Title: William W. Orme and David Davis Papers, 1852-1894
Collection identifier: 165
Primary Creator: Orme, William W (1832-1866)
Other Creators: Davis, David (1815-1886)
Extent: 0.7 cubic feet
Arrangement:
This collection was bound by Illinois Historical Survey staff circa 1950. To improve the preservation conditions of the materials, IHLC rehoused the collection in 2022. Letters, though still tipped onto pages, were disbound from the volumes; they were then refoldered and arranged by correspondent. This finding aid preserves the original bound order by including the original volume and item number at the end of each item. The original arrangement and titles of volumes are as follows:
Volume I: Reports on Joseph Orme and Francis Orme, Georgetown College
Volume II: Lamon—Letters to Brigadier General William W. Orme
Volume III: Swett—Letters from Leonard Swett and Laura Swett to Brigadier General William W. Orme
Volume IV: Letters to Brig. Gen. W.W. Orme
Volume V: Letters from Judge David Davis to Brig. Gen. W.W. Orme
Volume VI: Lamon, Logan, etc.—Letters to Judge David Davis
In June 2022, Volume I was removed to form IHLC MS 1138: Francis and Joseph Orme Papers.
Subjects: Davis, David, 1815-1886, Drummond, Thomas, 1809-1890, Elections, Illinois--Politics and government, Lamon, Ward Hill, 1828-1893, Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865, McLean County--Bloomington (Ill.), Military, Orme, William Ward, 1832-1866, Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1835-1914, Swett, Leonard, 1825-1889, United States--Civil War, 1861-1865, United States--Politics and government
Forms of Material: Personal papers
Languages: English
This collection contains personal and political correspondence written to William W. Orme of Bloomington, Illinois. Primary correspondents are Illinois lawyers and political figures, Ward Hill Lamon, Leonard Swett, and Judge David Davis. Correspondents discussed Illinois and national politics during the Civil War, legal and business affairs, and military and personal matters. Several letters discuss the death of William McCullough, a Civil War Colonel and the father-in-law of William Orme, an event that caused Abraham Lincoln to write his famed letter to McCullough's bereaved daughter, Fanny McCullough (sister-in-law of Orme). Also included is a draft of a speech for the 1860 presidential campaign, likely written by Orme; notes on the voting records of Owen Lovejoy and Richard Yates pertaining to Illinois Black laws (1858).
The collection also includes letters written to Judge David Davis and his second wife, Adeline Burr Davis Green, from correspondents such as Ward Hill Lamon, Leonard Swett, Adlai and Letitia Stevenson, and Thomas Drummond. Additional letters from Adlai and Letitia Stevenson written to Adeline Burr Davis Green and her second husband, Col. Wharton Jackson Green, are also in the collection. Box 1 contains original letters as bound by the Library, while Box 2 contains typescripts.
Davis, David, 1815-1886
Drummond, Thomas, 1809-1890
Elections
Illinois--Politics and government
Lamon, Ward Hill, 1828-1893
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
McLean County--Bloomington (Ill.)
Military
Orme, William Ward, 1832-1866
Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1835-1914
Swett, Leonard, 1825-1889
United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--Politics and government
Repository: Illinois History and Lincoln Collections
Acquisition Source: Lucy Orme Morgan, daughter of William W. Orme, donated the collection to the Illinois Historical Survey, predecessor to the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, in 1930 and 1931.
URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/ihlcsfa/orme-davis.pdf
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