimes they tell of his problems raising funds and of Mary's reportage of events in the home, at the College and in the Oberlin community. Some of the major correspondents are: Theodore Burton, Melvil Dewey, John M. Ellis, James Henry Fairchild and Lucien Warner.

Shurtleff's Civil War service is documented in series 4. Included are commissions, discharge papers, muster rolls, etc., covering the period of 1861-1865. There is not much about his black soldier unit here. Under series 7, Writings, one will find information relating to this unit.

An account book, spanning 1915 to 1924, details Mrs. Shurtleff's expenditures during that period. A few letters of credit belonging to Mr. Shurtleff are also present in the collection. That is the only record of any business practices in the collection, though G. W. Shurtleff was quite active in the Oberlin business community after the war.

Family history documents such as newspaper clippings and book excerpts, are found in the collection as well. The family histories of Mr. Shurtleff and Mary Burton's family are found in the form of newspaper clippings and book excerpts. Unfortunately, the documents are rather incomplete. Obituaries of Mr. and Mrs. Shurtleff are here as well.

The papers also include a number of Giles' writings (MSS) and a few by Mary, who was active in temperance work, the Women's Board of Missions of the Interior, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Incomplete writings (fragmentary) are also part of this group. The Civil War writings describe his experiences and reminiscences of military service. Mary Shurtleff's writings, though sparse, are also of research value. She wrote on such varied topics as "The Ladies Society of the 2nd Church," and "The Early Teachers at Lake Erie Seminary."

The last two series are Photographs (Series 8) and Printed Materials (Series 9). There are 11 black and white photographs of various Shurtleff family members. A photograph of the statue of Shurtleff on South Professor Street exists depicting Giles W. Shurtleff during the Civil War. One photograph is believed to be the Shurtleff home, although that has not been documented. Most of the pictures are well labeled. The printed materials are books, pamphlets and calling cards that belonged to the Shurtleffs.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series 1. Correspondence of Giles Waldo Shurtleff, 1854-1887 (1.7 l.f.)

Contains the correspondence of Giles W. Shurtleff and is divided into five subseries: 1. Letters Sent, 2. Postcards Sent, 3. Letters Received, 4. Letters of Other Correspondents, and 5. Memoranda.

Series 2. Correspondence of Mary E. Burton Shurtleff, 1865, 1882-1887 (0.2. l.f.)

This series consists of Mary Shurtleff's letters and is divided into two subseries: 1. Letters Sent and 2. Letters Received.

Series 3. Correspondence (Rec'd and Sent) of Mr. and Mrs. Giles W. Shurtleff, 1865-1866, 1870-1902 (0.2 l.f.)

Included in this series are letters addressed to both Shurtleffs. The letters start in 1865 and continue through the seventies and eighties. The last correspondence is 1902.

Series 4. Civil War Service Records of Giles Waldo Shurtleff, 1861-1865 (0.05 l.f. and flat file)

This series contains documentation of Giles Shurtleff's commissions, discharges and promotions. Oversize items have been encapsulated and filed flat.

Series 5. Financial Files of Mr. and Mrs. Giles W. Shurtleff, 1886, 1915-1924 (0.1 l.f.)

Contains files dealing with finances in two subgroups: 1. G.W. Shurtleff and 2. Mary Shurtleff.

Series 6. Genealogical Files, 1898-1930, n.d. (0.05 l.f.)

Included in this series are the family history materials of the Burton and Giles Shurtleff families. Examples of this are newspaper clippings, a will and book excerpts.

Series 7. Writings of Mr. and Mrs. Giles W. Shurtleff, 1881, 1895, n.d. (0.4 l.f.)

This series compiles the writings of the Shurtleffs' writings which are divided into two subseries: 1. Giles Waldo Shurtleff and 2. Mary Shurtleff.

Series 8. Photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Giles Shurtleff, n.d. (.05 l.f.)

There are twelve photographs of various members of the Shurtleff family. There is also a photo of their residence.

Series 9. Printed Materials of Mr. and Mrs. Giles W. Shurtleff, n.d. (0.05 l.f.)

Printed materials such as books, calling cards and pamphlets are in this series.

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