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William Gibbs McAdoo Letter to Ben W. Austin

 Collection
Identifier: MS-1415

  • Staff Only

In this letter, William Gibbs McAdoo reports that he is sending Ben Austin a photograph of himself, three sonnets he has written, and an address by Mrs. Bell Barry of Knoxville. Additionally, he promises to send Austin a photograph of and some representative works by his wife at a later date and offers to transmit sections from the diary he kept during the Mexican War. Austin intended to publish these items as part of an upcoming literary collection.

Dates

  • 1892 July 29

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

In this letter, William Gibbs McAdoo reports that he is sending Ben Austin a photograph of himself, three sonnets he has written, and an address by Mrs. Bell Barry of Knoxville. Additionally, he promises to send Austin a photograph of and some representative works by his wife at a later date and offers to transmit sections from the diary he kept during the Mexican War. Austin intended to publish these items as part of an upcoming literary collection.

Biographical/Historical Note

William Gibbs McAdoo was born to John and Mary Ann (Gibbs) McAdoo on April 4, 1820. He graduated from East Tennessee University in 1845 and served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847. During the Mexican War, he served as a Lieutenant and as a Captain in the U.S. Army. When the war ended, McAdoo studied law and opened his own practice in Knoxville. He moved to Georgia during the Civil War and fought with the Confederate Army from 1863 to 1865. McAdoo returned to his legal career after the war ended, this time practicing in Midgeville, Georgia. He began teaching at the University of Tennessee in 1877 and later wrote Elementary Geology of Tennessee. W. G. McAdoo died in Knoxville on August 24, 1894.

McAdoo married twice: once to Anna Cleopatra Horsley on June 22, 1848 and once to Mary Faith Floyd in 1857. He had two children (Catherine M. and Emma) by his first wife and eight children (John Floyd, William Gibbs Jr., Malcolm Ross, Carolina Blackshear, Rosalee, Floyd, Nana Howard, and Laura Sterett) by his second. His namesake went on to serve as a U.S. Senator from California between 1933 and 1937.

Arrangement

This collection consists of a single folder.

Acquisition Note

Special Collections purchased this letter in October of 1987.

Related Archival Materials

Interested researchers may also wish to consult:

  1. MS.0093: W. G. McAdoo Diary, 1846 October 18-1847 May 11
  2. MS.0241: W. G. McAdoo Diaries, 1846-1894
  3. MS.1122: W. G. McAdoo Diary Extracts, 1846-1894
  4. MS.1930: W. G. McAdoo Bill of Complaint, 1854
  5. MS.2232: W. G. McAdoo Letter, 1860

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480